Governor Nathan Deal has included funding for continued Xpress Bus operations in his budget for the remainder of this year and 2014. The budget will now go through the appropriations process, and will need final approval from the legislature. The budget was submitted as part of the Governor’s annual State of the State address. Douglas County’s Xpress Buses serve thousands of residents each year with routes to downtown Atlanta and midtown.
“I want to thank Governor Deal for his support. Express Bus Route is the only metro transit that we have,” said Chairman Tom Worthan who serves on the Greater Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) and is the Chairman of the Transportation and Air Quality Committee (TAQC) for the Atlanta Regional Commission and also a member of the Regional Transit Committee.
The Governor’s funding recommendation will keep Xpress running at existing
levels through 2014, allowing GRTA to continue to optimize the service and to ensure that future state funding reflects a cost effective service for the region.
According to GRTA, Xpress Bus service saves commuters more than $100 million per year through reduced congestion costs by way of wasted fuel and lost productivity. It also improves mobility on Georgia’s most congested highways for commuters and serves all major employers in Downtown and Midtown Atlanta.
“Our Xpress bus park and ride facilities are nearly at capacity Monday through Friday,” said Ron Roberts, Manager of Multi-modal Transportation for Douglas County.
