Clayton County commissioners approved Monday night a package of road and transit projects totaling nearly $1.1 billion for consideration for a list being compiled for a 10-county referendum in 2012.
The projects, which call for a local bus service and commuter rail, will be sent to Georgia's transportation planning director by Wednesday morning, a day before the March 31 deadline. The referendum would include a 1-cent sales tax for funding projects that make it to the regional list.
The board approved the wish list at a specially called meeting Monday night. At the top of the county's 17-project roads wish list: Tara Boulevard. The plan calls for adding bridges and overpasses to Tara to keep traffic flowing.
Separately, the transit list calls for local business service, commuter rail and a regional mobility management center that is envisioned as a one-stop call center for senior citizens.
The transit wish list addresses county residents' desire for some form of public transit, Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell said. Clayton County has been without regular public transit since last March 31 when county leaders discontinued C-Tran.
"The public said by a 70 percent vote [last fall] that they were willing to pay," Bell said, referring to a referendum on transit issues. "It's high time for us to get in tune with the public."
Other road projects include widening Ga. 54 from McDonough Road in Fayette County to Tara Boulevard as well as a series of interchanges, connectors and other enhancements throughout the county. County officials attended the Atlanta Regional Roundtable executive committee meeting last Friday where Clayton officials were given recommendations to widen Battle Creek Road from Valley Hill Road to Southlake Parkway and to widen Mount Zion Boulevard from Southlake Parkway to Somerton Drive.
Some of the projects involve other counties.
"This [list] has something for everyone," Bell said. "The greatest implications for all of our cities." For example, he said Tara Boulevard will touch three counties and four cities, Bell said. Similarly, Ga. 54 has strong implications for Fayette County, Jonesboro, Morrow and Lake City.
"Our priority list is second to none," Bell said. "Every project has the highest possibility of addressing traffic patterns. As you can see, the list excites me to no end, and it has transit as a top priority as well."
Just a week ago, Clayton County appeared behind schedule in compiling its list of road and transit projects to be included in a larger pool of regional projects. At one point, it became a point of contention among Clayton commissioners. But that all seemed to be a moot point Monday night as the special session was wrapped up within minutes. Commissioners and other county officials at Monday's meeting praised Clayton Transportation and Development Director Jeff Metarko for pulling the list together in short order. Metarko spent the past month immersed in getting the list completed.
"You did a splendid job," Lake City Mayor Willie Oswalt said. "It was smooth and complete."
Commissioner Wole Ralph said he was glad to see the board work together and "take a strong look at funding transportation options and alternatives."
"The only reason why this is possible is the regional nature of the funding," Ralph said. "This will be an answer to C-Tran. But without regional planning and funding, it just doesn't make sense."
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