The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) announced that it has awarded $260,000 in Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) grants to fund planning studies in Tyrone and Fayetteville.
The town of Tyrone will receive $160,000 for the Tyrone Town Center Master Plan. The plan will focus on projects that promote people-oriented improvements, including a streetscape plan, Town Center property/facilities assessment, a Town Center park study, and a traffic/parking plan.
Fayetteville was awarded $100,000 for the Downtown Design Guidelines Plan, which will provide the city with a framework for new development and improvements to the roadway and streetscape networks.
The grants are designed to help communities become more vibrant, walkable places that offer increased mobility options, encourage healthy lifestyles, and provide improved access to jobs and services. Upon completion of the studies, communities will be eligible to apply for federal transportation funding for projects such as sidewalks, multi-use trails, and smart corridor improvements that help implement their plans.
“For nearly two decades, LCI grants have empowered communities across metro Atlanta to become more livable, walkable, and sustainable,” said Sam Shenbaga, Manager, Community Development Group at ARC. “The 2020 LCI grants are sure to spark innovation and creative thinking to foster an improved quality of life for residents.”
The LCI program was created to allocate federal transportation dollars for planning in local communities. Once the plans have been created, local governments can apply for federal funding to assist in bringing their plans into reality. Recipients were selected by ARC along with a diverse committee of partner organizations and planning professionals from around the region.
Another 2020 LCI study grant recipient is the city of Fairburn for $100,000. The Fairburn Downtown Master Plan Update will update the current LCI plan to provide a strategically focused, goal-driven blueprint for the growth and development of Fairburn’s historic downtown.
Created as a way to reduce vehicle miles traveled and improve air quality, ARC’s Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) is a grant program that incentivizes local jurisdictions to re-envision their communities as vibrant, walkable places that increase mobility options, encourage healthy lifestyles and provide easy access to jobs and services.
Since 2000, the LCI program has invested $253 million in 122 communities throughout the Atlanta region, helping pay for planning studies and the construction of transportation projects, such as sidewalks and intersection improvements. The ARC board has allocated $347 million over the next 15 years for transportation projects resulting from completed LCI studies.
LCI program goals include:
• Providing access to a variety of travel modes including transit, roadways, walking and biking
• Encouraging mixed-income residential neighborhoods, employment, shopping and recreation options
• Developing an outreach process that promotes the involvement of all stakeholders
To learn more about the LCI program and the impact it has had on the Atlanta region, visit atlantaregional.com/lci.
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is the official planning agency for the 10-county Atlanta Region, including Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties as well as the City of Atlanta and 73 other cities. The Atlanta Regional Commission serves as a catalyst for regional progress by focusing leadership, attention and planning resources on key regional issues.
