The Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority

What The Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority does

The Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority (ATL) is a state-level government transit authority established by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal's signing of HB930 on May 3, 2018. The authority serves as the regional governance and funding body for transit across 13 metro Atlanta counties (Cherokee, Clayton, Coweta, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, Paulding, and Rockdale). Its core operational assets include the Xpress commuter bus service, which operates express routes from park-and-ride facilities to downtown Atlanta employment centers, and a regional vanpool program. Effective July 1, 2020, ATL was legislatively authorized to oversee the state's Xpress regional commuter transit system and the Atlanta region's vanpool system.

ATL operates a multi-modal technology platform spanning operational and customer-facing systems. The ATL RIDES trip-planning application, launched in October 2023, was Georgia's first regional transit trip-planning app, integrating real-time information and route planning across multiple transit agencies including MARTA, CobbLinc, Gwinnett County Transit (GCT), Connect Douglas, and Atlanta Street Car. The Breeze Mobile 2.0 mobile fare payment system completed regional rollout in October 2023, with an active contactless fare payment and fare capping pilot for Xpress services. As the Designated Recipient for Atlanta Urbanized Area Federal Transit Administration (FTA) formula funds (Sections 5307, 5337, and 5339), ATL manages federal transit allocations for the region.

The authority's revenue model is anchored in government funding streams rather than commercial pricing. ATL allocates Transit Trust Funds (FY2025 awards totaled $16.4 million), manages FTA formula fund apportionments, and holds statutory authority to issue bonds and coordinate county-level sales tax referenda of up to 1 percent for up to 30 years for transit projects. Effective May 12, 2026, HB 297 consolidated ATL with the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) into the Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority (GTEA), transferring all responsibilities, staff, assets, and contracts to the new entity and creating a 13-member board that includes the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Transportation. The authority's customer base spans regional commuters, 13 metro Atlanta counties, and partner transit agencies, with no direct commercial revenue model.

Name

The Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority

Legal name

Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority

Website

https://atltransit.ga.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Georgia state-level transit governance authority created by HB930 (2018), overseeing Xpress commuter bus service and vanpool programs across 13 metro Atlanta counties. Manages FTA formula funds and operates ATL RIDES trip-planning app. Consolidated with GRTA into GTEA in May 2026.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transit Services

NAICS

Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Urban Transit Systems (4851), Other Urban Transit Systems (485119), Other Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation (48599), School and Employee Bus Transportation (4854)

SIC

Local & Suburban Transit & Interurban Hwy Passenger Trans (4100), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Intermodal Public Transit Operators (Bus + Rail Integrated Agencies) (TLAFAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Transit Agencies (Bus, Rail, Metro, Paratransit) (BPAIALAB), Park-and-Ride / Express Commuter Bus Operators (TLAFAGAF), Urban Rail Transit Authorities & Public Transport Agencies (THAIABAD), Local Transportation, Parking & Mobility Administration (BPAIACAM)

Keywords

• Regional transit governance
• Commuter bus service
• Vanpool programs
• Transit funding administration
• Multi-agency trip planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Federal Transit Administration Formula Funds: ATL serves as the Designated Recipient for Atlanta region's urbanized FTA formula fund apportionments including Section 5307 Urbanized Area Formula Program, Section 5337 State of Good Repair Grants Program, and Section 5339 Bus and Bus Facilities Program.
2. Transit Trust Fund Awards: ATL allocates Transit Trust Funds from prior years to transit projects and initiatives. FY2025 Trust Fund awardees totaled $16.4 million.
3. Transit Sales Tax Referenda: Counties within ATL can hold referenda to raise an additional sales tax of up to 1 percent for up to 30 years to fund transit projects.
4. Bond Issuance: ATL has authority to issue its own bonds and can work with other state agencies to issue bonds for transit infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority operates and governs regional transit across 13 metro Atlanta counties, running the Xpress commuter bus service and a vanpool program from park-and-ride lots to downtown Atlanta. It serves as the Designated Recipient for FTA Section 5307/5337/5339 formula funds, administers state Transit Trust Fund awards, and delivers unified trip planning and fare payment through the ATL RIDES app and Breeze Mobile platform.

Product overview

The Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority (ATL) operates a multi-modal regional transit system centered on the Xpress commuter bus service, supplemented by a vanpool program. The authority launched ATL RIDES in October 2023 as Georgia's first regional transit trip-planning application, enabling unified trip planning across all participating transit agencies in the 13-county metro Atlanta region. Supporting services include the Breeze Mobile fare payment system (Breeze Mobile 2.0) for contactless ticketing on Xpress buses. With the passage of HB 297 in 2026, ATL and GRTA consolidated to form the Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority (GTEA).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Xpress: Regional commuter bus service operated by ATL serving the metro Atlanta region with park-and-ride facilities.

