Today, Governor Deal announced that the $100 million in new state transit bonds will be utilized for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) up the SR 400 corridor as a part of the SR 400 Express Lane project.
Today, Governor Deal announced that the $100 million in new state transit bonds will be utilized for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) up the SR 400 corridor as a part of the SR 400 Express Lane project.
A collaboration between the state, Fulton County and MARTA, the project will create 4 bus-only interchanges along a 16-mile corridor on SR 400. The overall $1.8 billion Express Lanes project is expected to reduce delays by 18% in the corridor by 2030, a time savings of 20-25 minutes per user per day.
“We continue to make investments to ensure that our modes of transit and mobility are worthy of the No. 1 state for business and the best place for opportunity,” said Deal.
The next steps will be to begin land procurement in FY2019 and then securing a contractor begins in mid-2020. MARTA and Fulton County will begin the investment in BRT infrastructure and operations following a Fulton County referendum.
Governor Deal was joined in his announcement by Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle and House Speaker David Ralston. “Today’s announcement is not only historic because of the forward-looking transit partnership it creates, but also because it marks a milestone of tremendous progress in our state’s effort to invest in our infrastructure and make a real difference for Georgians sitting in traffic,” said Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle.
“This project will also aid in recruiting world-class companies like Mercedes-Benz and State Farm that place a priority on access to transit for their employees. In sum, this project has the potential to not only improve quality of life but help create more jobs for our citizens – that’s a win-win,” said Speaker Ralston.