Atlanta — Feb 14, 2024
The Atlanta Regional Commission Board today approved a major update to the Atlanta Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), which allocates $168 billion in federal, state, and local funding through 2050 to improve transportation and safety across the 20-county region.
The MTP is designed to accommodate significant growth that is expected to occur over the next three decades. ARC forecasts the Atlanta region will add 1.8 million people by 2050, bringing the metro area’s total population to 7.9 million.
The long-range plan includes investments that will improve roads and highways, enhance transit options, expand the region’s network of bike-ped trails, and encourage alternative commuting options such as carpooling and teleworking.
“The Atlanta Metropolitan Transportation Plan is a bold blueprint that will keep our region moving forward in the decades to come,” said ARC Board Chair Andre Dickens, who also serves as Mayor of the City of Atlanta. “These investments will help improve quality of life and ensure that our economy remains strong.”
Working in close collaboration with local governments and transportation agencies, ARC coordinates major updates to the MTP about every four years.
The full list of transportation projects, including an interactive map can be found at atlantaregional.org/mtp Here are some highlights:
Constructing and Sustaining Transit Services
The plan programs $10 billion for transit expansion, a critical investment that is needed as the Atlanta region continues to grow and become denser. Projects scheduled to begin in the next decade include:
Improving Major Thoroughfares and Interchanges to Boost Mobility and Safety
Metro Atlanta’s interstate highways and major arterial roads play a key role in moving people, goods, and emergency vehicles within the region and across the Southeast.
The MTP provides about $13.8 billion for key interchange and highway improvements throughout metro Atlanta through 2050 as part of Georgia DOT’s Major Mobility Improvement Program. Projects expected to start construction in the next decade include:
The plan also invests $8.1 billion to add nearly 600 lane-miles of capacity to the region’s arterial network by 2050. Expansion expected in the next decade include:
Maintaining, modernizing, and operating the existing transportation network
About $105.5 billion, or 63% of the total, is earmarked to maintain, modernize, and operate transportation infrastructure that’s already in place. Projects include resurfacing roads, repairing bridges, and replacing aging buses and rail cars.
Expanding a Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Network to Connect Communities and Provide New Travel Options
Promoting pedestrian and cyclist-friendly development is an essential component of the MTP, aligning with our region’s broader ambitions of enhancing livability, addressing climate imperatives, bolstering safety, alleviating traffic congestion, and achieving healthy air quality.
The MTP invests $3.9 billion to construct bike-ped projects across the region through 2050. Projects scheduled in the next four years include:
Mobility Alternatives
About $5.8 billion is dedicated to programs that reduce congestion by encouraging alternative ways of getting around the region. This includes funding for initiatives such as the Georgia Commute Options program that help people change their travel behavior, whether that means carpooling, using transit, traveling at off-peak hours, or teleworking.
NOTE: The final step in the MTP approval process is receipt of a conformity determination from USDOT, which signifies the plan meets all federal metropolitan planning requirements and the region can move forward with implementation. That decision may take up to 30 days following submittal of all documentation by ARC.
ARC’s Strategic Partners are committed to fostering collaborative regional approaches that improve quality of life in metro Atlanta. Their support elevates ARC leadership programs, research and events throughout the year. Learn more.
