Title
Discussion of the MARTA Capital Funds Distribution for North Fulton County - Guidance
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Action Required:
Guidance
Description:
As background, in spring 2009, the ARC chose to spend $25 million of the MPO allotment of ARRA "Federal Stimulus" funding to keep MARTA operations funded through CY 2009. In order to make the region "whole", MARTA agreed to tap $25 million of its capital funding reserves to fund projects within its service area that improve, augment, or expand MARTA service. Unlike ARRA funds, there are no timelines governing when projects must be programmed or constructed due to the use of MARTA capital funds. After holding a series of meetings with the affected jurisdictions (DeKalb and Fulton Counties and the City of Atlanta), ARC took a first cut on how the $25 million would be distributed.
ARC reviewed a variety of datasets including population, employment, route miles, and population in Environmental Justice areas to determine the distribution but chose to use sales tax generation data as the primary focus. As a result, the split was nearly one-third for each jurisdiction - Atlanta $8.5 million; DeKalb and Fulton Counties $8.25 million each. With respect to Fulton County, the split between north and South Fulton was about 3 to 1 with $6.25 million going to North Fulton and about $2 million going to South Fulton again based on MARTA sales tax generation.
The North Fulton cities will have to reach consensus on how to appropriate the $6.25 million. Staff members are looking at potential projects that MARTA might review favorably and will provide suggestions to the Committee.
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