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T R A N S P O R T A T I O N
V O T E
Moving Georgia’s
Economy Forward
This summer Georgians will have the opportunity to vote on an entirely new
method of transportation planning and funding, one based on regions and
comprised of locally submitted projects. It’s called a Regional Transportation
Referendum (RTR). It has a simple, but very important purpose: keeping local
tax dollars at work in the local community for much needed transportation
upgrades and repairs.
If the 1 percent sales tax is approved July 31 by all 12
transportation regions, Georgia transportation will have up
to $19 billion in additional funding over the next 10 years.
The special transportation tax is based on the same model
that many counties and cities have been using for years to
pay for everything from transportation upgrades to economic
development and creative arts centers. Special Purpose Local
Option Sales Taxes (or SPLOST), an extra penny on the
dollar for purchased goods, is a popular way to help ease the
burden of property and income taxes, since a heavy fraction
of it comes from visitors to Georgia counties.
The regional angle of the upcoming transportation referendum emerged as the state wrestled with its outdated county
by county infrastructure network, which required thinking
outside territorial boundaries about projects that affect entire
regions. The legislature drew a map based on the state's existing
regional development commissions, and solicited projects
from local leaders to create their individual project lists.
The process took about two years and included dozens of
roundtable meetings to establish which projects were best for
each region. Top Georgia leaders, including Gov. Nathan
Deal and House Speaker David Ralston, have all urged
voters to support additional transportation funding to help
keep Georgia competitive.
Todd Long, former Georgia Department of Transportation
director of planning, has said that the nearly $19 billion that
could be raised will give Georgia the only chance it will have
to address its transportation problems over the next 10 years,
after which the tax would sunset.
Furthermore, the deepening of the Port of Savannah to
accommodate the bigger ships soon moving through a widened
Panama Canal could lead to an explosive increase in the
state’s logistics industry. While bringing manufacturing and
other economic sectors back to Georgia is good, it will increase
freight traffic through the state. This fact must be addressed
if we’re to avoid making traffic congestion worse in Georgia
and passing the transportation referendum is the best way
to start.
The projects funded by the transportation referendum
would help spur growth throughout the state. That’s why the
economic development community has rallied behind it, and
many political leaders are supporting it as part of a strategy to
grow jobs in Georgia.
This special issue provides an overview of what the transportation referendum would mean for the Metro Atlanta
region. The planned projects do more than just improve the
region’s transportation network – they improve the prospects
of a better future for every Metro Atlanta resident.
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E C O N O M I C
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B E N E F I T S
“
The referendum project list is regional in
nature, but has something for everyone in
metro Atlanta. By making these improvements
in the next 10 years, rather than 20 or 30 years
from now, these projects can be built cheaper,
can improve transportation more quickly
and have a positive economic impact sooner.
”
– Tad Leithead, chairman of the Atlanta Regional Commission
T
he intangible benefits of investing in traffic relief are
immeasurable for road-weary commuters. We’ll have more
time to spend at home with family and friends, more time on
the job for productive, income-producing work, more time
for fun and leisure and less time stuck in frustrating traffic.
While those intangibles are valuable but difficult to
quantify, the economic benefits are very measurable. And
according to the results of a team of independent economists,
investing in regional transit will reap huge dividends for our
region for decades to come.
The Atlanta Regional Commission’s analysis and forecast of the economic impacts of the 2012 Atlanta Regional
Transportation Referendum’s passage show that by investing
in traffic relief:
• Metro Atlanta will create or support an additional 200,000
new jobs, including jobs that are maintained year over year. The
region would gain 34,000 new jobs in construction alone, allowing us to recoup more than half of the 57,000 construction
jobs lost to the Great Recession. And of those 200,000 jobs,
more than half would pay mid- to high-end wages.
• Metro Atlanta will realize a four-to-one return on investment. The $8.5 billion invested will result in a $34.8 billion
increase in gross regional product in the Atlanta region by
2040, according to the ARC’s team of economists. The
region’s investment in transportation will spark yet more
rounds of investment and confidence in the region’s viability.
Companies and skilled workers will be more willing to bring
their operations and families here, and traffic improvements
4 I UntieAtlanta
will also attract significant sums of federal spending. By
investing in traffic relief, metro commuters will reap huge
dividends as well as a healthier, more attractive region for
businesses to bring jobs and skilled workers.
• Metro Atlanta will save $9.2 billion in travel time costs.
The average metro Atlanta commuter spends $924 each
year sitting in traffic. That alone amounts to a “congestion
tax” that we spend each year in wasted fuel and nonproductive time. Because of the congestion relief the transportation
investments will bring, the region will save an estimated $9.2
billion through 2040. As a result of investing in transportation, therefore, metro commuters could actually save money
over the next 27 years.
• Metro Atlantans will realize an $18 billion increase in
personal income. Due to the travel time savings and
reduced fuel costs, incomes around the region will increase
a collective $18 billion by 2040.
“After several months of in-depth computer modeling
and analysis and with input from regional policy experts and
economists, we believe that these numbers represent a conservative estimate of the positive impacts these projects would
have on the region’s economy,” said Tad Leithead, ARC
Chairman. “The referendum project list is regional in nature,
but has something for everyone in metro Atlanta. By making
these improvements in the next 10 years, rather than 20 or
30 years from now, these projects can be built cheaper, can
improve transportation more quickly and have a positive
economic impact sooner.”
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Myths and Facts
Myth: Transportation improvements will do
little to relieve traffic in our region.
Fact: Investing in transportation improvements will take
thousands of cars off the road and provide new transportation options for commuters – all while reinvigorating
our economy and attracting new businesses and new
jobs to the region for growth into the foreseeable future.
Myth: We can’t afford another penny in sales
tax to invest in transportation.
Fact: We’re already paying a hefty levy for traffic con-
gestion – you could call it a “congestion tax.” According to
a team of economists, the average metro commuter pays
$924 a year in wasted fuel and lost time as a result of traffic
congestion. That tax is considerably more than the average
commuter would pay in a one-penny sales levy. By investing in transportation, metro commuters actually have the
opportunity to save money by saving on rising fuel costs
and spending more productive time at work.
Myth: The Atlanta Beltline is an economic
development tool that won’t advance regional
transportation.
Fact: The Atlanta Beltline has the potential of preserving
the quality of life of every suburban community in metro
Atlanta. According to ARC projections, 3 million more
people are expected to move to metro Atlanta over the
next three decades. Building the Beltline will attract more
of those residents to the city of Atlanta, relieving congestion
and diminishing population growth in already overcrowded
suburban communities. Suburban residents who never
use the Beltline will benefit from it by preserving the
integrity of their communities. The Beltline also offers
last-mile connectivity for residents who commute throughout the metro area to jobs in the city.
Myth: The project list is heavily weighted
toward transit, and transit won’t relieve congestion since so few people in the region
use transit.
Fact: Building transit has the potential of taking the
cars in front of you off the road – relieving congestion
and making it far easier for those who commute by car
to get home and to work with less hassle and delay. In
order to bring traffic relief to metro Atlanta we must offer
commuters more options – and transit is an option that,
once developed, far more commuters will take advantage
of. The Georgia Department of Transportation will also
continue to focus on road-building and improvements
to existing roads. Their efforts – combined with the
Regional Transportation Referendum project list – will
ensure that two-thirds or more of our tax dollars will
flow to road-building and road improvements.
Myth: My county isn’t getting its fair share.
Fact: Metro commuters benefit from investing in transporta-
tion not just in their county of residence, but where they
work, where they play and in universal improvements that
help us all. About half of all metro residents commute to a
county outside their county of residence, so they will benefit
from improvements at home as well as improvements where
they work. They’ll also benefit from universal improvements
that relieve congestion for all of us, such as the I-285/Ga. 400
Interchange. The July 31 referendum affords an opportunity
for metro Atlanta to invest and grow as a region as a whole.
Myth: There is not sufficient oversight, particularly since the Legislature failed to enact transit
governance.
Fact: Even in the absence of new transit governance legis-
lation, there is substantial oversight in place for the regional
transportation project list. The Georgia Regional Transportation
Authority will oversee all transit-related projects, and the Georgia
Department of Transportation will oversee all road projects.
