The Atlanta Regional Commission has awarded a $160,000 Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) grant to fund a planning study in the City of Alpharetta.
The Alpharetta-South Main Street Creative Placemaking and Economic Strategy will take place along South Main Street (Hwy 9), from Old Milton Parkway, south to the city limits. This plan seeks to develop opportunities for safe walking and biking while promoting transit ridership. It also aims to examine opportunities for redevelopment that promote creative placemaking and the continued success of the Downtown Alpharetta LCI.
LCI 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. This year, ARC updated its LCI grant evaluation process to include equity among its key measures.
“As the LCI program moves into its 21st year of fostering improved quality of life for metro Atlanta’s residents, it’s critically important that we renew our attention in our planning work to addressing the systemic barriers that have prevented many communities from sharing in our region’ s success over the years,” said Sam Shenbaga, Managing Director of the Community Development group at ARC. “The LCI program is dedicated to creating vibrant and inclusive communities that are geared to serve the needs of all our region’s residents.”
The LCI program was created in 1999 to allocate federal transportation dollars for planning in local town centers and employment centers. Once the plans have been created, local governments can apply for dedicated 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.
The City of Alpharetta has LCIs focused on two distinct areas of the city, one for Downtown Alpharetta and the second for the North Point District. Since the districts were brought into the program, Alpharetta has received millions of dollars through the program to help fund planning efforts, road improvements, and trail connections.
To learn more about ARC’s Livable Centers Initiative and the impact it has on our community, visit www.atlantaregional.com