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Atlanta Regions Plan open for public comment from Forsyth County residents
ARC

ATLANTA — The Atlanta Regional Commission is seeking feedback through Jan. 15 on a 25-year blueprint that details the programs and investments needed to ensure the region’s success.

Known as the Atlanta Region’s Plan, it is available for review online at www.atlantaregionsplan.com. The commission’s board is expected to adopt the plan in early 2016, after incorporating public feedback.

The Atlanta Regional Commission includes Forsyth’s neighbors of Cherokee, Fulton and Gwinnett counties, as well as many other metro area communities.

Forsyth is in the Georgia Mountains Region — which includes Dawson, Lumpkin and Hall, among other northeastern counties — though thousands of its residents travel through and work in the ARC’s area daily.

Kerry Armstrong, chairman of the ARC board, said in a statement that the plan “charts a course for our region to remain a vibrant, dynamic metropolitan area, with a competitive economy and high quality of life.”

“It’s the culmination of several years of hard work by ARC staff and board members, as well as our planning partners around the region,” Armstrong said.

The plan, developed with considerable public input, incorporates all of the commission’s planning areas — transportation, community development, water resources, aging and health services and work force development.

The plan is built on three pillars: providing world-class infrastructure; fostering healthy, livable communities; and building a competitive economy.

It includes an $86.1 billion investment in the region’s transportation infrastructure, providing new choices for residents and aiming to keep the economy competitive.

Transportation expenditures through 2040 include:

* Construction of managed toll lanes (114 miles) — $6.9 billion

* Major road and intersection improvements — $9.8 billion

* Potential transit expansion projects — $12 billion

* Transit operations and maintenance — $30.7 billion

* Road maintenance, operations and safety — $24.3 billion

* Bicycle/pedestrian facilities — $1.9 billion

* Management of demand on the network (promoting carpooling, telecommuting and other commute alternatives) — $.5 billion