In Columbus, we voted to impose a dedicated tax on ourselves in a bold move to ensure local transportation needs that were long-range would be met now.
Over the next 10 years, the landscape of Columbus will change as a result of the T-SPLOST (Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) vote. Eight new transportation projects will be designed and built, while more than $250 million will be invested in infrastructure and capital projects. Another $30 million will be collected for discretionary use.
The results will be congestion relief; improved safety at major intersections; and the opportunity for economic growth. All because residents of Columbus and 15 neighboring counties said yes, and because of the power of a penny — the 1-cent sales tax.
For too long, projects in Columbus were planned, only to see them sit on a shelf due to lack of funding. Traditional state and federal funding sources have become less reliable. Depending on others to help solve our transportation issues is no longer an option. In the meantime, our transportation needs continue to grow.
Beyond transportation improvements, the eight projects will provide economic benefits. Construction jobs will be created. There is also the potential to unlock areas of our community to new planned growth while promoting job opportunities.
A case in point is the construction of a new interchange at Ga. 520 and I-185 next to Fort Benning. While the property is inside city limits, it is inaccessible to basic city services, such as police, fire and sanitation. This project will allow us to provide that access while developing the site as a business park for military contractors and others.
Another example is the potential construction of a new interchange at I-185 and Cusseta Road, an area isolated from major transportation routes. By providing access, underutilized industrial land will be given the chance for growth and job development.
Our T-SPLOST program also addresses the problems of congestion and safety.
For years, the eastern section of the community along Buena Vista Road has found itself cut off from the rest of the city, multiple times daily, when trains cross this roadway. This makes it difficult for citizens trying to get to and from work; for businesses when deliveries are delayed; and when there is a life-or-death situation and emergency services are needed.
The T-SPLOST lets us correct this inconvenience now instead of later and promote better traffic flow through this area.
Recreation and tourism also will be enhanced, as we connect the final piece of our Riverwalk. It will give us new recreational opportunities, complement our whitewater efforts and open up areas for redevelopment. Already, master plans are under way to revitalize an area known as City Village just north of Uptown along the river.
In south Columbus, the construction of a 2 1/2-mile rails-to-trails project will promote walking, jogging and biking.
Last, and certainly not least, for the first time in 30 years, we will reassess our transit system and its future needs. We want to develop a transit system that serves all citizens. In the long term, this may be the most important transportation project we do.
T-SPLOST approval has accelerated our transportation efforts tremendously. What we are able to do right now to further improve our transportation system would have taken decades to complete without T-SPLOST revenue. In the end, our residents simply understood, based on the economic times we live in today, that Columbus could not afford to wait for others to come to our aid. We needed to do it ourselves, and we needed to do it now. So, we took advantage of the power of a penny.
Isaiah Hugley is city manager of Columbus.
