The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) Board has adopted an amendment to the agency’s transportation and transportation improvement plans. The amendment incorporates $82.7 million from discretionary grants and $164.7 million in additional federal funding.
The amendment specifically affects the 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan and the Fiscal Year 2024 through 2027 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which collectively allocate more than $1 billion for projects. With the amendment approved, ARC will funnel significant additional investments for electric vehicle charging station networks, creating safe streets and enhancing multimodal transportation infrastructure.
More than 120 projects will be impacted by the newly allocated funds, revising overall cost estimates. One of the key initiatives impacted by the amendment is the PowerUp Atlanta Program, which will receive $11.8 million to create a DC fast charging hub with 50 stations at Atlanta Airport.
Another $30 million will help create a safe street corridor along Central Avenue and Pryor Street in Atlanta. The project will establish protected bicycle and pedestrian facilities. Once finished, the corridor will provide dependable non-motorized connections throughout the city’s Southside and Downtown areas. An additional $16 million will go toward the Westside Park Multimodal Access project, which will build multi-use paths, buffered cycle tracks, improved sidewalks, lighting, stormwater updates and ADA-compliant bus stop enhancements.
The amended plans will cover a series of new projects dedicated to replacing multiple bridges, widening highways and developing regional trail and bike facility network plans. ARC will also develop regional strategies designed to improve operations and maintain or restore the performance of the existing transportation system.
The final projects highlighted as notable recipients in the amendment are included in the TIP. These initiatives will help reconnect communities with improved pedestrian access, connect trails, resurface streets, install traffic signals and buy clean buses to replace existing diesel vehicles.
(Photo courtesy of Pharaoh EZYPT on Pixabay.)
