TIA/TSPLOST Why Vote Yes?

We've been answering your tough questions and comments over the past weeks, and now we answer the biggest one. Why should you vote yes?

1. Low spending and high congestion: Georgia ranks 48th in the nation in transportation spending per capita, and ranks 4th in total hours the average commuter spends in on the road each day. 
2. Little room for expansion: Without additional funding, about 70 percent of metro Atlanta’s scheduled transportation dollars for the next 30 years will be spent on maintaining our current transportation network, leaving little room for expansion. 
3. Congestion will increase as revenues decrease: Congestion will get worse as the region continues to grow – by some three million more people in the next 25 years. Meanwhile, gas tax revenues will continue to decline as cars become more fuel-efficient. 
4. Money stays here: All monies generated here by the 10-year, regional transportation referendum would stay in metro Atlanta and be invested in high-priority projects throughout our 10 counties, from interchange improvements at I-285 and GA 400, to road and safety improvements, to a new light rail line from the Lindbergh MARTA station to the Clifton Corridor. 
5. Positive return on investment: The economic impact over time on the Atlanta region would be far greater than the 1996 Olympics. The referendum investment would result in a $34.8 billion increase in gross regional product in the Atlanta region by 2040. That’s a 4-to-1 return on investment. 
6. Job creation and retention: Some 200,000 jobs would be created or retained through the build-out of these new transportation projects. The positive economic effect equates to approximately 7,100 jobs each year from 2013 through 2040. 
7. Business and workforce development opportunities: Policies for strong small business and minority contracting and workforce development efforts have been developed and adopted by key agencies responsible for the project build-out. 
8. Cost savings to commuters: Commuters spend an average of $924 each year due to traffic congestion. Collectively, the time and fuel savings generated by referendum projects would allow residents to save $9.2 billion by 2040. 
9. Decrease in travel delays: Travelers will enjoy a 24% average decrease in future travel delays on roadways improved through road widening, new construction and improved interchanges. 
10. Air quality benefits: Air quality improvement would be equal to taking 72,000 vehicles off the roads daily

We at BHReview encourage you to go out and vote. Right now polls are projecting less than 10% participation in the 7/31 vote. Remeber that every vote counts- Invest TODAY in our future transportation- less traffic, more transit, more jobs, and sustained economic growth. I wish we had done this years ago...

7 Days! TIA/TSPLOST Tough Questions Answered

Another installment of the Frequently Asked (tough) Questions/Comments regarding the TIA/TSPLOST vote on July 31st, only one week away!

See our previous post for: 

• I don’t trust government (to either pick the projects, spend the money or deliver the projects)
• I don’t support any new taxes / now is not the time to be raising taxes
• I don’t like the project list / Let’s not pass this now. Let’s come back in 2 years when we have a shot at getting a better project list. 

This week's question/issue: What's the Plan B?

Answer:

• The fact of the matter is that there is a plan on the table NOW that delivers $8 billion for badly needed transportation projects. If this doesn’t pass, there is no other plan on the table that delivers the same.
• There is no FREE plan B and whatever plan B may be is 1) not now identified and ready to go in the foreseeable future and 2) will most likely be toll roads, the very thing people are complaining about now. 
• Some people will say let’s just increase the gas tax. Well, it would take a 25 cent increase in the gas tax to generate what this penny sales tax would. And in this time of high gas prices, I don’t think citizens are ready to shoulder a 25 per gallon increase in gas. 
• So really there isn't a Plan B, but something needs to be done to address the increasing transportation issues. If this doesn't pass those issues will most likely be addressed with toll roads, increases in gas taxes, and possibly an increase in milage rate or property taxes to support local transportation initiatives. Those taxes voters will have less say on, and less decision making ability on the projects. 

To learn more about the Transportation Investment Act and its impact to our future growth and development, visit these websites:

• Untie Atlanta: Advocacy Group
• Atlanta Regional Commission: Regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the 10-county area
• Transform Metro Atlanta: Educational Group
• T-SPLOST.com: Fact sheet & Project list

14 Days! TIA/TSPLOST Tough Questions Answered

Another installment of the Frequently Asked (tough) Questions/Comments regarding the TIA/TSPLOST vote on July 31st, only two weeks away!

