The City of Atlanta announced that Mayor Kasim Reed received the Distinguished Local Service Award from the American Public Transportation Association during its annual meeting. This award honors individuals who have contributed to the public transportation industry on the local level through policy, legislative initiative and leadership.

Mayor Reed was recognized for his accomplishments in service of public transportation throughout his career, including his time as a State Representative and Senator as well as his two terms as the 59th Mayor of the City of Atlanta. Last November, Mayor Reed spearheaded a ballot referendum for a half-penny sales tax to fund the expansion of the Metropolitan Atlanta Regional Transit Authority in the City of Atlanta over the next 40 years. More than 70 percent of voters approved the measure, making this the most successful transit referendum in the country.

“I am honored to receive the Local Distinguished Service Award,” said Mayor Reed. “When I reflect on my eight years as Mayor, winning the MARTA expansion vote will stand out as one of my proudest accomplishments. I believe our choice to pursue the $2.6 billion, forty-year MARTA expansion will be recognized as one of the most consequential decisions in the life of our city. I offer my thanks to Keith Parker and MARTA Board Chair Robbie Ashe for their partnership, and to APTA for this recognition.”

During the Reed Administration, the City of Atlanta has successfully applied for and won two TIGER grants supporting public transportation projects. The City received the largest-ever TIGER award to support the design and construction of the Atlanta Streetcar – a total of $47.7 million. The Atlanta BeltLine won a second TIGER grant of $18 million for the design and construction of the Westside Trail, which includes infrastructure for future light rail.

Mayor Reed has also championed two additional transportation and infrastructure ballot initiatives: the 2015 Renew Atlanta Infrastructure Bond and the 2016 TSPLOST. Combined, these two programs will dramatically reduce the city’s infrastructure backlog while installing new bicycle lanes and complete streets projects. Through the Renew Atlanta program, the City is upgrading traffic signals and intersections, which will promote safety and efficiency for all transportation modes. The five-year, $300 million TSPLOST will fund dozens of miles of new greenways and trails, including the Proctor Creek Greenway, and will fund the acquisition of the remaining right of way for the Atlanta BeltLine.

“Transit in Atlanta has no better friend than Mayor Reed. Without his leadership and steadfast support, MARTA would not have had the opportunity to ask Atlanta voters last November for their additional contribution to the system. Because of Mayor Reed, over the next few decades, MARTA will reshape how millions of Atlantans live, work, and play. Mayor Reed's contribution to transit will be legendary making him deserving of the 2017 APTA Local Distinguished Service Award,” said Robert L. Ashe III, Chair of the MARTA Board of Directors.

Mayor Reed also set a goal for the City of Atlanta to be a top cycling city. He launched the city’s first ever bicycle share program, Relay, which expanded from 10 stations at its launch to more than 50 stations with 500 bikes.