Feds may hold ticket for transit

Federal stimulus dollars may put metro Atlanta mass transit passengers in new buses and vans and could upgrade their surroundings, according to the latest plans for stimulus spending.

The transportation stimulus, $1.1 billion altogether for Georgia, includes money for transit agencies. They have submitted proposed projects to the Atlanta Regional Commission, which came up with a preliminary list.

Douglas County plans $250,000 for 10 passenger vans. Clayton County has slated $1.4 million for new buses and vans. Gwinnett is marking $3.3 million for a technology upgrade and $161,000 for paratransit.

The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, which runs commuter express buses throughout the region, plans to spend millions on park-and-ride lots, including one at Thornton Road and one at Sigman Road.

MARTA will get the lion’s share of transit funding, about $63 million, said MARTA General Manager Beverly Scott. The transit agency’s financial situation is so dire, however, the money will hardly make a dent in the agency’s overall needs.

Priority No. 1 is a $35 million fix to the fire extinguishing system.