By T.A. DeFeo | The Center Square contributor
(The Center Square) — The feds are sending $30 million to Atlanta to fund pedestrian and bike upgrades in Georgia’s capital city that proponents say will improve safety.
The money is part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, also called the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Congressional leaders announced the money Tuesday morning.
According to a news release, the money will go toward safety upgrades ranging from beacons to “safe speed limits” to “enhanced delineation for horizontal curves” at dangerous locations in the city.
“These federal dollars, combined with the commitment made by voters through our Moving Atlanta Forward infrastructure program, will transform Central Avenue and Pryor Street into safe corridors that connect the Southside and the BeltLine to our Downtown,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said in an announcement.
The feds have sent millions to Georgia cities for various infrastructure projects. Previous announcements include more than $20 million for the BeltLine Southside Trail in Atlanta, $25 million for road upgrades and bike lanes in Athens and $25 million to upgrade the Five Points MARTA station in Atlanta.
“Safe, affordable transportation is crucial to quality of life,” Kurt Couchman, senior fellow in fiscal policy for the Americans for Prosperity, told The Center Square. “But state and local governments are better positioned to decide how to get the most out of limited taxpayer resources for transportation than the federal government.
“We need a federal government that’s more competent doing its jobs,” Couchman added. “When federal officials focus on local issues that others should handle, it distracts them from core responsibilities like national security and responsible budgeting.”
