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Conyers awarded $3.6 million grant from ARC
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Conyers was recently awarded $3.6 million Livable Centers Initiative grant to make O’Kelly and Hardin streets more bicycle and pedestrian friendly.

The grant is part of $34 million awarded by the Atlanta Regional Commission to 13 local governments through the Livable Centers Initiative for transportation projects. These communities will use the grants to make their LCI study areas more walkable and livable. Each of these projects includes pedestrian and bicycle improvements that make the local roads, "complete streets," which take into account transportation other than motor vehicles, such as walking and bicycling.

The city is required to provide a 20 percent match, or about $900,000, which will be funded by the one-penny Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. The completed project will cost about $4.5 million and actual construction will still be years down the road, said Public Works Director Brad Sutton.

After receiving the grant, Sutton said, "We were hoping to get it, but it was a nice surprise when we did get the grant."

The Hardin/O’Kelly streets renovation was included in the LCI study Conyers performed in 2009. The recipients have been awarded grants in the past that helped them create plans to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality by better connecting homes, shops and offices; enhancing streetscapes and pedestrian amenities; and improving access to transit options. The LCI transportation funds were awarded to communities that have taken strides to follow through with those plans.

The 13 communities chosen, out of 48 that applied are:

• Buckhead (Atlanta), Peachtree Corridor, $1.5 million,
• Conyers, Hardin/O’Kelly Bike and Pedestrian Facilities, $3.6 million,
• Decatur, Clairemont-Commerce-Church Bike and Pedestrian Improvements, $2.1 million,
• Doraville, New Peachtree Bike and Pedestrian Improvements, $2.3 million,
• East Point, Downtown-MARTA Connectivity Project, $3.9 million,
• Fairburn, West Broad Street Bike and Pedestrian Facilities, $3.1 million,
• McDonough, Town Square Connectivity and Pedestrian Safety, $1.3 million,
• Midtown Atlanta, Juniper Street Bike and Pedestrian Facilities, $3.4 million,
• Monroe, North Broad Street Bike and Pedestrian Improvements, $1.6 million,
• DeKalb County, Lake Hearn Drive, Perimeter Summit Parkway, Parkside Place Bike and Pedestrian Facilities, $3.1 million,
• Atlanta, Ponce de Leon Avenue Pedestrian Facilities and Beltline Connections, $4 million,
• Suwanee, Buford Highway Bike and Pedestrian Facilities and intersection improvements, $3.3 million,
• DeKalb, Tucker Streetscape, $960,000

The LCI program is funded with federal transportation dollars. Once communities have completed their plans, they are eligible for this larger pot of federal funding to build the transportation projects required to see their plans realized.

To see more information about each project, visit www.atlantaregional.com/lci