Atlanta Regional Plan Invests Billions In Transportation
For the first time in a decade, the Atlanta Regional Commission’s longterm plan includes a rail transit project — to Clayton County, where voters approved MARTA expansion last year.
ALI GUILLORY / WABE
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) expects metro Atlanta’s population to grow by 2.5 million people over the next 25 years, and its board of elected officials and business leaders approved Wednesday a plan to meet that growth.
“All of us as human beings think about how we plan for our future whether its for our families or our individual careers; the same thing for our region,” said Doug Hooker, executive director of the ARC. “Our region has to think about how it wants to confront its challenges and make the most of its opportunities.”
While the 25-year plan also covers water security and aging services, transportation is its biggest focus. In that area, the ARC hopes the region will invest more than $85 billion over the next quarter-century.
Two-thirds of that will go toward maintaining existing infrastructure. The rest will support new projects, like widening and improving roadways.
While the plan includes some funding for public transit expansion, including a possible rail line into Clayton County, ARC Chairman Kerry Armstrong says that’s a tricky subject when you’re collaborating with all areas of metro Atlanta.
“Currently, you hear a lot of disagreement on how much of our resources we should allocate to transportation,” Armstrong said.
The billions of dollars in funding in the plan come largely from federal grants that will be matched by state and local money. The ARC develops a long-term plan once every four years.
Top Stories
