What the Latest Round of Federal Transportation Funds Means for Metro ATL

Better traffic signals. Enhanced bus service. Improved roads. 

These are a some of the projects included in this year’s list of transportation projects slated to receive federal funding. In all, $44 million from Uncle Sam was recently allocated by the Atlanta Regional Commission toward a range of projects. 

Here are some highlights: 

• Widening Lee Road in Douglas County, from Fairburn Road to Monier Avenue, to create a four-lane roadway divided by a 20-foot raised grass median, sidewalks and a multi-use trail on the east side of Lee. 
• MARTA improvements, including: Arterial Rapid Transit on Metropolitan Parkway, from the West End MARTA Station in the City of Atlanta to the City of Hapeville; and enhanced bus service in Clayton County. 
• Bill Gardner Parkway Widening, scoping activities, from SR 155 to I-75 South in Henry County. When construction, Bill Gardner will be four lanes from SR 155 to Lester Mill Road and six lanes from Lester Mill to I-75. 

Other projects in line for funding include: Phase 1 of a traffic enhancement signal program in the City of Atlanta; the Global Gateway Connector in the City of College Park; and vehicle expansion on bus route 50 in Gwinnett County. 

The region’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP)  allocates federal funds to be used in the construction of the highest-priority projects in the long-range Regional Transportation Plan, which includes $173 billion in funding through 2050. The TIP is updated several times a year.