The Henry County Chamber of Commerce hosted over 80 community leaders from Henry, Clayton, Spalding and Fayette counties February 13, for the review of a concept for transit in the Metropolitan Atlanta Region.

Business owners, city mayors and managers, state legislators, county commissioners, private investors, municipal planners, representatives from the UGA Griffin campus and citizens were briefed on the plan developed by the Regional Transit Planning Board (TPB).

The TPB, a coalition of regional metro Atlanta leaders, has been working on the transit vision plan for the past year and a half. They are now in the process of gathering public input on the plan that includes expanded express bus service, bus rapid transit lines, extension of MARTA rail lines, commuter rail lines and light rail lines connecting to the proposed Beltline and Peachtree streetcar projects as well as the Emory University/CDC activity center.

The concept is envisioned to be developed in phases over a 30 year period and cost estimates are $16 billion dollars to construct.

TPB Board Chair and Clayton County Commission leader Eldrin Bell was joined at the meeting by fellow TPB Board members Jack Smith, Fayette County Commission Chairman, and Eddie Freeman, Spalding County Commission Chairman.

“It is a big vision and we need a big bold effort such as this to address our serious mobility problems," said Bell.

The details of the plan, presented by the TPB Executive Director Cheryl King, provoked several questions from the group. Meeting attendees were concerned about how the plan would be paid for and stressed that the region needs to be prudent about investing in mobility options to maintain a competitive economic edge.

Chairman Bell closed the meeting with a call to action.

“The next steps are critical. We need everybody to learn as much about the plan as possible and become advocates for action on this concept for regional transit.”

More information on the plan can be found on the TPB website at www.tpb.ga.gov. The TPB Board meets the fourth Thursday of the month.

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