ATLANTA — MARTA riders will notice a lot of construction as big changes are on the way in the coming weeks as MARTA converts to a new “open fare” payment system.

“Customers are going to be able to just walk up to the fare gate and just pay with a credit card or pay with their mobile wallet,” MARTA’s Stephany Fisher says. “You can just pay like you do at the grocery store or any other place where you can just tap and go. So, I think that is a real game changer.”

Fisher says the upgrades to new equipment will happen in phases, and ample signage will get people around temporary closures.

The new system officially launches May 2, but the old system and Breeze cards will continue to work during the transition.

However, she recommends users begin paying down balances on existing Breeze cards and apps since they will be phased out.