Georgia's commuter bus system is taking advantage of metro Atlanta's growing network of toll lanes to build and expand park-and-ride lots.
The Xpress bus system already has 27 park-and-ride lots across the region. The State Road and Tollway Authority, which operates the service, recently awarded a $6.4 million contract to build a new lot at Hickory Grove Road – the northern terminus of the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes on I-75 in Cobb County.
The Hickory Grove lot, which would have 550 parking spaces, is expected to be completed by the end of this year, with service beginning in mid-2021. It would be the state’s first new park-and-ride lot in a decade.
By the end of the year SRTA also plans to buy land for a new park-and-ride lot at Mt. Carmel Road in Henry County along the I-75 South Metro Express Lanes. It also plans to build a permanent lot at Sugarloaf Parkway on I-85 in Gwinnett County, where it leases some unpaved land for current use. And it will seek bids to expand its existing lot at Big Shanty Road on I-75 in Cobb.
SRTA Executive Director Chris Tomlinson said the agency – which serves about 7,000 bus commuters a day – wants to take advantage of the toll lanes. Those lanes could also serve as the backbone of a new bus rapid transit system, which would include enhanced transit stations and other features.
You can learn more about the possible use of the toll lanes for transit service here.
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