Atlanta Metropolitan Planning Organization

Transportation Planning

ARC serves as the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization for the 19-county Atlanta region. As the MPO, ARC is responsible developing the long-range Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP), which sets the vision for metro Atlanta’s transportation needs through 2050, and the short-range Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), which allocates federal funds for the highest-priority projects in the region.

Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP)

The MTP is a long-range blueprint that details the investments that will be made through 2050 to ensure metro Atlanta’s future success and improve the region’s quality of life.

Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)

The TIP allocates federal funds for use in the construction of the highest-priority projects in the MTP. Projects included in the TIP must be fully funded.

Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP)

The UPWP is developed annually and documents metropolitan transportation planning activities performed with federal, state and local transportation funds in the 20-county Atlanta region.

Public Participation Plan (PPP)

The PPP is currently being updated to reflect new procedures and approaches for engaging diverse stakeholders in the transportation planning process.

Transforming the Region Through Infrastructure Investments

Map showing the counties of the Atlanta Metropolitan Planning Area
The Atlanta Metropolitan Planning Area includes the counties of Barrow, Carroll, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Walton, and City of Atlanta

As the Atlanta region’s Metropolitan Planning Organization, ARC collaborates with local governments and transportation agencies across 19 counties to improve mobility in the Atlanta region. Building and maintaining healthy, safe communities in metro Atlanta depends on making the strategic, long-term decisions necessary to achieve our Vision of One Great Region.

The long-range Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP) programs $168 billion in funding through 2050. The Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) allocates $5.2 billion in federal and state funds through 2028 for projects in metro Atlanta.

These investments are needed to keep up with the region’s population and employment growth. ARC forecasts the metro area will add about 1.8 million people and 650,000 jobs by 2050.

There’s no single solution to the region’s transportation needs. Rather, a balanced approach is required that includes the following project types:

  • Improving major thoroughfares and interchanges to improve mobility and safety
  • Expanding transit service to offer better connections to major job centers and services
  • Developing a regional bike-ped network to connect communities and provide new travel options
  • Building a network of Express lanes on area highways that offer more reliable trips
  • Encouraging the growth of alternative commute options
  • Maintenance and modernization to keep the infrastructure already in place in good working order.

Explore transportation projects:

Transportation Governance and Committees

ARC’s transportation planning work is conducted through the ARC governing board and two committees:

  • The Transportation & Air Quality Committee, which serves as the policy committee for the Atlanta MPO. Membership includes the ARC Board Chair, elected Chair of the Board of Commissioners for each of the MPO counties and the Board Chair or a designee of MARTA, the ATL, the Georgia DOT, and Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, as well as senior staff members from GDOT and GA Department of Natural Resources Environmental Protection Division.
  • The Transportation Coordinating Committee, which is responsible for providing technical advice to the Transportation & Air Quality Committee (TAQC) regarding metropolitan or multi-jurisdictional transportation-related matters potentially affecting the 19-county Atlanta Metropolitan Planning Organization area.

Both committee and board meetings are open to the public and have regular opportunities for public comment.

Public Participation Opportunities

Your input matters. Provide feedback to help shape the region’s transportation investments and help build a better future for all metro Atlanta residents.

How to stay informed:

Featured Resources Related to Transportation Planning

Regional Transportation Electrification Plan

This plan will direct the regional strategy for electric vehicle (EV) planning and investments to envision a dynamic electric mobility future, reduce transportation related greenhouse gas emissions, leverage economic growth and workforce opportunities, and create actionable implementation strategies. Learn more...

Freight Mobility Plan

This plan serves as a guiding document to support the region’s freight movement strategies. The plan builds on previous planning efforts, evaluates recent changes, and identifies potential future freight needs. Learn more about the plan

Atlanta Regional Truck Parking Assessment Study

This study was conducted to identify the magnitude of existing and future truck parking needs and develop structured recommendations for implementation to mitigate the challenges.

Walk, Bike, Thrive!

This plan establishes ambitious goals to help the Atlanta region become one of the most connected and safest regions in the U.S. for walking and bicycling. Learn more about the plan

Regional Safety Strategy

The RSS is a regional safety action plan to help ARC and its partners achieve safety goals and build a safe transportation system for all users in the Atlanta region. Learn more about the plan

Transportation Demand Management Plan

The Atlanta TDM Plan is a long-range plan that defines a strategic framework for developing and integrating TDM strategies into planning, project development, and systems operations investment decision-making. Learn more about the plan

Human Services Transportation Plan

This plan focuses on the transportation options available to often underserved populations in the Atlanta region. It’s designed to meet the needs of residents who don’t always have good access to decent, reliable transportation to jobs and medical services. Learn more about the plan

ATL Regional Transit Plan  

The plan establishes a vision and set of goals to identify transit projects based on stakeholder input and technical analyses and to develop an implementation framework focusing limited resources on priority projects to meet current and future needs.

Transportation Improvement Program Evaluation Framework

This document provides an overview of ARC’s TIP development process, which incorporates rigorous data-driven decision-making into the planning process. Learn more about the framework

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33°n
CDAP
Community Planning Academy
ConnectA
Empowerline
Georgia Commute Options
Green Communities
LCI
LINK
MARC
Metro Atlanta Speaks
MNG Water Planning District
RLI
State of the Region
UASI
WorkSource GA