Until Georgia embraces a transportation plan that actually fixes traffic congestion —- that is, one that gets us moving rather than one that offers so-called "alternatives" —- city and county officials should follow this rule:

Do not zone or approve density greater than the carrying capacity of existing or funded roads.

Even before gas reached $4 a gallon, overdevelopment under the guise of creating "live-work-play" projects had begun. The problem, however, is that most high-density zoning in areas served by inadequate road networks diminishes the quality of our lives. Unless people actually confine their movements to the vicinity of the high-density area, the net result is that traffic's made worse.

The city of Atlanta, for example, has been active in approving apartments along Marietta Street between downtown and the King Plow arts complex —- without adding street capacity. In three years or less, it'll be a nightmare. That, I think, is by design —- planned inconvenience for the purpose of forcing residents onto buses. That's fine for those who live, work and play entirely on bus or rail lines and have unlimited time to invest in getting there.

For the rest of us, though, a policy of deliberately inconveniencing metro Atlantans to effect the lifestyle changes that planners prefer conflicts with our sense of the role of government. Government should serve us as we wish to live —- and use our tax dollars to provide the schools, fire and police services, and roads and sewers that we need.

Some clearly prefer high density —- and that should be approved in areas with sufficient road capacity or next to rail.

Gov. Sonny Perdue and the state Department of Transportation are in the process of developing a statewide transportation plan. As it stands, there's insufficient money available to fix congestion. The state, therefore, has to have a plan that —- for metro Atlanta, anyway —- measures congestion and allocates the dollars to those solutions that provide the greatest gridlock relief for the tax dollar spent.

Don't give me "alternatives" that are, in reality, no such thing. Providing "alternative" ways of getting from Point A to Point B —- from Marietta, for example, to downtown Atlanta —- is an alternative only for the relative handful of people who want to move between those two points at the times service is offered.

There's a tendency, a political inclination actually, to throw together something from every advocacy group's wish list in a regional or statewide transportation plan. That's easy. It is, frankly, what legislators did in trying to pass a statewide sales tax this year. And if that's what Perdue and the DOT ultimately decide, they will bring forth a plan that is the worst of government —- spending our money without solving problems, in this case fixing congestion.

A congestion-relief plan should unlock gridlock on a cost-benefit basis. The greatest mobility for the largest number of people at the least sum. Tax dollars should be spent efficiently and deliver results.

One concern here is that state officials will spend substantial sums on "alternatives" —- commuter rail or other boutique transportation adventures —- while underfunding capacity improvement. Or, more likely, use public dollars to fund the exotics while inviting the private sector to build toll roads.

Toll roads are a part of the solution, no doubt. But every available dollar should be spent buying relief that's real.

Zonings and rezonings currently under way will, otherwise, make congestion worse and make metro Atlanta far less desirable as a place to live. State officials have to get ahead of congestion.

Ron Sifen, a County Commission candidate in Cobb County, is one of those who advocates public policies to stop approving development projects that exceed the capacity of roads and other infrastructure. It's an idea whose time has come.

Unless road improvements are approved and funded, or unless there's existing capacity, city and county officials shouldn't approve projects that make mobility worse. On a road that links two or more developing cities or counties, capacity should be apportioned by the state DOT. When new capacity is added, new rezonings should be allowed.

Fix congestion. Don't make it worse. No games. Fix it.

> Jim Wooten is associate editorial page editor. His column appears Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. Blog with Jim six days a week at ajc.com/opinon.

jwooten@ajc.com