See our previous post for: I don’t trust government (to either pick the projects, spend the money or deliver the projects) & I don’t support any new taxes / now is not the time to be raising taxes.

This week's question/issue: I don’t like the project list / Let’s not pass this now. Let’s come back in 2 years when we have a shot at getting a better project list

Answer:

• We can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. This entire effort has literally been six years in the making. The business and civic communities got involved at that time because our traffic issues were costing us jobs and our quality of life – we started to see a pattern of companies unwilling to locate or create jobs here because we had no plan to address our traffic. And the regions that we compete with for economic growth – namely Denver, Dallas, Houston and increasingly Charlotte, are leapfrogging their transportation infrastructure ahead of us and using that to their competitive advantage. We don’t have time to wait – our future depends on it. Remember we are 48th in the nation in terms of transportation funding!
• This is a very good project list – was nine months in the making and was developed with input from over 200,000 citizens. No future list will be perfect either. 
• Leaders like the Gov, Lt Gov, Mayor and others have already publicly said if this fails, they won’t be addressing this again anytime soon. And if they do, it won’t be with the unprecedented local decision making and citizen input that we’ve seen over the last year.

To learn more about the Transportation Investment Act and its impact to our future growth and development, visit these websites:

• Untie Atlanta: Advocacy Group
• Atlanta Regional Commission: Regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the 10-county area
• Transform Metro Atlanta: Educational Group
• T-SPLOST.com: Fact sheet & Project list

22 Days! TIA/TSPLOST Tough Questions Answered

Another installment of the Frequently Asked (tough) Questions regarding the TIA/TSPLOST vote on July 31st.

See our previous post for: I don’t trust government (to either pick the projects, spend the money or deliver the projects).

This week's question: I don’t support any new taxes / now is not the time to be raising taxes.

Answer:

• 87% of people agree that traffic has gotten so bad something must be done about it. This is that opportunity. If not now, when? 
• Because of our long commute times, the Texas Transportation Institute estimates that Atlantans are already paying a “congestion tax” of $924/yr for the wasted time and fuel we spend sitting in traffic. However, based on the average amount of goods people buy, this transportation opportunity will only cost roughly $122/year – about the amount of a cup of coffee per week. Isn’t it worth an investment of $122/yr to reduce the amount of time and money we waste sitting in traffic, not to mention the job opportunities we may be losing because of our traffic reputation. 
• Economists say that cities are either in a period of rise and growth or they are in a period of decline. They don't stay in the status quo. If we don't do something to build more infrastructure, our region will likely begin a period of decline. So, this is really a vote and investment for our future – creating jobs and getting home faster to spend more time with our families rather than spending time stuck in increasingly growing traffic. 
• Georgia is ranked 48th nationally in transportation infrastructure spending and metro Atlanta is ranked 91 out 100 among metro regions for access to transit. Regardless of where you are and who you speak with, everyone can agree that we have a traffic problem. Transportation investment is expensive and we are behind in this state and this region. 
• Of the various funding options, a sales tax increase was the least regressive and fairest funding mechanism on the table. If we were to raise the gas tax, it would come at a cost of nearly 25 cents on the gallon -- hardly affordable for a working class family. Not only will the residents of our region contribute to our transportation investment, but also visitors and other commuters traveling and purchasing items within the 10-county region. 
• This referendum is not a choice between no tax and a new tax. It’s a choice between public investment that will create jobs and attract businesses such as Caterpillar, and an uncontrollable congestion tax that will send jobs and businesses packing to regions that are making visionary investments in their growth and prosperity.

26 Days! TIA/TSPLOST FAQ

With 26 days until the vote to untie transportation in Atlanta, we thought we would address some of the outstanding questions and concerns citizens have. Stay tuned for new questions and answers each week!

We will start this segment off with a big-un...

Question: 

I don’t trust government (to either pick the projects, spend the money or deliver the projects).

