Author: David Wickert

The head of metro Atlanta’s regional planning agency will retire early next year, it announced Wednesday.

Hundreds of millions of dollars in federal aid have helped sustain metro Atlanta transit service through the coronavirus pandemic, and more aid is on the way.

Georgia’s presidential recount entered its final two days Tuesday, and most metro Atlanta counties still had plenty of w…

Some metro Atlanta counties worked through the weekend in the Georgia recount of the presidential election

Counting and recounting ballots in the presidential race in Georgia is costing taxpayers in some metro Atlanta counties …

The votes have been tallied. And while it’s close enough for a possible recount, it looks like Gwinnett County’s transit…

A state agency is preparing to launch an updated web site and mobile app for commuters who use metro Atlanta’s growing

A legislative panel hopes to solve a shortage of truck parking that hinders the freight industry and makes traffic worse on Georgia highways. With parking scarce – especially in metro Atlanta – truckers roam highways in search of a place to spend the night, contributing to traffic congestion on already crowded highways. Sometimes they park illegally on interstate ramps and pose a safety hazard for other motorists. Now the Georgia Freight and Logistics Commission hopes to address the shortage as part of a larger plan to keep freight moving across the state. Specific recommendations are expected in December.

MARTA passed a grim milestone this week when its 200th employee tested positive for COVID-19 – a mark that underscores the risks endured by transit employees and other essential workers during the pandemic.Dozens of workers at other metro Atlanta transit agencies also have tested positive for the disease. Three local transit workers have died from the disease, as have scores of others across the country.MARTA and other transit providers say they’ve taken steps to protect workers – everything clear shields for bus drivers to requiring passengers to wear masks. Some have even waived bus fares and have boarded passengers at the rear door to separate them from employees.But as the number of COVID cases among transit workers rises, it’s clear there’s no foolproof way to shield workers from a pandemic that has sickened some 287,000 Georgians and claims the lives of more than 6,100.

A regional board Thursday will recommend nine metro Atlanta transit projects for possible state funding next year. At a time of tight budgets, there’s no guarantee that funding will come. But the project list could set the stage for perennial state funding at a time when metro Atlanta is poised for a transit construction boom. Last month the board discussed narrowing the list to three or four projects, but opted to pass along nine projects for consideration. Among them are several bus rapid transit lines, the rehabilitation of MARTA stations and construction of new park-and-ride lots.