A Citizens’ Oversight Committee will audit the 157 projects on
an annual basis and will bring transparency and fiscal oversight
to every project on the list. This list cannot be changed.
Myth: MARTA is wasteful and inefficient and the
dollars allotted to MARTA will go to waste on a
system that few people use.
Fact: MARTA is the anchor for an integrated metropolitian
transit system. When stacked against its national peers,
MARTA is more cost-efficient and safer than systems of similar
size. On a cost per ride basis, MARTA fares competitively
with its peers. MARTA operates one of the largest compressed
natural gas bus fleets in the nation, and provides maintenance
and assistance to Cobb Community Transit and other systems
with CNC buses. Without MARTA, we’d be a far less economically vibrant region. We would not have attracted the 1996
Centennial Olympic Games, we would have missed out on
huge national conventions that have brought billions of
dollars to Atlanta, and we would not have attracted Fortune
500 companies to metro Atlanta without a mass transit system.
MARTA has been responsible for more growth and economic
development throughout the region – even in areas that it
does not service – than it gets credit for.
Myth: This plan was thrown together by
developers and public officials and fails to solve
our region’s transportation crisis.
Fact: More than 200,000 citizens participated in this process
and helped arrive at the 157-project list. And for the first
time ever, our regional representatives – mayors, county
commission chairs and others – gave unanimous approval to
a project list that they believe will relieve congestion in their
communities and in the region as a whole.
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G e o r g i a ’s Tr a n s p o r t a t i o n N e t w o r k
The Road to Future Growth
W
hen Caterpillar announced earlier this year it had
selected Georgia for a $200 million plant that will eventually
employ 1,400, it was a big and much-needed win for the state
– and a big pat on the back for Georgia’s transportation
network.
The equipment manufacturing giant offered a number
of reasons for picking a tract in east Georgia near Athens,
but a deciding factor was more than 200 miles to the south
– Georgia’s ports. Caterpillar expects to export some 40
percent of the equipment made at its new plant from the
Port of Savannah, among the busiest and fastest growing in
the world.
Caterpillar is just the latest company to pick Georgia in
part because of the state’s highly ranked ports, international
airport and rail and highway system.
Georgia Department of Economic Development
Commissioner Chris Cummiskey says the state’s “great logistics
network” is one of the main selling points used to attract new
business to Georgia. That network, he says, includes an
international airport that is the busiest in the world, a port
that is the fastest-growing port in the nation and a rail and
highway system that allows shipments to reach 80 percent
of the U.S. market within two days.
6 I UntieAtlanta
The relationship of the state’s transportation network to
growth shows the importance of the July 31 transportation
referendum. Passage of the referendum in 12 regions across
Georgia will enhance the state’s logistics network in a way
that will shape the state’s economy for generations to come.
Projects as seemingly disconnected as the widening of I16 in the Coastal Georgia region and improving a bridge
over the Oconee River in the Heart of Georgia region work
together to strengthen Georgia’s economic position as the
Capital of the South. Hundreds of proposed projects will
create a logistics network that will knit together our ports,
highways, rails and airports in a way that will bring jobs here,
improve safety on the roads and strengthen
local communities.
In a meeting with business leaders last
year, Gov. Nathan Deal talked about the
importance of the transportation referendum for future growth, using the ports as a
prime example. He called passage of the
referendum a critical piece in building the
logistics network that feeds the ports of
Brunswick and Savannah. “It doesn’t do a
whole lot of good to get larger vessels into the
ports if we can’t get the cargo distributed
around the state,” he said.
Georgia’s ports are playing increasingly
important roles in the state’s economic
growth. The Ports of Savannah and
Brunswick achieved record volumes in
2011 and the Port of Savannah is now the
number-two export port in the nation. But
also important is how the ports reach out
to every county in the state and touch the lives of almost
every Georgian.
According to the Georgia Ports Authority, the state’s deepwater ports and inland barge terminals support more than
295,000 jobs throughout the state annually and contribute
$15.5 billion in income, $61.7 billion in revenue and $2.6
billion in state and local taxes to Georgia’s economy.
Impressive figures any Georgian can relate to ... and they’re
numbers expected to grow as the state looks to improve its
transportation network with funding from the transportation
referendum to be voted on July 31.
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Northwest
I
Northwest: Cobb
& Cherokee
f you ask any Cobb or Cherokee county commuter where
the biggest bottlenecks in the Northwest subregion of Metro
Atlanta are, be prepared to sit and listen for a while.
While the state of Georgia is taking on the Herculean task
of addressing the daily congestion on I-75, the Regional
Transportation Referendum takes an “all of the above” approach
when it comes to addressing the rest of the area’s choke points.
Windy Hill Road, for example, shows up in four different
projects – including a $77 million interchange improvement
plan at I-75. U.S. 41, also known as Cobb Parkway, also has four
related projects. At its intersection with the aforementioned
Windy Hill Road, a $93 million grade separation will provide
a permanent fix to one of the region’s most frustrating traffic
signals.
And let’s not forget a total of $190 million on three separate
projects to finally get State Route 140 (Hickory Flat Highway)
in Cherokee County unclogged.
While the Northwest Subregion has its fair share of road
projects, there are also other modes of transportation funded
to keep this area competitive for new business investment.
The tremendous success of the Cobb Community Transit
buses has shown there is a strong appetite for using alternatives
to the single occupant vehicle. Premium enhanced transit
service, likely to be bus rapid transit (BRT), will connect
Acworth, Kennesaw and the Town Center area to the Arts
Center station in Midtown Atlanta with fast, efficient transit
service. This will give commuters easy access to major employment centers in midtown and downtown, and air travelers
will be able to save on steep parking fees by connecting to
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
And speaking of air travelers, a new air traffic control
tower and runway lighting approach system is planned for
McCollum Airport. Business leaders visiting the area considering their investment options look favorably on an airport that
is safe and efficient, and these improvements will enhance
the significant investment already made at McCollum.
Many Cobb and Cherokee commuters will also be excited
to see major upgrades to interchanges located in other counties.
The nearly $650 million in local and federal funds that will
be used to improve I-285 at Georgia 400, I-20 West and I-85
North gives hope for those who drive daily to other parts of the
Metro Atlanta region – not to mention the heavy tractor trailer
traffic that is looking to deliver goods and products on time.
Cobb County was the first local jurisdiction to complete
its project list for the 15 percent match that will be spent on
local needs around the region. Reflecting the top complaints
of county residents, local leaders set aside $30 million for
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needed resurfacing projects and $20 million on sidewalks and
other bicycle/pedestrian access improvements.
PROJECTS
TIA-CH-001: Bells Ferry Road at Little River - Bridge
Replacement $7,000,000
TIA-CH-005: SR 140 (Hickory Flat Highway) from East
Cherokee Drive to Mountain Road – Widening
$70,000,000
TIA-CH-006: SR 140 (Hickory Flat Highway) from I575 to East Cherokee Drive – Widening $70,000,000
TIA-CH-009: SR 140 (Hickory Flat Highway / Arnold
Mill Road) from Mountain Road to Fulton County Line Widening Roadway $50,000,000
TIA-CO-001: Busbee Frey Connector from Busbee Drive
to Frey Road - New Alignment $21,500,000
TIA-CO-006: US 41 (Cobb Parkway) from Barrett
Parkway to Bartow County - Intersection Improvements at
Nine Locations $9,800,000
TIA-CO-013: I-75 North at Windy Hill Road Interchange Improvements $77,000,000
TIA-CO-016: SR 360 (Macland Road) from Paulding
County Line to New Macland Road / Lost Mountain Road Widening $30,000,000
TIA-CO-018: McCollum Airport - New Air Traffic
Control Tower $2,500,000
TIA-CO-020: McCollum Airport - Runway Approach
Lighting System $690,000
TIA-CO-021: Moon Station Road at CSX Railroad New Alignment and Overpass $4,500,000
TIA-CO-024: River View Road from Nichols Drive to
SR 280 (South Cobb Drive) - Corridor Improvements
$16,500,000
TIA-CO-026: SR 120 (Roswell Road) from Bridgegate
Drive to Timber Ridge Road - Safety and Operational
Improvements $20,000,000
TIA-CO-027: SR 280 (South Cobb Drive) from I-285
to Church Road / Oakdale Road - Corridor
Improvements $9,000,000
TIA-CO-035: Enhanced Premium Transit Service Acworth / Kennesaw / Town Center to MARTA Arts
Center Station $695,000,000
TIA-CO-037: Windy Hill Road / Terrell Mill Connector
- New Alignment $14,000,000
TIA-CO-043: US 41 (Cobb Parkway) at Windy Hill
Road - Grade Separation $93,000,000
TIA-CO-045: SR 92 (Lake Acworth Drive) from US 41
(Cobb Parkway) to Cherokee Street - Widening $29,100,000
TIA-CO-046: Windy Hill Road from SR 280 (South
Cobb Drive) to US 41 (Cobb Parkway) - Widening and
Operational Improvements Roadway $26,999,900
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North
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North Fulton and Northside
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here’s a tendency to think in terms of local projects
on the Regional Transportation Referendum. But key
projects stand out as regional in nature, and promise to
untie the traffic knot in metro Atlanta not only in their
counties of origin, but for miles in every direction to the
benefit of commuters throughout the region.
