Engineer confirmed for new DOT post

By Ariel Hart

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The House Transportation Committee has confirmed the governor’s pick for director of planning at the state Department of Transportation.

Todd Long, a longtime engineer and manager at the DOT and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, won confirmation in a unanimous voice vote. He is the first person to serve in the position since it was created this year in a new law that took away some of the DOT board’s powers.

Long made some of the same comments Wednesday that he made at a subcommittee last week, assuring legislators that while the director of planning has a close relationship with the governor, he would weigh the governor’s priorities alongside others, and that he was dedicated to serving all of Georgia’s transportation needs, not just urban, suburban or rural. He also promised to work closely with the DOT commissioner and board.

He threw cold water on the notion that he’ll be able to solve congestion and throw new roads all over the state, especially in metro Atlanta.

“Our goal cannot be to widen every road wide enough that your trip no matter where it is is going to be free flow 100 percent of the time,” he said. “There’s just not enough money to do that. You’ve got to provide options.”

That could be anything from GRTA express buses to congestion-priced HOV toll lanes, he said.