The commission extended the original five-year program and increased the available federal transportation money to $136 million, giving the ARC a budget of $360 million. Besides the 10 counties that make up metro Atlanta's general area, the ARC is also making the federal funds available for the first time to Bartow, Coweta, Forsyth, Newton, Paulding, Spalding and Walton counties.
Under the six-year-old Livable Centers Initiative program, the communities use the grant funds specifically for planning studies, according to the commission. New development around transit stations is high on the list of planned projects for several communities. The area around the Brookhaven Marta station in DeKalb County won an $80,000 grant.
The largest grant, $100,000, went to Covington in Newton County. Local governments have to provide $20,000 as part of the funding program.
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