Yes: Mayors create false debate about Beltline; it is a regional project.
For more than a year, the leadership of the 10-county metropolitan Atlanta region has met to develop a project list for next summer’s critical vote on a 1-cent sales tax for transportation. The five members of the Atlanta Regional Roundtable’s Executive Committee unanimously voted on the preliminary list after carefully vetting the projects on technical performance and deliverability, value and public support.
One project that gained approval is a $602 million allocation for a light rail transit system that will connect several key regional destinations and downtown and Midtown to the Atlanta Beltline and MARTA at the North Avenue and Peachtree Center stations. It also includes a new MARTA station at Joseph E. Boone Boulevard. This project performs as well or better than any others on the project list based on the roundtable’s criteria. In fact, three studies by the Atlanta Regional Commission in the past six years have ranked the Atlanta Beltline alone as a top-tier transit priority for the region.
Yet, mayors Eva Galambos of Sandy Springs, Jere Wood of Roswell and Mike Bodker of Johns Creek argue that the Atlanta Beltline is not a regional project. It is worth noting that on Sept. 15, 2010, they stood on the steps of the Georgia State Capitol and publicly opposed the Transportation Investment Act. That is their right, and I respect their position.
However, rather than simply oppose the TIA, they have chosen to create a false debate about whether the Atlanta Beltline is a regional project.
They are running the same tired play of pitting the suburbs against the city. The Atlanta Beltline is popular among the city’s residents, a large population likely to vote in favor of the sales tax, and plays a critical role in whether the measure passes. Accordingly, reducing funding for the Atlanta Beltline and other projects may mean losing the support of these constituents for the TIA.
The north Fulton mayors are aware of this likelihood. I believe they seek to reduce funding for public transit, specifically the Beltline, to create enough discord to guarantee the failure of the referendum. It’s fine to oppose the tax, but these elected officials want it both ways. They oppose the TIA but also advocate for projects that benefit their cities. North Fulton has more than $450 million in transportation projects on the list. I support them because I am a partner with the entire region and want everyone to succeed.
The Atlanta Beltline, with its direct routes into the heart of the city, provides critical last-mile connectivity to major activity and employment destinations in the downtown and Midtown business districts such as Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, CNN, the Georgia World Congress Center and Piedmont Park. There are more than 100,000 jobs within a quarter mile of these transit routes. In combination with other critical investments on the list, Atlanta’s transit project will strengthen the region’s core.
Regions from Dallas to Denver are investing in transit connections. The TIA referendum is our best chance at building transportation infrastructure to restore the economy’s health. If approved, this 1 percent sales tax will provide more than $7 billion over the next 10 years on critical road, transit, pedestrian and bicycle improvements in the 10-county region.
We must rise to the challenge and not let the metropolitan Atlanta region fall behind. If we succumb to old political tactics that attempt to divide Atlanta and the rest of the region, we will all fail.
Let’s not be small. Let’s not fall for this.
Kasim Reed is the mayor of Atlanta.
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