Regional transportation and quality of life: Working hand in hand

More regionalism is on the way. Thanks to language in key legislation, our sprawling metro area will be working together more closely on some of our biggest problems.

The Georgia General Assembly may have arranged the meetings, but it’s in Atlantans’ best interests to make them worthwhile. The end result should be a region that better collaborates to draw people, jobs and investment here.

That’s far from envisioning a “one-Atlanta” megagovernment. Cities and counties will still have their traditional roles. That’s as it should be.

What’s changing is that, on make-or-break issues, we’ll have to better cooperate regionally, or statewide, over what should be common interests. A new statewide committee, for example, is charged with studying “strategic needs for additional water supply.” Their report’s due at year’s end.

On transportation, the Legislature’s intent for a new Transit Governance Study Commission is clear. Six months from now, it’s to offer up a preliminary report “on the feasibility of combining all of the regional public transportation entities into an integrated regional transit body.”

Creating a unified system that moves people where they need to go would be a plus for workers and employers alike. It can also make best use of fewer taxpayer dollars.

Bodies such as the Metro North Georgia Water Planning District and the Atlanta Regional Commission have delivered solid results as defined by their mission statements.

We must now ask whether taking those missions to the next level would gain better results? We believe it could.

Considering whether to consolidate transit, wastewater treatment or trash-hauling is a radical concept for fans of local government. To solve our region’s problems at the least possible cost, we should give the idea due consideration.

Andre Jackson, 
for the Editorial Board

Atlanta Forward: We look at major issues Atlanta must address in order to move forward as the economy recovers.

Through July 18, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Sunday editorial pages will focus on major issues facing the state’s next governor. The questions mirror themes of our Atlanta Forward project.