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DEL.ICIO.USAt last, Gov. Perdue on board for commuter rail
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What an amazing change.
After six years of inaction on transit, Gov. Sonny Perdue surprised the state when he pledged his full support for a pilot commuter rail line from Atlanta to Lovejoy and Griffin, as well as for a substantial increase in the state’s X-Press bus program.
So what happened? Why did the governor do a complete 180 and decide to take a leadership role on an issue that has been driving some people crazy?
That issue is traffic. That issue is a lack of state funding for transit. That issue is the limited options people have to get around in our region and state other than in a car.
Those are not new issues. Leaders in metro Atlanta have been pushing for transportation solutions, including commuter rail, for decades.
Until now, no amount of begging or pleading seemed to get Gov. Perdue’s attention, much less his leadership.
Yet, last Thursday, there was the governor holding a news conference with all the transportation players in his office, speaking words that regional and state leaders have wanted to hear throughout his administration.
“Let’s move out aggressively,” Perdue said. “Once I’ve made up my mind, I’m usually impatient.”
Why now?
The theories are numerous:
The arrival of $4 a gallon gas has been a tipping point for people to get out of their cars and seek whatever limited transit options exist;
The Get Georgia Moving Coalition, a powerful group of 60 entities statewide, exerting all its influence to make sure state leaders support new transportation funding;
The governor’s comfort level in the appointments of new state transportation leaders — Gena Abraham at the Georgia Department of Transportation and Dick Anderson at the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority;
Several strong DOT board members from outside the metro area who were laying out a business case for commuter rail, including Larry Walker and Bill Kulke;
The lack of leadership at the General Assembly, which led to political infighting and defeat of a bill that would have permitted regions to pass their own transportation funding proposals;
A commuter rail proposal for trains between Atlanta and Lovejoy that already had received federal funds and tentative support from the Norfolk-Southern railroad.
Those are all plausible theories that are not mutually exclusive.
But there are stories of key events that helped change the mindset of the governor and other state leaders.
In January, GDOT board members and other state transportation folks took a trip to Chicago, Boston and New York to see commuter rail in action.
On that trip, Kulke told fellow DOT board member Robert Brown: “We are 100 years behind.”
In March, the Transit Planning Board invited a group of regional leaders on a trip to Charlotte to see that city’s successful light rail projects.
The trip made an impression on many, including Anderson who was then newly appointed as GRTA’s executive director.
And in early May, the annual LINK trip — with more than 100 state and regional leaders — went to Denver, a city aggressively building transit throughout its metro area with funding from a sales tax passed by voters.
“Going there just after the defeat (of the transportation funding bill) made everybody more aware of what we could do if that bill had passed,” said attorney Doug Dillard. “Denver provided a model for us to take a regional approach on transportation solutions.”
The LINK delegation decided to take action. Last Wednesday, it passed a strongly worded resolution urging state leaders to “pass comprehensive transportation funding legislation to effectively address traffic congestion and additional transit.”
But the event that may have made the greatest difference happened about two months ago when Perdue stopped by the congressional office of U.S. Rep. David Scott, a Democrat who had served in the legislature with the governor.
The federal government years ago approved nearly $90 million for the Atlanta-Lovejoy commuter rail line, but the state had failed to move that project forward.
So now it was time for some straight talk.
“I told the governor, ‘Only you can move it forward at this point. If we don’t move it forward, it puts us in a difficult position,’ ” Scott said.
He said Georgia had “almost become a laughing stock” in Congress.
Given the traffic problems in metro Atlanta, the inaction by the state bewildered Scott’s colleagues in Congress who would have done anything to get that amount of federal funding for commuter rail.
“I told him, ‘If we don’t use it, we lose it,’ ” Scott said. He also explained that not drawing those federal dollars for commuter rail hurt Georgia’s ability to get funding for other transportation projects.
Scott said he also told Perdue this was his opportunity to create a legacy and help make Georgia a national leader on commuter rail.
He said the line would revitalize the corridor from Atlanta through Clayton County on to Griffin, reduce congestion and improve air quality.
“When he left my office, he told me, ‘David, I’m going to see what we can do as a result of our conversation,’ ” Scott said. “He left with a very good understanding of the issue.”
Maybe that was the moment Perdue decided he would finally take action to support commuter rail and more transit.
Maybe Perdue finally understood the true benefits.
He said at his news conference he was particularly impressed when he saw a graphic showing that one bus could remove 57 cars from our roads (those numbers are much higher for rail).
Maybe, as DOT board member Robert Brown said, it was a just confluence of events that came together “at the right time.”
Perhaps.
(I had hoped for this kind of leadership years ago, but it’s better to be late than never).
At long last, we finally are making tracks towards the future.