Clearly, one of those regional improvements is adding
new collector and distributor lanes to the Georgia 400/ I285 Interchange. Snarls at that interchange create
congestion throughout the region, and the proposed
enhancements at the Georgia 400/I-285 interchange will
get traffic moving on the perimeter from DeKalb and Stone
Mountain Freeway to the east to I-20 on the west.
Clearly, it is a universal project – one that helps roadweary commuters far and wide – not just the residents of
North Fulton County. To untie the traffic knot in metro
Atlanta, improvements to this critical interchange are
essential.
North Fulton will also benefit from a host of arterial road
widenings and traffic enhancements to get this clogged part
of the region moving again.
Road widenings planned on Kimball Bridge Road, Old
Milton Parkway, Arnold Mill Road, Abbotts Bridge Road
and Atlanta Street will ease congestion and shorten
commute times for residents and workers.
North Fulton is a major employment center, so improvements to arterial roads benefit not only the traffic-choked
residents of North Fulton
County but those who
work in the area and live
elsewhere. That’s just
one of the many ways the
Regional Transportation
Referendum helps metro
commuters: They benefit from congestion relief
where they live, where
they work, and from
regional improvements
– such as improvements
to the Ga 400/I-285
Interchange, that help
untie the traffic knot
for everybody.
8 I UntieAtlanta
“The Regional Transportation
Referendum helps metro
commuters where they live,
where they work and from
regional improvements – such
as improvements to the
Ga 400/I-285 Interchange,
that help untie the traffic
knot for everybody.”
PROJECTS
TIA-FN-002: SR 120 (Kimball Bridge Road) from State
Bridge Road to Jones Bridge Road – Widening – $21,000,000
TIA-FN-003: SR 120 (Old Milton Parkway) from SR 400
to Kimball Bridge Road – Widening – $37,000,000
TIA-FN-005: SR 120 (Old Milton Parkway) at SR 400 and
Morris Road – Interchange Intersection improvements –
$1,900,000
TIA-FN-007: Rucker Road and Hardscrabble Road to
Willis Road – Operational Improvements – $19,000,000
TIA-FN-0013: Hammond Drive from SR 9 (Roswell
Road) to SR 400 – Improvements – $10,000,000
TIA-FN-014: SR 400 from I-285 North to Spalding
Drive – Collector Distributor Lanes – $160,000,000, with a
commitment of $30,000,000 in federal funds.
TIA-FN-030: SR 140 (Arnold Mill Road) from Cherokee
County Line to Rucker Road – Widening – $46,000,000
TIA-FN-034: SR 400 at SR 140 (Holcomb Bridge Road)
– Interchange Improvements – $23,000,000
TIA-FN-035: SR 9 (Atlanta Street) from Chattahoochee
River to SR 190 (Marietta Highway) – Widening and
corridor improvements – $20,400,000
TIA-FN-036: SR 140 (Houze Road) from Rucker Road to
Mansell Road – Operational Improvements – $18,600,000
TIA-FN-043: SR 120 (Abbotts Bridge Road) from
Parsons Road (east of SR 141) to Peachtree Industrial
Boulevard – Widening – $28,000,000
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Northeast: Gwinnett
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Northeast
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n many respects, Gwinnett County has long been a
leader in the metro region for forward thinking investments
– schools, roads and a world-class water and sewer system.
So when members of the regional roundtable sat down to
prioritize projects in the Northeast subregion, they were
not starting from scratch.
Perhaps the greatest traffic frustration that Gwinnett motorists have felt over the years has been the undelivered promise
of State Route 316. There have been numerous attempts to
develop a plan that would complete the road as once envisioned,
but each time the proposals faded and the work continued one
intersection at a time, starting at I-85 and moving eastward.
Evidence of that “one-at-a-time” approach is apparent today,
as construction is just now beginning on the new State Route
20 interchange. The Regional Transportation Referendum
will literally hit the fast forward button on finally eliminating
those dreaded, traffic-stopping red lights at Harbins Road,
Hi-Hope/Cedars, and U.S. 29, enabling cars and goods to
flow more freely and arrive at their destinations on time. In
addition, Walther Boulevard will be realigned and routed over
SR 316, providing a critical north-south connection point
for the commercial traffic accessing the businesses along SR
120 and SR 317 (Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road).
At the other end of the highway, often referred to as
University Parkway, the largest economic development project
to land in Georgia since 2006 is taking shape. In February,
Gov. Nathan Deal announced that global construction
75
equipment maker Caterpillar will create 1,400 jobs at a
manufacturing plant near SR 316 and U.S. 78. Caterpillar
CEO Doug Oberhelman said the project list was a deciding
factor in locating in Georgia. A month later, construction had
already begun at the site. “(The) Transportation Investment
Act is critical in making Georgia competitive,” Oberhelman
said at the Feb. 17 press conference. “We’ll work for it, from
all of our employees’ perspective here in Georgia, to help
get that passed here this summer.”
But there is much more to the Northeast subregion’s project
list than just moving commuters and Caterpillar excavators
up and down SR 316. Three projects on U.S. 23/Buford
Highway will widen a critical north-south corridor (and key
alternative to I-85) from Suwanee up to the Hall County
line. Other major state routes such as Duluth Highway (SR
120), Buford Drive (SR 20) and Peachtree Parkway (SR
141) that experience daily congestion will receive muchneeded traffic-relieving widening projects.
Traffic flow improvements at Atlanta’s most famous interchange – Spaghetti Junction (I-85 at I-285 in DeKalb County)
– will also be funded, as well as a complete reconstruction of
the infamous I-285 at Georgia 400 interchange.
But the biggest prize of all may be the long-awaited completion of what is now called the Sugarloaf Parkway Phase 2
extension from SR 316 to SR 20. At a price tag of $296 million,
neither the state nor local government could fund a project
like this and have any money left over to build anything else.
