We have a traffic problem in metro Atlanta threatening our quality of life and putting stress on hardworking families. Traffic congestion is a daily annoyance to our residents. Many cross county lines to get to work and then struggle back home to feed their families, help with homework and prepare for the next day.
A “yes” vote in July on the regional transportation referendum will relieve congestion and improve our quality of life and economic vitality.
While reducing traffic congestion lessens commute times and improves the quality of the air we breathe, it also should be considered that as these transportation projects are built, thousands of jobs will be created. As we rebuild our infrastructure, we can put residents back to work. Everyone in the metropolitan region stands to gain.
DeKalb County residents, in particular, have strong reason to support the referendum. In exchange for $800 million that will be raised in DeKalb County from the penny sales tax, $1.3 billion in infrastructure projects will be built in DeKalb, including over $1 billion in transit projects. That’s a 160 percent return on investment, with more dollars invested in transit over the next 10 years in DeKalb County alone than we’ve seen in the entire region in many years.
The regional project list contains a huge down payment, $225 million, to extend the east MARTA rail line along the I-20 corridor in South DeKalb. This project, supplemented with federal funding, will begin as bus rapid transit on dedicated right-of-way and later be converted to rail. Without the significant down payment provided by the referendum, the development of this rail line is not possible.
Federal officials have informed us that without the $225 million down payment from the referendum, additional federal funding to build out the rail line is not likely to happen. But by leveraging the down payment and working on a regional basis with the Atlanta Regional Commission, the state, MARTA and others, we will get the I-20 rail line built.
We no longer compete against neighboring cities and counties for diminishing federal funding. Our competitors are other metropolitan regions such as Charlotte, Dallas-Fort Worth, Phoenix and Seattle. To compete for funding, we must work collaboratively as a region and bring our own money to the table.
I am proud that DeKalb County has always been at the forefront of vision and leadership in this region. DeKalb residents created the most progressive and modern county government in the state. We have supported MARTA for 40 years and fund Grady Memorial Hospital. Now, for the first time in history, we can be joined by all of our regional neighbors in building our collective future. We should uphold our legacy of progress and vote “yes” in July for the regional transportation referendum.
Burrell Ellis is chief executive officer of DeKalb County.
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