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By Rick
June 16, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
This is an opportunity to put Atlanta on the path towards being a true ‘world city’. A global city is the type of city that will survive in the next century and one that requires progressive transportation policy which will allow for distribution of people, goods, and services in an efficient manner in an age of soaring energy costs. Honestly, given the horrible sprawl that has developed over the last couple of decades and lack of political foresight, I hope it is now not too late.
By Al
June 16, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this
Who is the bigger idiot? Saporta or Tucker? Tucker already has the honor of the biggest racist at The AJC. Add Saporta’s columns and it’s obvious why The AJC is a third-rate newspaper.
By Jonathan
June 16, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this
I’m not sure how this column has anything to do with racism. Why must that card always be played, despite the topic? Governor Perdue’s inept leadership on the transportation issue will have a lasting negative impact for years to come. At this point with gas prices where they are, we shouldn’t be discussing busses at all. Rail should be our top priority.
By Itsmeagain
June 16, 2008 8:58 PM | Link to this
Racism? I really don’t get it? Thats like me bringing up something about the war after reading a banana pudding recipe…
By professional skeptic
June 17, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this
Now that the Governor has spoken in favor of investing in commute alternatives, I’m left wondering about his timeline for implementation. Will we see any meaningful progress before the end of Sonny’s term? What are his exact plans, and when will he start?
He can talk all he wants, but without action it’s all just so much hot air.
By raindawg722
June 18, 2008 8:33 AM | Link to this
Am I to understand that the trip to Chicago, Boston and New York was the first time those GDOT board members had been outside of our state? That explains a lot. If you do any traveling at all, it’s obvious that Atlanta is 100 years behind most major metropolitan areas when it comes to transportation, particularly the use of light rail.
By winkasdad29
June 18, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this
It’s nice that Sonny is finally on board - verbally, but talk is cheap. There doesn’t need to be anymore expensive studies done to see whether commuter rail will work, etc. Pick a plan and start building.
Metro Atlanta will need more than commuter rail to solve its transit problems. Light rail and Bus Rapid Transit needs to be built as well.
Commuter rail service should start with 3 lines:
The Brain Train (Athens to Atlanta)
Atlanta to Griffin & Macon
Hopefully, the new multi-modal station will be built with access to Greyhound, Amtrak, and MARTA. Of course jobs are generated with transit as well. I don’t think most understand that fact.
By Crazy
June 18, 2008 11:49 AM | Link to this
“We are 100 years behind” is the best quote to summarize the transportation issues that Metro Atlanta as a whole has been dealing with for sometime. Many surrounding counties have stopped the efforts of a formalized metro transportation strategy from coming to fruition.
The issue at hand is that many Georgia politicians want the big city money and the small time flare, but those days have long passed Atlanta and much of North and Southern GA coast. I think it is time for GA and Atlanta governments to override traffic stricken areas and mandate a much better light rail and sub-rail plan that will place Atlanta as a true business mecca and haven of the Southeast. It is ridiculious that Charlotte, NC, a city a third our size has light rails already and our governor has now decided that action is needed after the fact that GA households are being crushed due to high gas prices.
More buses is not the solution, the only solution is rapid transit and truck only lanes which will probably minimize the amount of wrecks on Atlanta roadways for those who must or have to drive can move up and down the roadway more freely
By Sunny
June 18, 2008 7:00 PM | Link to this
It’s about time, Along with this project should be a pipe line from the Georgia cost to North GA for clean water. Make GA Power pay for it since their new power plants will need at least 20 million gallons of water per day. But lawyers don’t want to do anything until it’s too late. It’s called desalination. But we all know the drill. They will tell us there’s no money in the budget for this. But there will always be money for war.
L Horn Atl, GA
By Reid in EAV
June 20, 2008 3:37 PM | Link to this
Better late than never. Welcome to the 20th Century state leaders, just in time for the 21st.
By Carolelynne
June 20, 2008 6:16 PM | Link to this
No one can accuse the state legislature of being a bastion of great thinkers. As the future is giving up knocking on the transit door, they give us guns in bars. What next, rowboats for Lake Lanier?
By Carolelynne
June 20, 2008 6:19 PM | Link to this
No one can accuse the state legislature of being a bastion of great thinkers. Just as the future got tired of knocking on the transit door, they gave us guns in bars. What next, rowboats for Lake Lanier?
By ruiffUnfist
July 11, 2008 2:52 AM | Link to this
Hi All,
I have been reading the forum threads for some time now but never bothered to register myself until today. Hope to bring some good stuff to these forums.
Thanks,
Stocks Ready To Soar
By netdragon
July 17, 2008 2:14 PM | Link to this
Has anyone heard any updates? I haven’t heard anything new for the last couple of weeks. I think I’m going to call the DOT to find out if there’s anything new.
By netdragon
July 17, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this
Has anyone heard any updates? I haven’t heard anything new for the last couple of weeks. I think I’m going to call the DOT to find out if there’s anything new.