MARTA secures federal grant to fund transit, TOD accelerator

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) has secured $1.75 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to form a transit and transit-oriented development (TOD) accelerator to close capital funding gaps for projects across the region.

MARTA's primary source of funding is a sales tax revenue collected in Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties and the city of Atlanta.

Combined with fare revenue and federal funding, the tax revenue allows MARTA to operate and maintain its current system, but additional funding is necessary to meet all the transit expansion needs of the growing region, MARTA officials said in a press release.

With the grant, MARTA plans to work with the Georgia Department of Transportation to confirm that the property-value increase resulting from transit investment can finance a project.

"[T]he transit needs of this region are far greater than our current funding model supports," said MARTA General Manager and CEO Collie Greenwood. "I’m thrilled that MARTA will be able to form a dedicated team to work alongside the traditional funding teams to coordinate with regional partners and USDOT to solve funding gaps for transit and TOD projects.”