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

  • April 17, 2019
    Lyft recalls 3,000 e-bikes across US
    Ride-hailing company Lyft has recalled 3,000 electric bikes from cities in the US because of concerns over their braking systems. The brands affected are Citi Bike in New York, Capital Bikeshare in Washington, DC, and the Bay Area’s Ford GoBike. A similar statement on each company’s website says: “We recently received a small number of reports from riders who experienced stronger than expected braking force on the front wheel. Out of an abundance of caution, we are proactively removing the pedal-assi
    Read More
  • June 26, 2018
    Comment: Be wary of fads – but embrace change
    Along with death and taxes, there is one other certainty in modern life: change. In this issue of ITS International, Jarrett Walker (an urban transit expert who has unaccountably ruffled the feathers of Tesla’s Elon Musk) sensibly implies that we should be wary of fads, but there are some developments which require our full attention. Among these are connected and autonomous vehicles: try as we might to avoid them as dinner party topics of conversation, the world outside of ITS is waking up to the
    Read More
  • June 27, 2018
    Lyft offering free rides for cancer patients in Atlanta
    Lyft is offering free trips for cancer patients seeking treatment in Atlanta, US. The initiative is part of an extended partnership with the American Cancer Society (ACS). ASC uses Lyft’s Concierge web platform to request rides on behalf of patients who do not have a ride or who are unable to drive themselves, according to media reports. The programme will also launch in Cincinnati, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New Jersey, Philadelphia and St. Louis.
    Read More
  • February 13, 2019
    Zero-emission transport at centre of Democrat ‘Green New Deal’
    Clean and affordable transportation and zero-emission vehicle infrastructure are at the heart of the US Democrats’ ‘Green New Deal’ package. The proposals seek to move the US away from fossil fuels and other sources of emissions that cause global warming within the next decade. The package says these goals can be reached by reached by a ten-year “national mobilisation” which include an overhaul in transportation systems to eliminate pollution and greenhouse as much as technologically feasible, repai
    Read More

Highlighted Content