Station Soccer

Target Audience: Targeting both current riders and community residents who may not have tried transit.

Strategy Objective:To increase ridership by creating unique opportunities & experiences that redefine transit. Soccer is truly a universal sport that transcends race, culture, social-economic status and more. Symbolically, we saw soccer as an idea that could serve as that meeting place'that common ground inclusive of all our riders & the community. Our partnership with Soccer in the Street (a non-profit that works with underserved youth) & Atlanta United FC was essential in turning some unused spaces in our rail stations in Five points and West End into a community-focused movement that allowed us to truly make an impact in this community. Resulting in the world's first soccer field (pitch)inside a train station.

Situation Challenge: Along with many other transit systems in the country we have seen our ridership decline and so have been seeking innovative low-cost ways to reverse this trend and at the same time add additional value to our community.

Results Impact: Atlanta has been buzzing with excitement around our soccer team - Atlanta United, who had record breaking ticket sales in their first season. It has been a perfect opportunity to have the public and private sectors collaborate for a lasting community impact. It has allowed us to change the environment in these areas and provide a fresh, vibrant amenity to the surrounding community for players and spectators alike. The program has also helped increase ridership in youth and adults; providing an opportunity for youth to experience transit for the first time and for adults to utilize transit as an alternate method for after-work play. MARTA employees have even started their own soccer league and play soccer games in these new spaces, thus providing additional health and wellness benefits.

Why Submit: Station soccer partnership has been successful in drawing more people to the station and has had an immediate impact in the community. It has been so successful that Don Garber (Major league soccer Commissioner) and Arthur Blank (Home Depot co-founder and owner of Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United) recently visited the site and we have received reviews from global and national news including coverage from BBC & FIFA. As a result, we are currently in talks to bring more fields to other stations with the hope of building a club community'and help continue to grow healthy communities that thrive. Station Soccer, along with other initiatives, help our appeal and affect long term ridership. It's all part of envisioning how people can live with public transit as their primary mode of transit.