Fulton County

stands to gain more than $24 million in federal highway funds if express

buses are allowed to run down the county's highways.

The county

was one of the first counties to sign letters of intent to participate

in the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority's plan to start an express

bus service in 13 counties in the Atlanta region.

GRTA is offering

$350 million in federal transportation funds to the region, money that

will have to be borrowed against future federal grants because more than

$8 billion in current funds are earmarked for other projects.

Fulton's $24

million piece of that pie would be earmarked for arterial road improvements.

For its part,

Fulton County would have to pay nearly $2.5 million in operating costs

for two years of the bus service.

GRTA officials

are starting to make more of their plans public, and South Fulton fits

into their equation.

The transportation

superagency would most likely have an express bus stop near Fairburn that

would shuttle workers to Hartsfield International Airport, where workers

could connect to MARTA.

GRTA is still

working out final details of its proposal, and would possibly offer express

bus service to other high employment areas in the region, officials said.

The agreement

between the counties, GRTA and the state Department of Transportation

is supposed to be finalized by the end of this month. If the pact is approved

operating in the summer of 2003.