Answer:

• This is different than anything we’ve ever done before in transportation because YOU GET TO VOTE ON THIS. 
• The 157 defined regional projects that are on the list were 9 months in the making in a very open and transparent process and were developed with input from over 200,000 citizens. 
• That list cannot be changed over the 10 years by law– meaning voters know exactly what they are getting in advance of the referendum vote. 
• The law creating the tsplost also created a citizens oversight committee which will have responsibility for producing annual audits of the projects. That's never been done before on any previous splosts.

To learn more about the Transportation Investment Act and its impact to our future growth and development, visit these websites:

• Untie Atlanta: Advocacy Group
• Atlanta Regional Commission: Regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the 10-county area
• Transform Metro Atlanta: Educational Group
• T-SPLOST.com: Fact sheet & Project list

34 Days until the 7/31 vote!

There is only a little more than a month until one of the most important votes in Brookhaven history. And no, I don't mean the vote on cityhood...

July 31st marks the vote for the future of transportation in Metro Atlanta and the state of Georgia. Also known as the Transportation Investment Act (TIA) 2012 or TSPLOST, the vote next month is a defining moment in our economic growth and development. Traffic is killing our city. Businesses leave (or choose not to come) to Atlanta every year because of our increasing transportation problems: lengthy commutes, limited alternative transportation options, vast environmental impacts, and millions of dollars wasted in gas, time, and maintenance. Atlanta is WAY behind on transportation. Our city spends less on transportation than almost any other area (48th in the nation for capital transportation expenditures) and at the same time are the 9th most congested. While other cities are exploring ways of getting people out of cars and into transit, Atlanta continues to just maintain (70% of our funds are spent on maintenance).

We finally have a solution. The 2012 TIA represents a bi-partisan program that will invest 8.5 BILLION dollars over the next 10 years to help to untie our traffic knot and make our region more competitive again. It means a penny sales tax region-wide to support transportation projects throughout the Atlanta region (and others throughout the state). All funds raised will stay in the 10-County region and can be used to support a wide range of projects. A very important item to note is that all the projects have already been decided upon- this is not something where the money will be used, politically, in a different way than was promised.

The Transportation Investment Act called for the formation of a Regional Roundtable, made up of county commissioners and mayors from all ten counties. Projects considered for funding by the referendum can be found here (PDF).

Investments in regional transportation will help create and support hundreds of thousands of  jobs -- and will free up our clogged roadways so we can be more productive at work and spend more time at home. Investing in our region will bring jobs, prosperity and an improved quality of life for decades to come.

Just a few points to consider:

• We need more money invested in transportation in Atlanta, period. It will happen one way or another (gas tax, property tax, etc.). This is by far the most economical and well laid out plan we've ever had. To think of getting that many mayors and government officials together and then to agree on a project list ever again is highly unlikely. 
• Transportation improvements take time! Part of this money will go to create the infamous Atlanta Beltline, but even if that gets 100% funding, it's still years and years (I think ~ 20) away from final completion. We need to start these projects now for future generations. Wouldn't it have been great for those before us to do the same?
• We can't afford not to. There are other states and urban areas just waiting for us to say no. Business will move away taking jobs and economic growth with them. We will become stagnant and known as a place where we aren't willing to invest in our failing infrastructure. 

Now for you local folks, here is a list of what the TIA will do directly to improve DeKalb County:

• $700 million: Extension of rail transit from Lindbergh to Clifton Corridor
• $25 million: Corridor improvements for North Druid Hills from Buford Highway to Lawrenceville Highway
• $25 million: Construction of a new connecting route between Buford Highway and Peachtree Industrial
• $10.6 million: Interchange improvements to I-20 E at Panola
• $25 million: Replacements and expansion of Clifton Road bridge over the railroad to allow for bike/ped lanes
• $142 million: local improvement projects such as intersection improvements, sidewalks, signal timing, etc.

For more information on projects and how to get involved, please see the links below:

• Untie Atlanta: Advocacy Group
• Atlanta Regional Commission: Regional planning and intergovernmental coordination agency for the 10-county area
• Transform Metro Atlanta: Educational Group
• T-SPLOST.com: Fact sheet & Project list