The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA, /ˈmɑːrtə/) is the principal public transport operator in the Atlanta metropolitan area. Formed in 1971 as strictly a bus system, MARTA operates a network of bus routes linked to a rapid transit system consisting of 48 miles (77 km) of rail track with 38 train stations. MARTA's rapid transit system is the eighth-largest rapid transit system in the United States by ridership.
