The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) voted Sept. 26 to approve a $67 billion regional transportation plan to combat the worst traffic bottlenecks and provide new transit and pedestrian options for travel in metro Atlanta.

Crafted by ARC, as the metropolitan planning organization for transportation, the plan includes a 25-year long-range plan, as well as a priority 6-year plan drawn from the larger plan.

“Despite record-breaking growth, federal cutbacks and having to cut more than $4 billion worth of much-needed projects, we’ve devised and endorsed a plan that will minimize future traffic delays and keep Atlanta moving,” said ARC Chairman Sam Olens. “We’ve expanded transit options and will fund hundreds of projects across the region that will target congestion.”

Highlights of the plan include the region’s first set of managed lanes, where commuters will have the option of traveling in free-flow conditions around the clock for a fee, as well as new transit options such as expanded bus service, bus rapid transit systems, the Beltline and a transit spur from the Lindbergh MARTA station to Emory University.

This is the first transportation plan to score projects based on recommendations emanating from the Governor’s Congestion Mitigation Task Force.

“We have directed our limited dollars to achieve the most bang for the buck,” said Chairman Olens.

Last month, the ARC board moved to adopt an official position proposing new transportation funding for the Atlanta region. The resolution encourages the Georgia legislature to consider allowing metro Atlantans to consider a referendum for a one percent sales tax that could fund a broader set of congestion relieving improvements. The ARC board will take up next month several proposed steps from local governments and state agencies to improve the implementation of its regional transportation plans and provide more accountability among project sponsors.