The final three stations to come online are Avondale, Dunwoody and Kensington, Hunt said. Tap-to-pay readers are already installed on all MARTA buses, and the Atlanta Streetcar is scheduled to finish its own changeover next week.

"These capabilities will strengthen our ability to promote fare compliance and protect the integrity of our system," Hunt said.

The rollout came at a cost. MARTA lost at least $19 million in revenue during the transition, as many faregates stayed open while construction was underway. The agency had budgeted for a $14 million loss and chose to keep stations accessible to riders throughout the work. Fare revenue accounts for roughly 10% of MARTA's operating budget, according to a spokesperson.

With the hardware in place, Hunt said the agency will now move to tighten enforcement. Beginning the second week of December, MARTA will install magnet locks on emergency doors to discourage riders from slipping through without paying, and will deploy fare inspection devices, with particular attention to the Rapid-A bus line.

Hunt framed the fare collection upgrades as part of a broader shift in the agency's mission, which he said now extends beyond its established goals of providing a safe, clean and reliable system. The new aim, he said, is "leading the nation in customer experience, operations and innovation."

Hunt also offered an update on safety testing for the CQ400, MARTA's new rail fleet. He declined to give a launch date for revenue service but said the trains are "extremely close" to completing what he described as rigorous testing.

"We will put these trains into service when they are ready. We will not compromise safety or reliability to meet any arbitrary date," Hunt said. "That said, we are very, very close and I look forward to these trains carrying customers in the near future."

MARTA had previously said the first of the new trains would enter service ahead of the World Cup in June.

The faregate conversion and the pending enforcement measures arrive as the region prepares for a surge of visitors and as transit advocates press for a system that is both accessible and financially sustainable. For riders, the practical change is immediate: paying a fare no longer requires a Breeze card, and the agency is signaling that it intends to police the system more closely than it did during construction.