Cobb, Gwinnett receive federal funding for light-rail proposals

By Janel Davis

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Cobb and Gwinnett counties received grants Tuesday from the Federal Transit Administration for the analysis of proposed light-rail lines in both counties.

The FTA awarded $25.7 million in competitive grants in 16 states through the Alternative Analysis program for local officials working to expand or begin transit systems in their communities.

Cobb’s Department of Transportation received $1.4 million, the largest allocation in Georgia, to study a proposed rail line along the U.S. 41/I-75 corridor between Acworth and the Arts Center Station in Atlanta.

“This is something that has been ongoing in Cobb for 10 years,” said Faye DiMassimo, Cobb’s transportation director. “These funding awards show the FTA is gaining confidence in the Atlanta region to move forward toward a multimodal, integrated regional transportation system.”

Gwinnett County, the Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District and the Gwinnett Place CID jointly received a $600,000 grant to further study a proposed line that would run parallel to I-85 from the MARTA station in Doraville to the Gwinnett Arena in Lawrence. The county groups have been studying the proposal for three years.

The Alternatives Analysis program is the first step in the FTA’s New Starts process, which is the primary source of federally funded transit projects. The analysis includes reviews of financing, alignment and technology options.

The FTA reviewed 67 applications from 30 states seeking a total of $73 million in funds.