Atlanta, Cobb Lose Bids For Federal Transportation Money
Three Georgia projects missed out on millions of federal dollars in the latest round of grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation, leaving Cobb County and Atlanta officials waiting for alternative funding for high profile plans.
The Atlanta Streetcar lost its bid for $29.3 million to fund an extension of the system to the BeltLine’s Eastside Trail. The money would have come from Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Mayor Kasim Reed’s office said the news was “disappointing.”
“The Streetcar continues to serve as a high-quality transit network, and we look forward to competing for future grants,” they said, adding, “Fortunately, we will be able to proceed with plans for the expansion through a public-private model.”
Cobb County Commission Chair Tim Lee had similar reaction to the news the county lost out on $10 million to improve U.S. Highway 41 between Kennesaw State University and the new Braves stadium.
“I am certainly disappointed,” he said, “But, you win some, you lose some. Team Cobb is always pursuing funding from multiple partners for dozens of projects. When the appropriate funding is secured we will move forward with the SMART corridor project.”
Jim Wugis, deputy director at the Cobb County Department of Transportation, said U.S. 41 isn’t “a road that’s easily widened. So it’s something that we’re trying to improve the situation on the corridor, and this we feel was a great opportunity.”
No Georgia projects were included in the long list of grant recipients from around the country released Thursday. But the mayor’s office pointed out, since he entered office the city has been awarded $60 million from the program.
Another notable project that did not receive any federal money was a plan to build a multi-use path on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
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