PROJECTS
TIA-GW-003:
US 23 (Buford Highway) from George Pierce Park
to McGinnis Ferry Road – Corridor Improvements – $5,500,000
TIA-GW-004: US 23 (Buford Highway) from Old Peachtree Road to
Sugarloaf Parkway – Widening and Corridor Improvements – $14,000,000
TIA-GW-006: US 23 (Buford Highway) from Sawnee Avenue to
SR 347 in Hall County – Widening – $28,000,000
TIA-GW-009: Dacula Road at CSX Rail Line North of US 29 –
Bridge Upgrade – $10,000,000
TIA-GW-011: Five Forks Trickum Road from Killian Hill Road to
Oak Road – Widening – $10,400,000
TIA-GW-018: Hillcrest Road / Satellite Boulevard Connector –
New Alignment and Overpass at I-85 North – $19,900,000
TIA-GW-025: I-85 North at SR 324 (Gravel Springs Road) –
New Interchange – $33,300,000
TIA-GW-030: US 29 (Lawrenceville Hwy) from Hood Road to
Hillcrest Road – Multiuse Trail and Pedestrian Improvements – $1,850,000
TIA-GW-031: I-85 North Transit Corridor (all phases) – $95,000,000
TIA-GW-042: Pleasant Hill Road from Howell Ferry Road to
Chattahoochee River – Widening (Includes Bridge) – $11,600,000
TIA-GW-048: SR 20 (Nelson Brogdon Boulevard / Cumming
Highway) from Peachtree Industrial Boulevard to Chattahoochee
River – Widening – $40,000,000
TIA-GW-049:
SR 20 (Buford Drive) from I-985 to US 23 (Buford
Highway) – Widening – $4,100,000
TIA-GW-052: SR 120 (Duluth Highway) from Langley Drive to SR
317 (Lawrenceville Suwanee Road) – Widening – $38,400,000
TIA-GW-056: SR 141 (Peachtree Parkway) from Peachtree
Industrial Boulevard to Chattahoochee River – Widening –
$46,000,000
TIA-GW-057: SR 316 at Harbins Road – Grade Separation –
$23,000,000
TIA-GW-058: SR 316 at Hi Hope Road / Cedars Road – Grade
Separation – $61,900,000
TIA-GW-059: SR 316 at US 29 – Grade Separation – $51,000,000
TIA-GW-060: Sugarloaf Parkway Phase 2 Extension from SR 316
to SR 20 (Buford Drive) – New Alignment – $296,000,000
TIA-GW-067: US 78 (Main Street) at SR 124 (Scenic Hwy) –
Intersection Improvements – $19,100,000
TIA-GW-069: Walther Boulevard North/South Connection – New
Alignment and Overpass at SR 316 – $10,600,000
TIA-GW-070: West Liddell Road / Club Drive Connector – New
Alignment and Overpass at I-85 North – $39,300,000
TIA-GW-073: Gwinnett County Bus Services – $40,000,000
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East
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East: Rockdale and Eastside
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O
utpacing the state, current census results show that
Rockdale County has grown by more than 20 percent.
Industrial growth coupled with a dash of Hollywood glam
have helped it navigate through the economic downturn.
With growth comes the need for long-term transportation
planning to ensure an enhanced quality of life for Rockdale’s
family-friendly citizens.
No strangers to cross-county collaboration as it relates
to transportation, local public officials have worked with
legislators in neighboring Newton County on widening
Highways 138 and 162. County Commission Chairman
Richard Oden and Conyers Mayor Randy Mills both serve
on the Atlanta Regional Roundtable and have given input
on the transportation needs of the county’s residents.
Directly within the county, Rockdale receives over $67
million to fund roadway projects that will provide economic
development opportunities and improve cross-county connectivity. This equates to a nearly $1,000 per resident investment
in existing and future transportation projects that are critical
to the growth and development of the county. Additionally,
the Regional Transportation Referendum allows for county
officials to allocate 15 percent of funds raised for local transportation improvements such as streetscapes, bikeways and
sidewalks and traffic calming techniques.
“The TIA means jobs for our citizens, says Chairman
Oden. “In Rockdale County the TIA will include the widening
of Sigman Road allowing us to create an employment and
activity center in our community, and it will mean the
construction of the Commerce Crossing Bridge finally getting
under way to relieve traffic congestion heading north/south
off Highway 138. These two major projects for Rockdale
are huge for us!”
The completion of the widening of Sigman Road to a
four-lane road is a cross-county arterial project providing
access to I-20 from the northern areas of the county as well
as counties to the north of Rockdale. Construction on this
$30 million project will begin in 2013 in conjunction with
a related projected project allowing for the extension of
Sigman Road south of I-20 to Hayden Quarry Road in DeKalb
County. The increased capacity will reduce travel time.
Another fully funded project is the construction of a nonaccess bridge over I-20 at Commerce Crossing from Old
Salem Road to Old Covington Highway. By improving connectivity to Conyers from the southern areas of I-20, this will
10 I UntieAtlanta
also improve access to and from the Rockdale Medical Center
for emergency vehicles, employees and families.
Neighboring roadway projects within the East corridor
include transportation improvements along Covington
Highway, Panola Road, Thompson Mill Road and Rockbridge
Road. “The Conyers-Rockdale Chamber of Commerce believes
that a broad tax base including resident and visitor spending
will fund projects within our community. This funding will
address our members’ economic development, job creation,
and transportation needs in the coming years. As a business
owner in the community, the easing of our transportation
burden will allow my firm to better access clients and
partners outside of our regular sphere of influence,” says
Thua G. Barlay, attorney with Barlay Law Group and the
incoming chair of the Conyers-Rockdale Chamber.
PROJECTS
TIA-RO-001: Sigman Road from Lester Road to
Dogwood Connector – Widening and Corridor
Improvements Roadway East Subregion – $30,000,000
TIA-RO-003: Commerce Crossing from Old Salem
Road to Old Covington Highway – New Alignment and
Overpass at I-20 – $25,900,000
TIA-RO-008: Flat Shoals Road from SR 162 (Salem
Road) to Old Salem Road – Widening Roadway East
Subregion Rockdale – $11,400,000
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Southeast: Henry County
& Southeast
I
t wasn’t long ago that Henry County was recognized as
one of the fastest growing counties in the entire country.
Catching up with that kind of growth is kind of like chasing
Olympic gold medalist sprinter Usain Bolt – no matter how
hard you run you won’t catch him until he slows down.
The recent recession has allowed that process to start, however traffic congestion around the entire Southeast area of
the Metro Atlanta region still traps commuters in their cars.
When the members of the Regional Roundtable looked
at the needs of this subregion, they came to one defining conclusion – projects are needed everywhere. While the state
of Georgia has rightly focused on fixing the I-75 corridor,
the regional referendum will finally allow the connecting
roads that most local businesses use to be addressed.
There is no better example of this than the area around
the Tanger Outlet Center in Locust Grove. The center draws
an incredible 4 million visitors per year, however the road
infrastructure serving the outlet mall has not been upgraded
in years. The interchange improvements at I-75 and Bill
Gardner Parkway, as well as the widening of the parkway
from I-75 to SR 155 will finally grant shoppers access to and
from their favorite discount stores.
“We are thrilled that city, county and state authorities recognize there is a need for road improvements in our immediate
area and are working towards resolution,” said Holly Duffey,
general manager of Tanger Outlet Center in Locust Grove.
“Tanger Outlets is completely supportive of every endeavor
to minimize inconvenience for our shoppers in an effort to
make every shopping trip enjoyable.”
Another major corridor that is overdue for an extreme
makeover is U.S. 23/SR 42 from Stockbridge to McDonough.
Business owners will certainly be glad to see a widened, efficient
roadway allowing customers and shipments to arrive on time.
Much of Georgia’s thriving economy has been driven by
the Port of Savannah and the flow of goods up I-16 and I-75
to Atlanta. A recent University of Georgia study commissioned
by the Georgia Ports Authority showed that more than $8
billion of goods shipped through Savannah end up in the
Metro Atlanta region each year. Henry County has used its
strategic location along that shipping corridor to its advantage,
creating thousands of jobs in distribution centers, with many
of those centers located near the I-75 interchange and State
Route 155. The widening of SR 155 from Bill Gardner Parkway
to Racetrack Road will allow efficient access to those distribution centers from I-75.
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With many north-south routes included in the project list,
roundtable members also knew east-west connectivity is critical
to area employers. The pending completion of Eagle’s Landing
Parkway widening offers a parallel corridor to SR 138 in the
northern part of the county. The regional referendum offers
some badly needed additional east-west improvements,
such as widening of SR 81 (Keys Ferry Road) leaving the
city of McDonough and extending out to Bethany Road as
well as the completion of the east-west one-way pair project
on SR 20/SR 81 through downtown McDonough.
An additional project will offer an alternative for local
traffic on those days I-75 is clogged – which is just about
every day—the Western Connector running parallel to the
interstate from Hudson Bridge Road to Jonesboro Road.
Finally, the entire Southern Crescent will be served by
continued progress on the Atlanta to Lovejoy and Griffin
commuter rail line. The $20 million included in the Metro
Atlanta referendum for the commuter rail line gets drivers
one step closer to having a fast, efficient commuting alternative
to U.S. 19/U.S. 41 and I-75 through Clayton, Henry and
Spalding counties. This rail line also crosses regional boundaries, and if votes in other regions are successful, there could
be as much as $80 million (included existing federal funding)
available to jumpstart the long stagnated commuter rail
service from Atlanta to Griffin and eventually to Macon.
