Metro Atlanta transit plan takes a step forward

Efforts to create a metro Atlanta transit plan took a step forward Wednesday when a regional board approved a method for selecting projects for funding.

The Atlanta-Region Transit Link Authority would use 14 criteria — such as population projections in the proposed transit corridor and the availability of local funding — to help determine which projects are first in line for crucial federal and state funding. It’s an attempt to bring a measure of objectivity to a selection process that likely will remain politically sensitive.

That sensitivity was on display Thursday when members of the authority — dubbed the ATL Board for short — discussed the process. DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond, a Democrat, said he wanted the criteria to clearly reflect the board’s commitment to equity — ensuring all communities receive their fair share, especially low-income or other disadvantaged communities.

“One of the major challenges we face is lack of income mobility — intractable poverty and high unemployment,” Thurmond said.

Read more: https://www.ajc.com/news/local-govt--politics/metro-atlanta-transit-plan-takes-step-forward/6WP8B8UnFSqmLKxix354NM/