Atlanta Transportation Sales Tax Referendum Update

by: Phillip Cherry

On August 15, the Executive Committee of the Atlanta Regional Roundtable finalized and published its constrained list of projects that would be constructed with the Referendum Sales Tax revenue.  This list can be seen here.  Although the Executive Committee has now developed a list of projects that fits within the $6.1 billion budget, the listed projects and the funding amounts are subject to change.  The entire 21 person roundtable must approve the list by October 15 for submittal to the Georgia Department of Transportation.  In addition, residents in each of the included ten counties will have the chance to provide additional input for shaping the final list.  The allotted amount for each project ranges from $650,000 for bicycle and pedestrian improvements along Dorris Road in Douglas County to over $850,000,000 for fixed-guideway transit service from Arts Center to Acworth.  Having only lived in Atlanta one year and not having traveled much outside of the City of Atlanta to the other ten counties, I am not familiar with many of the roadway or bike/pedestrian projects.  Thus, I have decided to focus on those projects which have a budget of over $100 million and are listed below:

–          I-285N at GA 400 interchange improvements ($450M)

–          Atlanta Beltline Circulator Trail ($601M)

–          I-285 at I-20 West interchange improvements ($149M)

–          Clayton County local bus service ($100M)

–          US 19/41 widening (Clayton Co.) ($130M)

–          Northwest Corridor fixed-guideway transit: Acworth to Arts Center ($856M)

–          GA 400 collector/distributor lanes ($200M)

–          Sugarloaf Parkway Extension ($296M)

–          MARTA State of Good Repair and Station Enhancements ($600M)

–          MARTA East Heavy Rail Extension: Indian Creek to Mall of Stonecrest ($225M)

–          Clifton Corridor Transit phases 1A-C ($700M)

These eleven projects comprise $4.3 billion of the overall $6.1 billion budget containing over 100 projects.  Of the $4.3 billion, just over $3.0 billion is dedicated to transit related funding.  These transit projects include those to the east (MARTA East Heavy Rail Extension), south (Clayton County local bus service), northwest (Northwest Corridor), as well as the City of Atlanta (Beltline & Clifton Corridor).  Other transit projects were included on the list but did not exceed $100 million.  Of all of the transit projects of those exceeding $100 million, I believe the two most critical to the region are the Clifton Corridor transit project and the MARTA State of Good Repair and Station Enhancements.

The Clifton Corridor project will provide fixed guideway access to Emory University and the Center for Disease Control (CDC), two of the largest employers and activity hubs in the region.  Neither of these locations is currently served by fixed-guideway transit and neither is in close proximity to an interstate or expressway.  The alignment for this project has not yet been finalized, but it will likely connect Lindbergh Station to either Avondale Station or stop near North Decatur Road just to the east of the CDC.  This project would help reduce current and projected congestion along roads such as Briarcliff, Lenox, Druid Hills, and Clifton that often have volumes that far exceed their design.

The MARTA State of Good Repair and Station Enhancements will provide much needed maintenance dollars to the overall MARTA system.  Components and systems would be rehabilitated or replaced with this funding including railroad track, automatic train control elements, and station escalators.  Also in need of upgrade are some of MARTA’s original maintenance facilities that have not had significant overhauls in their 30+ years of existence.  These improvements would help prevent delays and extend the life of the overall system.  Station enhancements would make stations safer, with more lighting and overhauled escalators, and possibly WiFi access and other improved technologies.

While my internship with MARTA may make my opinion biased in terms of favoring transit projects, I think that it will be the location and allotment of the regional projects that most affects the vote.  Each county will receive local roadway and pedestrian/bike improvements that appeal to voters who live in close proximity to that specific project; however, I believe the geographic and socio-economic distribution of the more impactful regional projects will influence more votes.