PROJECTS
TIA-HE-001: US 23 / SR 42 from SR 138 to SR 155 –
Widening – $44,000,000
TIA-HE-003: SR 155 (North McDonough Road) from
Bill Gardner Parkway to Racetrack Road – Widening (Phase
1) – $48,000,000
TIA-HE-005: Bill Gardner Parkway from SR 155 (North
McDonough Road) to I-75 South – Widening – $27,000,000
TIA-HE-008: SR 20/81 (Hampton Street / Keys Ferry
Road) from Jonesboro Road at Norfolk Southern Railroad
to Lemon Street – Extension and Upgrade of One-Way Pair
through McDonough – $11,000,000
TIA-HE-011: Western Parallel Connector from Hudson
Bridge Road to SR 920 (Jonesboro Road) – New Alignment –
$17,000,000
TIA-HE-015: I-75 South at Bill Gardner Parkway –
Interchange Improvements – $19,000,000
TIA-HE-016: SR 81 (Keys Ferry Road) from Lemon
Street to Bethany Road – Widening – $27,000,000
TIA-CL-002: Atlanta to Griffin Commuter Rail (Fulton,
Clayton and Henry Counties) – $20,000,000
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South: Clayton County
and Southside
n March 31, 2010, the C-TRAN bus service, with a daily
ridership of 8,000, terminated service as a result of county
government budget cuts. A coalition of transit advocates,
community leaders and transportation planners immediately
responded with a coordinated campaign to put forth a nonbinding ballot initiative that allowed the residents of the
county to vote to join a regional transportation system and
provide relief to the lack of transit service. In November of
the same year, the referendum passed by a resounding 70
percent vote. National transit groups touted it as the “most
significant victory for mass transit across the country.”
More than two years later, community groups and private
companies have attempted to fill the needs of a large county
devoid of public transit. A yes vote on July 31, 2012 means
Clayton County residents will finally be able to reap the benefit
of their patience and hard work in seeking a transportation
solution. Local bus service will be funded at $100 million
for the next 10 years. The return of public bus service to the
county means improved quality of life for transit-dependent
residents like 57-year-old Carolyn McMillan, a Clayton County
resident featured in a national story on the termination of
C-TRAN. The return of public bus service allows for transportation options and choices for workers who commute to
job centers such as Cobb Parkway, downtown Atlanta and
the Perimeter Center.
In addition to the return of public bus transit, an immense
next step will be taken in making the Atlanta to Griffin rail
line a reality by funding project planning and engineering
studies. This long-term, commuter rail project is expected
to connect our region by crossing through Henry, Clayton
and Fulton counties.
Reducing traffic congestion and improving safety were
the two top concerns in developing the regional 157-project
list. Fully funded at $28.5 million, the widening and reconstructing of Conley Road from I-285 to SR-54 (Jonesboro
Road) will improve east-west connectivity and provide for
road shoulders. This 1.13 mile corridor has exceeded the crash
rates of similar corridors. Additionally, the project is aligned
with the current redevelopment plans for Fort Gillem and
Mountain View. It will also provide an alternative route
from the new international terminal at Hartsfield-Jackson
International Airport to I-285 East.
Another south side project benefiting multiple counties is
the widening of SR 54 (Fayetteville Road) from McDonough
Road in Fayette County to U.S. 19/41 (Tara Boulevard) in
12 I UntieAtlanta
Clayton County. Linking existing four-lane connections in
both counties, this project has already received just over $32
million in federal funds and allows for a 49 percent reduction
in peak hour delay and a 77 percent reduction in congestion.
A second bottleneck addressed on the Clayton project
list is SR 85 from Adams Drive to I-75 South. With over 2,000
vehicles per hour traveling to I-75, road widening and
interchange modifications along this corridor will improve
peak hour delay by 32 percent and and cut congestion in half.
The largest transportation improvement in the south
corridor is tackling much-needed enhancements at U.S. 19/41
(Tara Boulevard) from I-75 South to Battle Creek Road.
Tara Boulevard is a great example of a regional corridor
connecting Henry, Clayton and Spalding counties and for
providing access to the world’s busiest airport and the Atlanta
Motor Speedway. The redesign of this road will improve
local traffic by separating it from through traffic. These
eight projects, along with the $64.8 million Clayton will
receive to address local transportation needs, will provide a
strong foundation for attracting new residents and rebuilding
the county.
PROJECTS
TIA-CL-002: Atlanta to Griffin Commuter Rail – Region
3 (Fulton, Clayton and Henry Counties) – $20,000,000
TIA-CL-004: Conley Road from I-285 to SR 54
(Jonesboro Road) – Widening Roadway South Subregion
Clayton – $28,500,000
TIA-CL-005: Jonesboro Connector from US 19/41
(Tara Boulevard) to Lake Jodeco Road – New Alignment
Roadway South Subregion Clayton – $15,000,000
TIA-CL-006: Clayton County Local Bus / Fixed Route
Transit Service Transit South Subregion Clayton – $100,000,000
TIA-CL-012: SR 54 (Fayetteville Road) from McDonough
Road in Fayette County to US 19/41 (Tara Boulevard) in
Clayton County – Widening Roadway South Subregion
Clayton/Fayette – $8,100,000 (TIA) $32,080,000 (Fed)
$40,180,000 (Total)
TIA-CL-013: SR 85 from Adams Drive to I-75 South
(includes interchange) – Widening Roadway South
Subregion Clayton – $17,200,000 (TIA) $16,950,000 (Fed)
$34,150,000 (Total)
TIA-CL-014: SR 85 from Pointe South Parkway to
Roberts Drive – Widening Roadway South Subregion
Clayton – $22,200,000
TIA-CL-018: US 19/41 (Tara Boulevard) from I-75
South to Battle Creek Road – Super Arterial Concept
Roadway South Subregion Clayton – $102,170,000
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Southwest: South Fulton
& Southwest
L
eaving downtown Atlanta traveling north, east or west
every weekday afternoon, the flow of traffic comes to a screeching halt at I-285. But traveling southwest towards south
Fulton, Fayette and Coweta counties, getting past I-285 is a
breeze most work days.
That is, until the interchange with State Route 74 comes
into view.
This interchange has confounded not only drivers, but also
traffic engineers who have tried a myriad of approaches to
improve circulation. But like a beaver damming up a creek
only to repeatedly see his work spring a leak, none of the
improvements have provided a permanent fix. The existing
design of the interchange, combined with current traffic
volumes, results in delayed off-ramp movements that create
backups on I-85, limited left-turn storage on the overpasses,
and unsafe speed differences on I-85.
The $22.5 million project funded through the regional
transportation referendum includes ramp improvements that
extend the interchange footprint towards the SR 92 and
the Bohannon Road overpasses. The I-85/SR 74 interchange
project is the top priority for Fayette residents commuting from
Tyrone and Peachtree City. However, the project is actually
located in Fulton County, making this a great example of a
regional project.
There is no question that Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta
International Airport is an economic engine in this area of the
Metro region and the entire state. Over 92 million passengers
passed through the airport in 2011, ranking it number one in
passenger volume globally for the 14th straight year. As an
employment center, over 56,000 workers are directly employed
either in or around the airport. In addition to passengers and
employees, air cargo continues to be a growing area of focus
and a significant generator of economic activity.
Recognizing this, the regional roundtable included improved
road access to the airport on the referendum project list. A
$60.2 million project to widen Camp Creek Parkway, will
add two additional lanes between I-85 and Welcome All
Road. It will also include installation of a fiber optics system
allowing constant monitoring and management of traffic
flow in the area.
The referendum will also fund four separate projects to
improve traffic flow on State Route 92, a critical business
corridor in South Fulton and Fayette counties.
More than $70 million will be put towards the four projects,
including widening south of Fayetteville from Jimmy Mayfield
Boulevard to McBride Road, intersection improvements in
Fulton County at South Fulton Parkway and Hall Road,
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operational improvements along a 9-mile stretch from Glynn
Street (SR 85) in Fayette to Oakley Industrial Boulevard in
Fulton, and a new connector road intended to relieve congestion on both SR 138 in Fulton and SR 92 in Fayette.
