In This Edition of Regional Planning Newsbriefs

Region-Wide Toilet Rebate Program Kicks Off

20-County Population and Housing Data Compiled

Four Communities Awarded LCI Grants

RLI Conference Unites Atlanta Leaders

Studies Focus on S.R. 6 and Importance of Freight

Region-Wide Toilet Rebate Program Kicks Off

The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (Metro Water District), in partnership with participating water systems, officially launched a regional toilet rebate program at its March 6 board meeting. The program offers incentives to homeowners to replace older (pre-1993), inefficient toilets with low-flow fixtures. Water system customers who qualify will receive a credit on their water bill of either $100 or $50, depending on the type of new toilet installed. Customers must choose from an approved list of fixtures. More information is available on the Metro Water District’s Web site, www.northgeorgiawater.org/toiletrebate.

20-County Population and Housing Data Compiled

Regional Snapshot: ARC’s Population and Housing Report: A Primer provides, for the first time, population and housing estimates for the 20-county metro Atlanta area, which has a 2007 population of more than five million - 5,077,500. This is larger than the population of 29 states. Download the report and view data tables and maps at www.atlantaregional.com/populationdata. Members of ARC’s Research Division are available to present these findings – plus research on dozens of other critical topics – to community groups and local governments. To schedule a speaker, please contact Susan Grimes at 404-463-3102 or sgrimes@atlantaregional.com.

Four Communities Awarded LCI Grants

Four local governments have been awarded a total of $396,000 in Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) grants for planning projects to enhance the livability of their communities.  ARC’s Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) grants will help Spalding County and the cities of Atlanta, Norcross and Palmetto design plans that offer more options for connectivity and livability in the study communities. The LCI program offers up-front grants to communities willing to develop plans that explicitly link transportation improvements to land use strategies. Once plans are completed, these communities are then eligible for a larger pot of federal funding to implement their projects.
Read more at www.atlantaregional.com/lci

RLI Conference Unites Atlanta Leaders

Are you a leader in your local community, but seek to make a bigger difference in the Atlanta region?  Applications for the 2008 Regional Leadership Institute (RLI), a week-long conference that brings together leaders from metro Atlanta to learn about the challenges facing the region and to share experiences and knowledge relevant to advancing the region, are now available at www.atlantaregional.com/rli and will be accepted until April 18. For more information about RLI, please contact Crystal Jackson Budd at 404.463.3217 or cjacksonbudd@atlantaregional.com.

Studies Focus on S.R. 6 and Importance of Freight

ARC recently completed two historic and comprehensive studies, both of which incorporate recommendations approved by the ARC board at its February meeting. The Atlanta Regional Freight Mobility Plan evaluates the current state of freight distribution, establishes goals and identifies key recommendations such as improving key freight interchange bottleneck locations, eliminating and reducing at-grade crossings at bottlenecks, investing in double-tracking the rail corridor from Atlanta to Chattanooga and Savannah to Memphis and further integrating freight movement into the regional planning process. The Atlanta Regional Freight Mobility Plan is available online at http://www.atlantaregional.com/freightmobility/.

The second study focused on the 32-mile corridor of State Route 6 that stretches from roughly the middle of Paulding County to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The study finds that the route is ripe for a makeover that could revitalize key sections of Cobb, Douglas, Fulton and Paulding counties. Connect Six: State Route 6 Multimodal Corridor Study calls for improving accessibility and mobility for all people and goods along the route, protecting and improving the environment and quality of life and increasing the safety and security of the transportation system.

For more information on the study, please visit www.atlantaregional.com/SR6.