FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 25, 2022
MARTA ADVANCES CLAYTON BRT
INTO FEDERAL GRANT PROGRAM
Clayton Southlake Bus
Rapid Transit Advances Into Project Development Phase of Capital
Investment Grant “Small Starts” Funding
ATLANTA – The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
(MARTA) today announced that the Clayton Southlake Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
project has advanced into the Project Development phase of the Federal Transit
Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program as a Small Starts
Project. After a long absence from the CIG program, Clayton Southlake BRT is
the first of several projects MARTA will advance as part of its MARTA 2040
program with requested CIG funding.
“This is an exciting milestone for both MARTA and Clayton
County as we undertake the region’s first major transit expansion in decades,”
said MARTA Interim General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood.
The estimated $338 million BRT project will
provide high-capacity transit service connecting the College Park MARTA Station
to several key destinations in Clayton County including Airport Gateway,
Riverdale Town Center, Southern Regional Medical Center campus, Mount Zion
commercial corridor, and Southlake Mall. Features of the BRT system will be similar to those found in rail investments including
dedicated transit lanes, more frequent service, BRT-focused stations, and
transit-oriented development opportunities. The project would also include
13 new BRT-branded stations with offboard fare collection, the purchase of ten
BRT-branded electric buses and associated electric vehicle charging
infrastructure, and the installation of transit signal priority equipment at
key intersections.
“Clayton County residents will benefit from
the Southlake BRT because it will make a trip from College Park to
Southlake Mall 19 minutes faster, making it easier to access jobs, healthcare,
and entertainment throughout the region,” said Clayton County
Chairman Jeff Turner.
The
recent federal Investment in Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which reauthorized
surface transportation programs for five years, included a change championed by
Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff to increase the eligibility for
Small Starts to $400 million and increase the maximum amount of federal funding
from $100 million to $150 million. These changes mean that the Southlake
BRT project is eligible and can be awarded up to $150 million.
“This is great
news for Clayton County residents. More affordable transportation options are
on the way through MARTA. Senator Warnock and I will keep working to deliver
new, convenient, reliable, and accessible transportation infrastructure for our
constituents,” said Sen. Ossoff.
“I fought hard to
make the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as beneficial to Georgia as possible,
including securing necessary changes to ensure critical public transportation
projects throughout Georgia are able to benefit from these federal investment
opportunities. I am glad to see these changes already paying dividends for MARTA’s
expansion plans and to see the Clayton Southlake BRT, which will improve
mobility and create new economic opportunities for Georgians, granted entry
into the Small Starts pipeline,” said Sen. Warnock.
MARTA received support from the Clayton
County Board of Commissioners last
November to advance the project, and the MARTA Board
of Directors followed, allowing staff to send a request for entry into the
program in late December. Next steps include CIG budget request to Congress
in August, completion of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in
December, and construction underway in summer 2024 with
an operational date in 2026.
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