Few transit funding options for metro Atlanta

Few transit funding options for metro Atlanta:

By Ariel Hart

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Now the rose-colored glasses are off.

For two years, some metro residents have looked toward last week's transportation referendum as the threat of a new tax and a flawed plan — but it was still the region's only prospect for significant, widespread transportation expansion.

The T-SPLOST was not the right plan for metro Atlanta. Voters made that clear.

So now, the focus shifts away from it: to things as they are.

For two years, metro Atlanta's transportation planners have looked past their fear at the dwindling options for funding new lanes and transit options, to the promise of money from the T-SPLOST.

That's over.

"We put the referendum in place because we were facing a significant funding shortfall," said Tad Leithead, chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission, the region's planning agency. "The referendum didn't pass, so we are still facing that shortfall. Some projects are going to have to be delayed or canceled altogether. And that does not bode well for congestion in the short term."

He emphasized that the ARC would look to Gov. Nathan Deal, who has said he will take leadership on transportation, and work with him to shape the dwindling budget.

Over the next 40 years, 70 percent of the metro area's transportation budget will go just to fixing and maintaining what already exists, according to the ARC.

Some new toll lanes will be built, but those are on limited corridors.

Georgia Regional Transportation Authority Xpress commuter buses will likely have to win permanent state funding, or cease to exist.

In addition, following last month, we now know:

- Revenue from the Ga. 400 toll, about $20 million per year before expenses, will cease next year, according to an announcement from the governor.

- Unless legislators change the law, the metro area's towns and counties will now pay more as matching funds for some state grants for local roads.

- Deal, following the election, closed the door on the possibility of new funding for expanding the rail network.

- Deal plans to focus on building the Ga. 400/I-285 interchange. That is a boon for a congested employment corridor. For other areas, if that means getting it done sooner, that would mean postponing funding for other projects — hundreds of millions of dollars worth — which currently take up that space in the budget.

- Congress finally passed a national transportation plan, signed by President Barack Obama on July 6. State leaders fear that changes it made may cut back Georgia's federal road funding by about 8 percent. Not to mention, it left long-term funding gaps unanswered.

The state will continue to focus on some minor successes: encouraging telecommuting, and trying to do more with less.

And planners stressed that projects in the T-SPLOST will stay on the radar.

(Via Top News)