Georgia approves regional transit authority for metro Atlanta

The US state of Georgia is to establish a regional transit governance and funding framework for metro Atlanta. A new entity, called the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority (ATL), will be created and charged with regional transit planning for 13 counties in metro Atlanta. By 2023, the region’s transit systems, including MARTA, CobbLinc, Gwinnett County Transit and GRTA’s Xpress service, will operate under the ATL brand name. More than 60% of commuters in the region travel to a different county to work, a
April 17, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
The US state of Georgia is to establish a regional transit governance and funding framework for metro Atlanta.


A new entity, called the Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority (ATL), will be created and charged with regional transit planning for 13 counties in metro Atlanta. By 2023, the region’s transit systems, including MARTA, CobbLinc, Gwinnett County Transit and GRTA’s Xpress service, will operate under the ATL brand name.

More than 60% of commuters in the region travel to a different county to work, and a regional transit solution has been a long-standing goal. In a 2017 Metro Atlanta poll, almost 95% of respondents identified improving public transit as important to the region’s future.

State Representative Kevin Tanner said: “Traffic congestion doesn’t stop at the city or county line. It’s a regional problem that requires a regional solution.”

According to Doug Hooker, executive director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, the move will “expand transportation options and better connect communities, improving quality of life for metro Atlanta residents.”

The legislation will allow counties to seek a 1% sales tax increases for up to 30 years to finance construction and operation while providing flexibility and autonomy as each county which must ‘opt in’ to any specific project or funding mechanism. Within the state’s 2019 budget, $100 million has been earmarked to fund state-wide transit projects.

ITS International’s 8545 MaaS Market conference will take place in Atlanta on 9 and 10 May (see %$Linker: 2 External <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-16"?><dictionary /> 0 0 0 link-external www.maas-market.com false http://www.maas-market.com/ false false%>)

UTC

Related Content

  • October 14, 2019
    Most pedestrian detection systems ‘hit pedestrians at 30mph’
    In-car automatic emergency braking systems with pedestrian detection mostly fail to avoid hitting pedestrians - and are “completely ineffective at night”, according to new research. In shocking findings, the American Automobile Association (AAA) revealed that most systems hit a simulated pedestrian target at 30mph. A collision also occurred 89% of the time when a vehicle operating at 20mph encountered a child darting between two cars. In tests, all vehicles collided with an adult pedestrian immediately fo
    Read More
  • July 18, 2019
    AVs for seniors from Via in New South Wales
    Autonomous vehicle (AV) developers seem to targeting ‘closed’ communities such as retirement complexes or universities and Via is also joining this trend. The company has launched a free AV service called BusBot for a retirement community in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. In partnership with local bus operator Busways, Transport for NSW and EasyMile, BusBot is operating in the Marian Grove Retirement Village in Toormina, a suburb of Coffs Harbour. Via says its technology allows the vehicle
    Read More
  • August 29, 2019
    Lime and rivals form Nordic Micromobility Association
    Lime and its competitors Tier and Voi have formed the Nordic Micromobility Association to promote safety standards for electric scooters. The association will seek to strengthen relationships between Nordic cities and micromobility businesses as well as reduce emissions. Earlier this year, Voi announced its plans to launch e-scooters in Lisbon as part of a wider ambition to expand in Europe. The association’s members are not the only companies working to improve the safety of e-scooters. Last ye
    Read More
  • October 9, 2018
    Ride-hailing companies could face taxes in San Francisco
    Ride-hailing companies could be taxed for starting their journeys in San Francisco following a bill signed by California governor Jerry Brown. The bill - AB 1184 - calls for a 3.25% tax on net rider fares for single-party trips, or those provided by an autonomous vehicle, as well as a 3.25% tax on shared rides. Additionally, the city or county would be able to set a lower tax rate for net rider fares for those provided by a lower emission vehicle. A report by the San Francisco Chronicle says the
    Read More

Highlighted Content