A high-priority project for Peachtree City that stalled during
the recent recession will be resurrected if the referendum
passes. A collector road is planned from the end of MacDuff
Parkway (off of SR 54) on new location ending at the northern
end of Kedron Drive (off of SR 74). The intersection at SR
54 and SR 74 in Peachtree City causes daily congestion and
consternation for local drivers and business traffic, and this
new connector road will ease the pressure by diverting vehicles
away from this daily choke point.
Two segments of the South Industrial Park Path will be
constructed, connecting the recently finished Flat Creek
Bridge with the FAA facility, the Baseball & Soccer Complex,
and numerous regional employers such as Cooper Lighting,
SANY America, and others. On the other side of the Flat
Creek Bridge, a second segment will be built connecting to
the retail, restaurant and industrial corridor on Crosstown
Drive and Crosstown Court.
PROJECTS
TIA-FA-005:
MacDuff Parkway Extension Phase 2 – New
Alignment to Connect SR 54 to SR 74 – New Alignment – $6,400,000
TIA-FA-006: SR 85 Phase 1 from Bernhard Road to Grady
Avenue – Widening – $24,000,000
TIA-FA-010: South Industrial Park Path Connection – $1,210,000
TIA-FA-013: SR 92 from Jimmy Mayfield Boulevard to
McBride Road – Widening – $15,900,000
TIA-FA-014: SR 85 from Bernhard Road to SR 74 – Operational
Improvements – $5,900,000
TIA-FA-022: Southeast Industrial Park Path Connection –
$1,150,000
TIA-FA-026: SR 92 to SR 138 Connector – New Alignment
from SR 138 in Fulton County to SR 92 in Fayette County –
$18,300,000
TIA-FS-003: Hutcheson Ferry Rd at Atlanta Newnan Road
and Rico Road – Roundabout – $1,750,000
TIA-FS-004: SR 6 (Camp Creek Parkway) from I-85 South to
Welcome All Road – Widening – $60,250,000
TIA-FS-008: I-85 South at SR 74 – Interchange Improvements
– $22,500,000
TIA-FS-016: Butner Road at SR 6 (Camp Creek Parkway) and
Camp Creek – Intersection and Bridge Improvements – $3,500,000
TIA-FS-026: SR 92 (Campbellton Fairburn Road) at South
Fulton Parkway and Hall Road – Intersection Improvements –
$16,000,000
TIA-FS-028: SR 92 (Forrest Avenue) from SR 85 (Glynn
Street) in Fayette County to Oakley Industrial Boulevard in
Fulton County – Operational Improvements – $20,000,000
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West
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West: Douglas & Westside
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T
he old saying goes that the only things certain in life
are death and taxes. Commuters on the western side of
Metro Atlanta will quickly tell you it is high time for an
amendment to that old saw. Two daily rituals for anyone
headed east towards downtown Atlanta are just as certain
– backups caused by congestion at I-285 and I-20 and
Captain Herb Emory on WSB Radio complaining of “sunshine slowdowns” as dawn breaks over the horizon.
There’s not much the regional transportation referendum
can do about the sun rising in the east – unfortunately we
are stuck with that one. However, a $149 million project to
completely rebuild the I-285 interchange with I-20 promises
to finally fix a notorious problem child in Atlanta traffic.
In many ways, this project is the perfect example of why
a truly regional referendum is needed in Metro Atlanta. First,
the sheer magnitude and cost of the project makes it difficult
to fund under current state gas tax revenues, particularly with
the Congressional balancing requirement that mandates the
Department of Transportation spend equally across the state.
Second, this interchange is actually in Fulton County,
although it frustrates more commuters from South Cobb and
Douglas on a daily basis. Other pending needs in Fulton
County, such as the I-285 and Georgia 400 jumble, would
certainly receive first attention of any county-level sales tax.
Just like you can’t go to a Jimmy Buffet concert without
hearing “Margaritaville” and “Cheeseburger in Paradise,”
the greatest hits of Douglas County traffic hot spots will
also be addressed through this regional plan.
The longest chart-topper of the group is SR 92, which will
see all three phases of a dramatic realignment and improvement
plan receive funding. This stretch of SR 92, from Fairburn
Road to Dallas Highway, is a constant source of frustration
for both daily commuters and local business traffic.
Major improvements to SR 6/Thornton Road, U.S.
78/Veterans Memorial Highway, and Lee Road/South
Sweetwater Road also made the cut as the regional roundtable
pared a list of $20 billion in projects down to what the 10year levy will raise in the Metro Atlanta region.
Another exciting project is the Dorris Road Multiuse Path,
which will see both Phase 1 and Phase 2 funded through
the regional referendum. Both phases, stretching from the
Transportation Center to I-20 West to Slater Mill Road,
will offer Douglas County residents a way to get to the center
and areas close by without getting in their cars.
There’s not much the regional transportation
referendum can do about the sun rising in
the east – unfortunately we are stuck with
that one. However, a $149 million project
to completely rebuild the I-285 interchange
with I-20 promises to finally fix a notorious
problem child in Atlanta traffic.
TIA-DO-002: I-20 West from I-285 West to SR 5 – ITS
So given the dwindling effectiveness of the state gas tax
and the higher priority needs for drivers who actually live
in Fulton County, the likelihood that this project would get
funded through anything other than a regional referendum
is iffy at best.
The regional roundtable also added another nugget for
I-20 daily commuters, a traffic control center (TCC) that will
monitor conditions through an Intelligent Transportation
System allowing greater information for drivers about what
lies ahead.
14 I UntieAtlanta
PROJECTS
TIA-AR-046: I-285 West at I-20 West – Interchange
Improvements – $149,000,000
and Western Regional Traffic Control Center – $19,000,000
TIA-DO-003: SR 92 from Fairburn Road to Dallas
Highway – Phases I, II and III Realignment – $49,000,000
TIA-DO-006: Lee Road / South Sweetwater Road
from I-20 West to US 78 (Bankhead Highway) –
Widening – $18,900,000
TIA-DO-007: US 78 (Veterans Memorial Highway)
from SR 6 (Thornton Road) to Sweetwater Road –
Widening – $20,000,000
TIA-DO-009: Dorris Road Multiuse Path Phase 1 –
Transportation Center to Prestley Mill Road – $650,000
TIA-DO-010: Dorris Road Multiuse Path Phase 2 –
Prestley Mill Road from I-20 West to Slater Mill Road –
$2,210,000
TIA-DO-018: SR 6 (Thornton Road) from Paulding
County Line to Riverside Parkway – Truck Friendly Lanes,
ITS, Intersection Improvements and Partial Widening –
$43,000,000
TIA-FS-018: I-285 West at Cascade Road – Interchange
Improvements – $23,600,000
TIA-FS-019: SR 70 (Fulton Industrial Blvd) from SR 6
(Camp Creek Parkway) to Frederick Drive – Intersection
Improvements at Multiple Locations – $7,500,000
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Central: Downtown
and Midtown
I
magine Atlanta as a region in which workers, students,
residents and visitors can ride a subway, streetcar or light
rail vehicle to reach their destinations. This summer’s
Transportation Referendum offers the region a chance to
resume building its transit network.
The projects in the City of Atlanta included in the referendum incorporate 10 miles of streetcar transit connected
to the existing MARTA system. They link to more than
100,000 jobs in Midtown and Downtown as well as regional
destinations like Piedmont Park, the Georgia Aquarium
and Phillips Arena, and two universities, Georgia Tech and
Georgia State. These new segments of the network will reach
more than a dozen historic and emerging neighborhoods on
the east and west sides of the Atlanta BeltLine – a developing
system of greenspace, multi-use trails and transit that is transforming the heart of the city.
With three connections to the MARTA system – in
Midtown, Downtown, and on the Westside – the result will
be an integrated regional transit network that more
efficiently transports people within the city and from the
suburbs to the city and vice versa.
