The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) requested the Clayton Southlake Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) project be granted entry into the Project Development phase of the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program as a Small Starts Project o Dec. 30.
It is the first of several projects MARTA said it will be advancing to the CIG program as part of its MARTA 2040 initiative.
“This is an important milestone for MARTA and the first of many to come as we embark on the largest expansion in our history,” said MARTA General Manager and CEO Jeffrey Parker.
The BRT project is estimated to cost about $300 million and will provide a high-capacity transit service connecting College Park’s MARTA Station with several destinations in Clayton County, including Airport Gateway, Shops of Riverdale, Southern Regional Medical Center campus, Mount Zion’s commercial corridor, and Southlake Mall. The BRT system will feature dedicated transit lanes, more frequent service, BRT-focused stations, and transit-orients development opportunities.
MARTA said the project would also include 13 new BRT-branded stations with offboard fare collection, 10 BRT-branded electric buses and associated 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. “I’m excited that this is MARTA’s first application for federal transit funds in decades.”