Transit on the Atlanta Beltline continues to come up as a candidate for federal funding under the Biden administration.
At U.S. Senate committee meeting Thursday, Sen. Jon Ossoff pressed Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg on federal funding for MARTA and for the Beltline in particular. Ossoff also talked about the need for bus rapid transit in Clayton, DeKalb and Gwinnett counties.
Ossoff asked if the secretary would commit to working with the region “to develop a comprehensive plan to strengthen and expand MARTA service.”
Buttigieg responded that he “absolutely” would. He said his agency is eager to partner on bus rapid transit and would meet with Ossoff to talk about the Beltline.
That wasn’t quite a commitment to funding, But it’s the second time in recent weeks that Buttigieg has talked about the Beltline. In a recent interview with Channel 2 Action News, he cited the 22-mile light rail loop as the kind of project that could benefit from Biden’s plan.
The latest exchange came on the eve of Buttigieg’s visit to Atlanta to highlight President Joe Biden’s infrastructure proposal. It also comes as MARTA is studying light rail on the Beltline.
You can learn more about Biden’s infrastructure plan here.
About the Author
