Sound public policy that makes a significant impact on the lives of our citizens only occurs after much dialogue and deliberation, often taking years to fully form.
The actions of the Georgia General Assembly this session demonstrate not only how lengthy dialogue can lead to a positive outcome, but can lay the groundwork for future steps that will positively impact all Georgians.
It is a little understood fact that more than 120 public transportation systems currently operate in the state of Georgia. In addition to the more well-known systems in the Atlanta region such as MARTA, GRTA’s Xpress buses, and the Cobb and Gwinnett systems, large bus systems operate in other major cities such as Savannah, Macon, Columbus, Rome, Athens, and Augusta. But the largest component of Georgia’s transit network is comprised of small bus and van services, in most cases operated by local governments, which shuttle citizens to and from medical appointments and employment opportunities on an as-needed basis.
The Georgia Transit Association is the only organization representing the interests of all these transit providers, which are an essential part of Georgia’s overall transportation network. And we were pleased with the outcome of this legislative session on a number of fronts.
In an era of diminishing revenues for all government services, particularly at the federal level, most people can agree that transportation is a fundamental need. Transit is a major part of that need, and increasingly it must have state government as a willing and engaged partner. In Georgia, the more than 150 million passengers per year who ride public transit have always taken a back seat to highway and bridge needs in the minds of state and local elected officials.
But this year, for the first time, we have seen significant movement in the policy dialogue around transit. Legislation was passed to give counties and cities a chance to put before their voters a funding opportunity for transit projects and services, and the state budget for the first time contained $75 million for transit needs statewide. These funds should be administered as a grant program, through which transit agencies can address urgent needs on a competitive basis.
Most importantly, however, we heard this year from top leaders such as Gov. Nathan Deal, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, and Speaker David Ralston that transit can no longer be an afterthought in our transportation discussions.
To continue moving the ball forward, we call on our leaders to establish a transit study committee, perhaps in the 2016 session, that would examine transit on a statewide basis, focusing on how all systems, urban and rural, may be maximized through various governance and funding models, and draft legislation to this effect. Such legislation in 2017 would coincide well with expected consideration of a long-term federal transportation bill as well.
On Thursday, April 9th, we will join others to “Stand Up for Transportation” at MARTA’s Five Points Station, advocating for long-term, sustainable, and reliable transportation funding on both the state and federal levels. Our hope is that this is another turning point in an already-advancing dialogue.