In less than 30 years, the metro Atlanta region is expected
to add 3 million residents. Five metro counties are projected
to double their population. Fulton County is predicted to
add nearly 400,000 people. Roads alone will not be able to
absorb this population increase. More transportation options
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are needed to prevent the region from choking on its own
growth. Building new options like transit will not only give
people more choices but will shift development patterns so
more of the growth is concentrated in urban areas. People
will be able to use transit, removing more cars from our
congested roads.
When housing and transportation costs are combined,
Atlanta’s cost of living – typically perceived as relatively
low – ranks as 7th worst out of 51 metros nationally. This
stands to contribute to a potential “brain drain” in the region.
“I recently graduated from Georgia Tech and I’m starting a
career. I can go anywhere I want right now,” said Jonathan
Weidman, a Midtown resident. “I’m looking for a city that
offers me mobility options where I can easily access places to
eat, go out and meet people, as well as great cultural attractions. Most of my friends feel the same way. Atlanta has
outstanding potential as a warm weather city with lots of
young people, but for me, the referendum is make or break.
If it passes, I see my future here. If not, I don’t feel the need
to stick around.”
Atlanta can become a transit-friendly region that invests
in its roads and bridges, too. Numerous traffic improvement
projects included in the Transportation Referendum will
improve pedestrian and driver safety. In the City of Atlanta,
they include street resurfacing and traffic signal coordination
on Peachtree and Spring Streets, Boulevard and Ponce de
Leon as well as critical bridge repair and replacements. Funding
of “state of good repair” improvements for MARTA to protect
the substantial transit investment the region has already
made is also included. In addition, millions of dollars each
year will fund local projects like sidewalk improvements and
road repairs across the city.
The City of Atlanta’s projects in the Transportation
Referendum will not only reduce congestion by providing
viable alternatives to single-occupancy vehicles. By encouraging denser development where it belongs – in the heart of
the City – these projects will attract economic development,
strengthening our region’s global competitiveness.
PROJECTS
TIA-AT-004: Atlanta Beltline and Atlanta Streetcar
Transit and Trail – Downtown to Northeast Transit Central
Subregion Atlanta – $165,952,132
TIA-AT-007: Atlanta Beltline and Atlanta Streetcar
Transit and Trail – Downtown and Midtown to Southwest
Transit Central Subregion Atlanta – $435,940,345
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Central: City of Atlanta
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F
or the hundreds of thousands of metro commuters who
consume expensive fuel and precious time stuck in highway
traffic, exiting a freeway ramp just to wind your way through
clogged city traffic adds insult to injury.
That’s why the Regional Transportation Referendum
takes a multi-pronged approach to untying the traffic knot
in the city, from an investment in the Beltline and the Atlanta
Streetcar to a host of bridge replacements, traffic signalization
and other improvements to surface streets that will make city
driving less frustrating and considerably more time-efficient.
Among those improvements are critical bridge replacements along the CSX Rail Line at Pryor Street, Central
Avenue and Courtland Street at the MARTA east rail line.
Major corridors throughout the city – Peachtree Street,
Ponce de Leon Avenue, 10th and 14th Streets, Howell Mill
in West Midtown and Piedmont Road from Martin Luther
King Jr. Drive to Cheshire Bridge Road – will receive significant
corridor and signalization improvements that will untie clogged
roads and make it far easier for residents and commuters to
ply city streets.
Improvements to transit in the city – including bus rapid
transit from the city limits to Cheshire Bridge along Peachtree
Street and Piedmont Road – will help take cars off the road
and provide options for road-weary residents and commuters.
Finally, long-overdue improvements to the interchange at
I-285 West and Greenbriar Parkway will considerably improve
traffic flow in Southwest Atlanta and in the vicinity of
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
“Regions from Dallas to Denver are investing in transit
connections,” Mayor Kasim Reed wrote in a recent newspaper
article. “The TIA referendum is our best chance at building
transportation infrastructure to restore the economy’s health.
If approved, this 1 percent sales tax will provide more than
$7 billion over the next 10 years on critical road, transit,
pedestrian and bicycle improvements in the 10-county region.
We must rise to the challenge and not let the metropolitan
Atlanta region fall behind. If we succumb to old political
tactics that attempt to divide Atlanta and the rest of the
region, we will all fail.”
Central: DeKalb
Y
ou’re an Emory professor, a CDC disease expert. You live
in Alpharetta, and there’s no freeway – not even a clogged one
– that gets you from there to the Emory Corridor. The current
route: A packed Georgia 400 South to I-85 to Druid Hills, with
stop-and-go traffic eating up 35 to 50 minutes. Exit at Druid
Hills and fight traffic for another 25 minutes to get to Emory.
But there’s another route. The region can invest in transportation improvements, including the Emory Corridor that
includes a rail line from the MARTA Lindbergh Station
directly into the Clifton Corridor. Now your commute looks
like this: Hop on the train in North Fulton to Lindbergh and
then on to Emory, the Centers for Disease Control, Children’s
Hospital of Atlanta – Egleston and other destinations –
working on a laptop, iPad or cell phone all the way.
Whether your home is in Rockdale or DeKalb, Gwinnett
or Cobb, the proposed Clifton Corridor project gets you there.
It’s one of the most important employment centers in the
region, and under the Regional Transportation Referendum a
long-awaited plan to free its clogged, inadequate arterial
16 I UntieAtlanta
roads would come to fruition.
And that’s just one of the many projects that will get
Central DeKalb moving again. The Buford Highway corridor
benefits from pedestrian and landscape improvements, as
well as bus rapid transit enhancements.
The critical Ashford Dunwoody Road corridor (SR 141)
receives needed improvements to I-285, providing an alternative to Georgia 400 for those who work south of Dunwoody.
College Avenue (U.S. 278) from Adair Street to North
Clarendon Avenue receives critical improvements, providing
greater access to freeway-locked Decatur. And improvements
to Glenwood Road from Candler Road to Covington Highway
will help ease traffic congestion on I-20.
“While reducing traffic congestion lessens commute times
and improves the quality of the air we breathe, it also should
be considered that as these transportation projects are built,
thousands of jobs will be created,” said DeKalb CEO Burrell
Ellis. “As we rebuild our infrastructure, we can put residents back
to work. Everyone in the metropolitan regions stands to gain.”
