Macon-Bibb County buses are run by a public agency. To ride, you pay cash on the bus or buy a pass on your phone.
The short answer
- A public agency runs the buses: the Macon-Bibb County Transit Authority (MBCTA). You may also see it called the Macon Transit Authority, or MTA.
- It offers three kinds of service:
- Fixed-route buses — set routes on a set schedule, like a normal city bus.
- Paratransit — door-to-door rides for people who can't use the regular bus.
- Rapid Transit — an on-demand ride you book in an app, like a shared cab.
- Buses meet up at one main spot downtown so you can switch between them: Terminal Station, 200 Cherry Street.
- To ride, pay cash on the bus (bring exact change), tap a reloadable Smart Card, or buy a pass on your phone with the Token Transit app.
What this means for you
No car? MBCTA is your public option. You can plan a trip, see live bus times, and pay with cash, a Smart Card, or your phone. Downtown, you switch buses at one central spot.
There are 10 fixed routes as of 2026. If no regular route gets you there, you have two backups:
- Book an on-demand ride through Rapid Transit.
- Can't use the regular bus? Apply for paratransit.
Who runs it
The Macon-Bibb County Transit Authority (MBCTA) is the public transit agency for Macon and Macon-Bibb County. It is a federally recognized transit agency with its own profile in the federal transit database.
A little history: the county bought the private Bibb Transit Company in 1973. The current authority was created in 1980 by the Georgia legislature.
A seven-member board runs it. Here is how someone gets on that board:
- The Mayor of Macon-Bibb County picks board members.
- The Macon-Bibb County Commission gives the final OK.
- Two of the seven must be transit riders themselves — one fixed-route rider and one paratransit rider.
Board members change, so check the official list for current names: the MBCTA Board of Directors page.
What they handle
- Fixed-route buses
- regular buses on set routes (10 routes as of 2026).
- Paratransit
- rides for people who can't use the regular bus.
- Rapid Transit
- an app-based ride you book when you need it.
- The downtown transfer hub
- Terminal Station, 200 Cherry Street, where you switch routes. The paratransit office is there too.
How residents usually deal with this
Plan a trip and check live bus times. Use the trip planner and live map at myride.mbcta.net.
Pay your fare. A single ride is $1.25 ($1.75 with a transfer). Seniors 62+ pay $0.80, students pay $0.75, and kids 12 and under ride free. Pay cash on the bus (exact change), tap a Smart Card, or use the Token Transit app (also in Moovit and Google Wallet). Fares can change, so check the live fares page before you rely on a number.
Book an on-demand ride. For Rapid Transit, see rapid.mbcta.net.
Apply for paratransit. If a disability or medical condition keeps you from using the regular bus, MBCTA offers door-to-door rides. A one-way trip is $2.50 (round trip $5.00). Apply at the paratransit office in Terminal Station or through the MBCTA Paratransit page, which lists current hours and how to certify.
Ask a question. Call MBCTA at (478) 803-2521 (rider info and paratransit dispatch), email info@mbcta.net, or see the Contact page for current hours.
Where to go next
- Macon-Bibb County Transit Authority (official site) — the agency that runs the buses.
- MBCTA live bus times / trip planner — plan a trip and see buses in real time.
- MBCTA Fares — current fare information.
- MBCTA Token Transit info — pay by phone.
- MBCTA Paratransit — door-to-door service if you can't use the regular bus.
- Rapid Transit — on-demand rides.
- MBCTA Contact — phone numbers and hours.
On PeachTracker:
- The Mayor and the Macon-Bibb County Commission pick who serves on the transit board, so the people you elect have a say in transit.
- See your local representatives by address on /districts.
- Track local money decisions on /budget.
- Macon-Bibb County Transit Authority (Wikipedia) — that MBCTA (also called MTA) runs public transit here; that it was formed in 1980 after the county bought Bibb Transit Company in 1973; the seven-member board and how members are nominated and confirmed; the three service types and the 10 fixed routes as of 2026; and the Terminal Station transfer hub at 200 Cherry Street.
- Token Transit — Macon-Bibb mobile passes — that riders can pay fares by phone using Token Transit.
- FTA National Transit Database profile (NTD ID 40130) — that MBCTA is a federally recognized transit agency.
- MBCTA official site, Fares, Paratransit, Board of Directors, Contact, Token Transit info, live bus times, and Rapid Transit — official pages for current fares, schedules, the board roster, contact details, and trip planning.