Another View: No free ride out of traffic congestion

We all deal with traffic congestion. Whether commuting 35 miles to work or driving down the street for dinner, everyone in the Atlanta region feels the frustration of jumping in the car and often going nowhere fast.

Our metro area has gained more than 1 million people so far this decade, but there have been few transportation projects or programs that seriously address our growing congestion issues. By 2040, we expect to have 3 million more metro Atlantans.

The Atlanta Regional Commission has crafted one cutting-edge plan after another, but without adequate funding and timely implementation by transportation partners, improvements have been slow to materialize.

In fact, the Georgia Department of Transportation only advanced 37 percent of the transportation projects planned for 2008. For 2009, that figure will likely be even lower.

The overriding reason for this is simple — a lack of funding. Despite being home to one of the fastest-growing metro regions in the country, Georgia ranks 49th in transportation spending per resident each year. There is not enough money to maintain the roads we have, much less to build new ones.

Business leaders and elected officials around metro Atlanta reached a level of extreme frustration in April when the Georgia legislature failed, for the second straight year, to pass legislation that would allow voters a referendum for a penny sales tax to fund transportation.

The people of Georgia must demand a solution from their legislators in 2010 or the entire state’s economy will suffer.

By investing in transportation, the Atlanta region will continue to attract companies like NCR, and Georgia will remain a prime destination for manufacturers like Kia.

That means individuals and families will continue to move here for the employment opportunities.

All of this leads to a larger tax base and a better quality of life for all Georgians.

Without substantial investment in transportation, companies will avoid the Atlanta region when relocating corporate headquarters and manufacturers will choose other nearby states for their Southeastern facilities.

Beyond that, the average commuter in metro Atlanta pays $468.07 each month for fuel, vehicle maintenance and lost time.

As this rises, people will follow the jobs to other cities in other states, further depleting our tax base.

On the other hand, the average cost of a 1 percent sales tax would be only $17.92 per person each month.

Not investing in our region and our state’s transportation infrastructure creates not only a personal inconvenience and cost; it represents a self-inflicted shot through our economic heart. This is truly an issue critical to all of Georgia.

There is no free ride to future mobility and economic prosperity.

Please let your state legislators and other elected officials know that you are in favor of a strong Georgia economy and you are willing to pay a small price to maintain it.

Chick Krautler is director of the Atlanta Regional Commission, the federally designated transportation planning agency for the Atlanta region.