CRA accepts public comments on amendment to transportation improvement program

Atlanta — July 15, 2024

The Atlanta Regional Commission is accepting public comment through Friday, July 19, on an amendment to the regional Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) that would allocate $265 million for transportation projects in metro Atlanta.

The amendment provides $38.2 million in congressionally directed spending grants (formerly called “special budgetary appropriations”) and $221.6 million in federal discretionary grants. The projects include:

• Flint River Access Trails
  The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded two grants totaling $65 million for the 31-mile multi-use trail network that will connect the Atlanta BeltLine in southwest Atlanta, Clayton County and the Tri-Cities area of ​​College Park, East Point and Hapeville, which includes the headwaters of the Flint River. The funds, awarded through the federal Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program, will be used to build three trail segments and plan nine additional sections.
• Point
  The effort to build a park-like “cap” over part of the Downtown Connector in the city of Atlanta has received more than $150 million in federal grants and congressionally directed spending grants for work that includes preliminary engineering, right-of-way acquisition and some construction.
• National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Projects
  Electric vehicle charging infrastructure is planned along I-575 in northern Cherokee County and I-85 in Coweta County, using $2 million in federal discretionary funding.
• Transit Fleet Upgrades
  $2.55 million in congressionally directed spending grants to improve transit vehicles and customer amenities on Gwinnett County Transit Route 50, which serves the Suwanee area, and Route 60, which connects Georgia Gwinnett College to Lawrenceville and Snellville via SR 124.
• Pilot project and development of plans for connected vehicles
  Henry County will use a $600,000 SMART grant from the Federal Highway Administration to improve roadway operations and reduce vehicle response times.

To comment or learn more about the proposed changes, visit atlantaregional.org/amendment or contact Morgan Bray at 470-378-1439. The ARC Board of Directors and Transportation and Air Quality Committee are expected to vote on the TIP amendment at a specially called joint meeting on Wednesday, August 28.

The Transportation Improvement Program is the mechanism by which federal, state, and local funds are approved for all major surface transportation projects and programs in the region. The TIP is updated several times a year as projects change or new funding becomes available. This update is necessary to incorporate new discretionary funding from Congress and the U.S. Department of Transportation.

For more information, download a summary or visit the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) website.

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The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the Atlanta region, which consists of 11 counties including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry, and Rockdale counties, as well as the City of Atlanta and 75 other cities. The Atlanta Regional Commission’s mission is to foster thriving communities for all in the Atlanta region through collaborative, data-driven planning and investment.