In the 1960s, Cobb County had a County Commission chairman with great vision and greater courage. Earnest Barrett had the temerity to take the county into debt to start Cobb County’s water and sewer systems. Much of Cobb’s economic success in the past 40 years can be attributed to the Cobb County Water System and the Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority.
Unfortunately, for years Cobb has not had the leadership and voters with the same courage and vision on transportation matters. The traffic problems of Cobb today are largely the results of lack of leadership and decisions not made for many years. None of us would be talking about T-SPLOST projects and votes if people had stepped forward over the past 40-plus years.
During the eight years I served as Marietta’s mayor, and during the years I served on many boards, I participated in and/or reviewed a myriad of transportation studies, plans, proposals and pipe dreams. I think I have seen the results of most, if not all, of the transit options: bus rapid transit, toll lanes, HOV lanes, commuter rail, trolleys, heavy rail, light rail, more lanes, new roads, better interchanges. None is without problems.
MARTA was voted down in Cobb County in the latter 1960s. People can and do disagree on that issue and vote. However, if MARTA had come to Cobb County, we would not have as much of the urban sprawl that we have today. Much of our denser commercial, office and residential developments would now be concentrated along the transit lines instead of eating so much of our green space in all parts of Cobb County.
No transportation decisions are going to give the “immediate gratification” that some people seem to demand. I am not supporting any transit proposal over the other, but I do know that the county needs to start now on transit for the future. These projects might not be completed in my lifetime, but that does not stop me from wanting us to make decisions now that will give the county the best future.
So any transit operation for the entire county would not be finished or fully funded in the next 10 years? No meaningful solutions will. Is this a reason to stick our heads in the sand as we have done for many years?
So transit fares would not make the system self-supporting and it would have to be taxpayer subsidized? I cannot think of any transportation in metro Atlanta that is not subsidized to some extent. The roads we use are not entirely funded by the gas tax, the sidewalks and bike trails are not paid by tolls from the people who use them, the Kennesaw Mountain trail that I and so many people enjoy is maintained by the National Park System using federal taxes, the Atlanta airport is not completely funded by user fees.
So only poor people and gangs would use public transit? I just had a daughter and her family use transit to get to the airport. It was cheaper and faster than any alternatives. We all have business friends who use public transportation in Atlanta for the same reasons.
Public transportation users also include people too young to drive and people too old to drive. I have many friends who will not, cannot and should not drive on I-75 to go to Atlanta to enjoy the many benefits such as the zoo, Centennial Olympic Park and aquarium. I will probably join that group in the years to come.
Human nature truth: Many times, people and politicians find it more convenient to be opposed to ideas without bothering to propose solutions. This T-SPLOST proposal is the first viable alternative Cobb has had in years, and this opportunity will not likely occur again in the foreseeable future.
To paraphrase an old quote, “The hottest places in hell are reserved for people who, in times of great problems, maintain their neutrality.” Our leaders and voters need to step forward and support solutions for our traffic problems.
Thirty or 40 years from now, will the residents of Cobb County look back on this T-SPLOST proposal and thank our current leaders and voters? Or will the county, because of a lack of vision and courage, still be afflicted with stagnation from the results of doing nothing?
William B. Dunaway is the former mayor of Marietta.
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