There are just a few weeks left before the Regional Transportation Referendum shows up on “special election” ballots across Georgia. You are probably already somewhat familiar with the referendum, although you may know it better by one of its commonly used nicknames such as T-SPLOST or TIA. In short, passing the referendum would implement a 1% regional sales tax, effective for 10 years (2013-2022), in order to fund transportation infrastructure projects in a given region. There are 12 of these regions around Georgia. The Atlanta region, for example, includes Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale counties and the City of Atlanta. All of the money collected in a given region will stay in that region, with the majority of it being spent on a list of “regional projects,” that have already been selected by a “roundtable” of local elected officials. Money that is not spent on this list of “regional projects” will be distributed to local governments to spend on transportation projects of their choosing.
If you’re registered to vote anywhere in Georgia, please make a point to get informed about the referendum process and the regional projects it would fund, and vote your conscience on or by July 31 (early voting starts July 9th). For those of you in the Atlanta region, here are some places to start your pre-vote research:
The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) has been conducting a lot of public outreach related to the Regional Transportation Referendum, including this website, which compiles a lot of useful information: http://www.metroatlantatransportationvote.com/
The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) will be responsible for delivering referendum-funded transit (rail and bus) projects in the Atlanta region. This page provides a synopsis of GRTA’s role and the projects it will be responsible for: http://www.grta.org/fut_reg_tran.php
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) will be responsible for delivering referendum-funded roadway projects in the Atlanta region, as well as all other regional projects around the state. They provide several details here: http://www.dot.ga.gov/localgovernment/FundingPrograms/transreferendum/Pages/default.aspx
This summer, I have been one of two “TIA-interns” at GRTA, helping the agency to get ready for its role as the program manager for Atlanta’s regional transit projects. I’ll share more about that experience later (look for me in the ITE @ GT Student Speaker Series this fall). In the meantime, I have become more-or-less familiar with the whole referendum process, and especially the transit side of things in Atlanta. That said, I can do my best to answer any questions you may post here (as part of your pre-vote research). Just be aware that some questions will not have answers until August 1st or later.
Happy voting!
I’ll definitely be voting yes for the passage of this referendum. This referendum is so important for our current transportation needs and future transportation needs. If our transportation infrastructure does not improve it could mean the difference between companies choosing to do business here or not. Especially when nearby major counties are continuously improving their transportation infrastructure.