Products and services

• Xpress Commuter Bus Service Express commuter bus service operated by ATL between park-and-ride lots across the 13-county metro Atlanta region and downtown Atlanta employment centers; serves daily suburban commuters.
• Vanpool Program Vanpool transportation service allowing groups of commuters to share rides in vans, providing an alternative commute option for Atlanta-region residents coordinated by ATL.
• ATL RIDES Trip Planning App Georgia's first regional transit trip-planning mobile application that enables users to plan trips, access real-time transit information, and track buses and trains across all participating Atlanta region transit agencies; available on iOS and Android.
• Breeze Mobile Fare Payment System Mobile ticketing and contactless fare payment system for Xpress commuter bus services, enabling riders to purchase fares and benefit from fare capping through a mobile application (Breeze Mobile 2.0).

Quantifiable outcome

• Transit Trust Fund Awards: $16.4 million distributed to transit providers (FY2025)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• I-285 Top End Express Lanes Transit Funding MOUcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 May 2022ATL hosted official signing of I-285 Top End Express Lanes Transit Funding and Collaboration Memorandum of Understanding for transit integration with express lanes infrastructure.
• Electric Vehicle (EV) PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 December 2021ATL announced Electric Vehicle (EV) Partnership to host exclusive first look at the future of Xpress Transit. Partnership advancing zero-emission bus technology for the fleet.
• Transit Partner Agencies (MARTA, CobbLinc, GCT, Connect Douglas, Street Car)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerATL RIDES app integrates multiple transit agencies for unified trip planning. ATL coordinates with MARTA, CobbLinc, Gwinnett County Transit (GCT), Connect Douglas, and Atlanta Street Car.
• Gwinnett CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransit Operations and Maintenance Services partnership including Ride Gwinnett service. ATL Solicitation 26-002 for combined ATL and Gwinnett County transit operations.
• Georgia Department of TransportationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPost-HB 297, new 13-member board includes Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner. Combined GRTA/ATL into Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority (GTEA).
• Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsolidated with GRTA under HB 297 (signed May 12, 2026), creating Georgia Transportation Efficiency Authority (GTEA). All responsibilities, staff, assets, and contracts transferred.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves1 record

Direct peers

• CobbLinc: Cobb County's fixed-route bus operator that integrates with ATL's Xpress commuter service and ATL RIDES app. Comparable as a county-level bus operator participating in ATL's regional coordination framework.
• Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA): Primary transit operator in metro Atlanta operating heavy rail, bus, and paratransit. Directly comparable as the largest regional transit partner that ATL coordinates with for unified regional service, fare integration, and trip planning via the ATL RIDES app.
• Gwinnett County Transit (GCT): Gwinnett County's transit operator with Ride Gwinnett service. Recently partnered with ATL under Solicitation 26-002 for combined transit operations, making it directly comparable in service delivery and regional coordination.

Broad incumbents

• Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS): Regional transit agency serving the Charlotte metropolitan area with bus, light rail, and streetcar services. Comparable as a multi-county/multi-modal regional transit authority operating in a high-growth Sun Belt metro similar to Atlanta.
• Hampton Roads Transit (HRT): Regional transit agency serving the Hampton Roads region of Virginia with bus, light rail, and ferry services. Comparable as a multi-jurisdictional transit authority coordinating services across independent cities and counties.
• Denver Regional Transportation District (RTD): Multi-county regional transit agency operating bus, light rail, and commuter rail across the Denver metro. Comparable as a regional authority coordinating multi-modal transit across multiple jurisdictions with voter-approved sales tax funding.
• Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) of Northeast Illinois: Regional oversight and planning body for transit in the Chicago metropolitan area. Comparable as a regional governance authority coordinating across multiple transit operators, similar to ATL's role in metro Atlanta.
• Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (WeGo Public Transit): Regional transit authority serving the Nashville metro area with bus and commuter rail services. Comparable as a regional agency managing commuter-focused services in a fast-growing Southeastern metro with similar funding and coordination challenges.
• Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon (TriMet): Regional transit operator serving the Portland, Oregon metro area with bus, light rail, and commuter rail. Comparable as a regional multi-modal transit authority with similar mobile fare payment and trip planning digital initiatives.

Others

• Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA): Former peer state-level transportation authority in Georgia that consolidated with ATL under HB 297 (May 2026) to form GTEA. Highly comparable as the entity merged into ATL's successor, sharing express lanes oversight and regional transportation planning responsibilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ATLTransitLink
• Facebookfacebook.com/AtlantaTransitLink
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theatl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority