People who take a train from the suburbs to downtown Atlanta for a ball game or a concert will soon encounter new fare gates updated for the smartphone era.

MARTA announced Monday that it is installing new contactless fare equipment. New MARTA cards will also be tappable, and the target will be clearer than with the old gates, the agency said. Also coming, a new smartphone app for payment, which should make it easier for occasional riders to use a mobile wallet.

Regional partners, including CobbLinc and Ride Gwinnett, will also be adopting the “Better Breeze” fare collection system in coming months.

New equipment is already being installed, but MARTA said it will not be ready to transition customers from the current 19-year-old Breeze system until spring.

The refresh is part of the transit system’s plans to accommodate soccer fans during next year’s World Cup matches in Atlanta.

Fare prices will remain unchanged, at $2.50 per ride.

“It’s great to keep fares unchanged for years, but not an entire fare collection system,” said MARTA Interim General Manager and CEO Jonathan Hunt.

In coming years, travelers should also be able to drive to MARTA — and anywhere else in Georgia — without a traditional wallet or purse. State lawmakers passed House Bill 296 last winter. It will allow drivers to present a digital license when stopped by police.

The law, which took effect in July, gives police until July 2027 to acquire the necessary equipment (basically, a government-authorized smartphone) to scan a digital license on a phone.

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