Real-Time Tracker: Elevating the Passenger Journey Through Design and Real-Time Innovation

The Customer Experience Department’s Customer Technology Office at MARTA is redefining how public transit agencies engage with their customers , transforming data and technology into tools for empowerment, trust, and community connection. Led by David Emory, Senior Director of Customer Technology, and Tirumalarao Naidu, Manager of Customer Technology Data, the team drives MARTA’s vision of delivering a seamless, transparent, and digitally connected rider experience.
At the forefront of this transformation is the MARTA Real-Time Tracker (tracker.itsmarta.com), a modern, cloud-based platform that delivers precise, real-time bus and rail information across web and mobile. Designed with human-centered design principles and built on data-driven architecture and DevOps innovation, the Tracker empowers riders to plan with confidence, reduce wait times, and make informed travel decisions.
Beyond MARTA, this initiative sets a new benchmark for customer engagement in public transportation. It demonstrates how transit agencies can use real-time data and user experience design to foster transparency, accessibility, and rider trust,industry challenges long considered barriers to adoption. MARTA’s model is now inspiring peer agencies and municipalities nationwide to modernize their digital ecosystems, proving that technology-driven engagement can be both equitable and scalable.
Through collaboration, innovation, and a relentless focus on customer value, MARTA’s Customer Technology Office has transformed the everyday act of commuting into a digitally enhanced, rider-centric experience,advancing the entire public transit industry toward smarter, more connected mobility.