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C I T Y O F AT L A N TA P R O J E C T S
TIA-AT-001(14):
Pryor Street at CSX Rail Line and MARTA
East Line – Bridge Replacement Roadway – $32,100,000
TIA-AT-001(4): Central Avenue at CSX Rail Line and MARTA
East Line – Bridge Replacement – $27,000,000
TIA-AT-001(40): Piedmont Avenue from Cheshire Bridge
Road to Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive – Multimodal Corridor
Improvements Roadway – $ 3,604,908
TIA-AT-001(47): 10th Street from Howell Mill Road to
Monroe Drive – Traffic Improvements – $ 462,500
TIA-AT-001(48): 14th Street from Howell Mill Road to
Piedmont Road – Traffic Improvements – $ 575,000
TIA-AT-001(49): Auburn Avenue from Peachtree Street to
Boulevard – Traffic Improvements – $643,750
TIA-AT-001(5): Courtland Street at CSX Rail Line and MARTA
East Line – Bridge Replacement – $22,000,000
TIA-AT-001(50): Boulevard from US 78 (Ponce de Leon
Avenue) to SR 42 Spur (McDonough Boulevard) – Traffic
Improvements – $ 1,150,000
TIA-AT-001(51): Courtland Street from Linden Avenue to
Gilmer Street – Traffic Improvements Roadway – $750,000
TIA-AT-001(52): US 78 (Donald L. Hollowell Parkway) from
SR 70 (Fulton Industrial Boulevard) to US 41 (Northside Drive) –
Traffic Improvements – $ 1,025,000
TIA-AT-001(53): Edgewood Avenue from Peachtree Street to
Elizabeth Street – Traffic Improvements Roadway – $527,667
TIA-AT-001(54): Howell Mill Road from I-75 North to 10th
Street – Traffic Improvements Roadway – $512,500
TIA-AT-001(55): Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard from West
Marietta Street to SR 139 (Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard) –
Traffic Improvements – $1,188,750
TIA-AT-001(56): Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive from Fairburn
Road to Washington Street – Traffic Improvements – $3,000,000
TIA-AT-001(57):
SR 154 (Memorial Drive) from Peachtree
Street to SR 155 (Candler Road) – Traffic Improvements Roadway –
$738,750
TIA-AT-001(58): Monroe Drive from Piedmont Circle to US
78/278 (Ponce de Leon Avenue) – Traffic Improvements – $706,250
TIA-AT-001(59): North Avenue from US 41 (Northside Drive)
to US 23 (Moreland Avenue) – Traffic Improvements – $457,500
TIA-AT-001(60): US 19/41 (Northside Drive) from West Paces
Ferry Road to Whitehall Street – Traffic Improvements – $525,325
TIA-AT-001(61): SR 9 / SR 141 (Peachtree Road) from Peachtree
Dunwoody Road to Collier Road – Traffic Improvements – $1,713,450
TIA-AT-001(62): Peachtree Street from Spring Street to SR 154
(Trinity Avenue) – Traffic Improvements – $434,875
TIA-AT-001(63): SR 237 (Piedmont Road/Avenue) from SR 9
(Roswell Road) to Edgewood Avenue – Traffic Improvements – $612,000
TIA-AT-001(64): US 78/278 (Ponce de Leon Avenue) from
Spring Street to Clifton Road – Traffic Improvements – $618,125
TIA-AT-001(65): Spring Street from Peachtree Street to SR 154
(Trinity Avenue) – Traffic Improvements – $1,292,125
TIA-AT-001(66): SR 139 (Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive) from SR
280 (H.E. Holmes Drive) to Lamar Avenue – Multimodal Corridor
Improvements – $7,395,000
TIA-AT-001(67): Campbellton Road from SR 139 (Lee Street)
to Atlanta City Limits – Traffic Improvements – $1,259,900
TIA-AT-001(68): SR 54 (Jonesboro Road) from McDonough
Boulevard to City Limits – Traffic Improvements – $806,625
TIA-AT-010: I-285 West at Greenbriar Parkway – New
Interchange Roadway I-285 Corridor Atlanta – $36,400,000
TIA-AT-021A: SR 237 / SR 9 between Atlanta City Limits and
Lindbergh MARTA Station – Bus Rapid Transit and Road
Improvements Roadway/Transit – $50,000,000
DEKALB PROJECTS
TIA-DK-007:
Decatur to Clifton Corridor – Transit Connectivity
and Safety Improvements Bike/Ped – $ 5,000,000
TIA-DK-014: Ashford Dunwoody Road from SR 141 (Peachtree
Road) to I-285 North – Corridor Improvements – $5,000,000
TIA-DK-018: SR 13 (Buford Hwy) from Lenox Road to Shallowford
Terrace – Pedestrian, Landscape and BRT Improvements Bike/Ped –
$12,000,000
TIA-DK-021: Clifton Road at CSX Railroad – Bridge Replacement and
Associated Improvements to Haygood Road Roadway – $25,000,000
TIA-DK-022: US 278 (College Avenue) from Adair Street to North
Clarendon Avenue – Corridor Improvements Roadway – $5,000,000
TIA-DK-029: Glenwood Road from SR 155 (Candler Road) to
US 278 (Covington Highway) – Corridor Improvements Roadway –
$5,000,000
TIA-DK-030: Hayden Quarry Road / Sigman Road Extension from
Turner Hill Road to I-20 East – New Alignment Roadway East Subregion
DeKalb/Rockdale – $27,000,000
TIA-DK-033: North Indian Creek Drive from SR 10 (Memorial
Drive) to Montreal Road – Corridor Improvements Roadway –
$5,000,000
TIA-DK-042:
North Druid Hills Road from SR 13 (Buford
Highway) to US 29 (Lawrenceville Highway) – Corridor
Improvements Roadway – $25,000,000
TIA-DK-043: Panola Road from Thompson Mill Road to US 278
(Covington Highway) – Widening Roadway – $15,150,000 (TIA
Funding) $15,150,000 (Federal Funding) $30,300,000 (Total)
TIA-DK-048: Rockbridge Road from SR 10 (Memorial Drive) to
SR 124 (Rock Chapel Road) – Corridor Improvements Roadway –
$7,500,000
TIA-DK-055: I-20 East at Panola Road – Interchange Improvements
Roadway – $10,600,000 (TIA Funding) $10,600,000 (Federal Funding)
$21,200,000 (Total)
TIA-DK-057: US 23 (Buford Hwy) / SR 141 (Peachtree Industrial
Central Boulevard) Connector – New Alignment – $25,000,000
TIA-DK-059: Perimeter Center Intelligent Transportation
System (ITS) Program Roadway – $ 1,000,000
TIA-DK-069: Mt Vernon Road from Fulton County Line to
Dunwoody Club Drive – Corridor Improvements Roadway –
$12,000,000
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An Unprecedented Opportunity
“
Some people say we can’t afford a new tax.
But we’re already paying a tax – a
congestion tax, spent by every metro
commuter on wasted fuel and lost time.
The congestion tax cost the average metro
driver $924 a year – and if we don’t invest
in transportation, that number will only rise.
– Sam Williams, President of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
I
t’s time for us to think as one region, to act as one region,
to invest as one region. That’s the opportunity that investing
in transit offers metro Atlanta, and it is an unprecedented
opportunity.
Never before has metro Atlanta voted as a region to invest
in the common good in a way that will benefit not just all
of the component parts, but the region as a whole.
Because it is a first-ever exercise, many are asking, “What’s
in it for me?” Let’s count the ways that a single resident living
in, say, Cobb County, will benefit from a regional investment
in transportation.
First, let’s assume that this commuter is among the half of
Cobb residents who commute to another county for work.
Let’s also assume that the individual resides in Cobb because
she enjoys the quality of life there – open spaces, big yards,
and a lack of shoulder-to-shoulder urban density.
There are at least three ways that resident will benefit
from investing in transit:
• One, she will directly benefit from new roads and other
transportation projects in Cobb County. They amount to
more than $1 billion, and they will create thousands of new
jobs, unclog arterial roads and help our Cobb resident
make it to school or church or soccer games on time.
• Two, she will benefit from road improvements in the county
where she works. Let’s say that county also takes about a $1
billion share of the investment. This single resident has now
benefitted from $2 billion in transportation improvements.
• Third, there are universal improvements that benefit us
all. Every single driver in metro Atlanta benefits from
18 I UntieAtlanta
”
improvements in the I-285/GA 400 Interchange. Clogged
traffic at that interchange affects traffic for miles in
every direction. Our Cobb resident will also benefit
tremendously from the Atlanta Beltline, even though
she doesn’t live in Atlanta and may never use the
Beltline. The Beltline is key to maintaining her lifestyle
in Cobb County. Metro Atlanta is expected to attract 3
million more residents over the next 20 years. Would
you rather they move to Cobb and Cherokee, snarling
traffic and lowering the quality of life? Or would she
prefer that those newcomers move to Atlanta, which
with the Beltline will have the capacity to attract and
absorb millions of new residents? The Atlanta Beltline,
by attracting hundreds of thousands if not millions of
new residents, has the potential to help maintain the
integrity and beauty of suburban communities.
Some people say we can’t afford a new tax. But we’re
already paying a tax – a congestion tax, spent by every metro
commuter on wasted fuel and lost time. The congestion
tax cost the average metro driver $924 a year – and if we
don’t invest in transportation, that number will only rise.
Meanwhile, paying an extra penny in sales tax won’t come
anywhere near $924 a year for the average consumer. By
investing in transit, metro commuters actually have the
opportunity to save money while making our region more
attractive to businesses and jobs-creation.
It’s time for metro Atlanta to come together as one
region. And there’s no better way to do it than by
investing in transportation improvements that help us all.
Included in the print version
of this supplement that was
distributed with the April 2012
edition of Georgia Trend
magazine was a list
of “supporters.”
The printed list mistakenly
included a number of
organizations that have not
contributed to or supported the
Citizens for Transportation
Mobility campaign.
The list has been removed
from this on-line version of the
supplement. CTM sincerely
regrets the error, and apologizes
for any confusion that the
mistake may have caused.
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