ATLANTA - The Georgia Regional Transporation Authority is trying to steer 13 metro Atlanta counties into a regional express bus system. <br>
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Counties that participate would pay operating costs but would share in the $350 million disbursed by GRTA for improvements to heavily traveled roads. The $350 million would be raised by issuing bonds. <br>
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The plan calls for the bus service to begin next year in four or five counties, and others would be added through 2005. Other transit systems and a system of park-and-ride lots would link with the bus routes. <br>
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The counties - Forsyth, Cherokee, Henry, Gwinnett, Coweta, Paulding, Douglas, Cobb, DeKalb, Rockdale, Fayette, Fulton and Clayton - must each reach agreement with GRTA to begin operation of the service. <br>
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Established systems, such as those in Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton counties, would not be taken over but instead bolstered by the new system, officials said.
