White House Infrastructure Implementation Coordinator Mitch Landrieu visited Peachtree Corners on Tuesday with U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Marietta, to highlight the billions of dollars that have flowed into Georgia under stimulus and infrastructure laws that President Joe Biden championed.
“Infrastructure is literally the cornerstone upon which the future of the country rests,” Landrieu said at a news conference at the Curiosity Lab, a transportation technology research center subsidized by Peachtree Corners.
Landrieu plugged the American Rescue Plan, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, which have funded hundreds of projects across Georgia.
In Gwinnett County, the legislation has funded roadway safety initiatives, efforts to eliminate railroad crossings and improvements to trails and transit, Department of Transportation Director Lewis Cooksey said.
Under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the county recently won $20 million to build an indoor transit center for bus riders.
MARTA also received a $25 million federal grant to help renovate the Five Points station in time for the 2026 World Cup. Landrieu visited Atlanta last year to announce that grant.
Thanks to the Biden administration, MARTA’s first two bus rapid transit programs have received pre-award grants authorizing spending, MARTA general manager and CEO Collie Greenwood said.
Planners such as the Atlanta Regional Commission have seen funding increases of up to 30%, said ARC’s executive director, Anna Roach, and more than $170 million worth of discretionary funds have come to the region in 18 months.
“The legislation presents a transformational opportunity for us to rethink what communities can be,” Roach said. “It redefines what we have traditionally thought of as infrastructure. Now we can talk about electric vehicles, we can talk about storm water and things like that where we’re not just focusing on roads and bridges.”
Landrieu’s agenda Tuesday included a meeting with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and a round table in Peachtree Corners with other local leaders and elected officials.
Landrieu was lieutenant governor of Louisiana from 2004 to 2010, then served as mayor of New Orleans until 2018, as the city rebuilt from Hurricane Katrina. He spoke of Hurricane Idalia as Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency due to the storm that has Florida and South Georgia in its sights. Landrieu spoke of the importance of rebuilding from disasters with climate change in mind.
“Even though he’s a Saints fan, I’d like to thank our friend Senior Advisor Landrieu for the tremendous work that he’s doing around the country to get that infrastructure plan from pen and paper to pavement,” MARTA general manager and CEO Collie Greenwood said.
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