“Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans.” — Daniel Burnham, Chicago architect (1846-1912)
Next July, residents of metro Atlanta will vote on whether to pay an additional penny sales tax for transportation projects. If this tax is passed, we will still have only 10 percent of the money needed to meet metro Atlanta’s transportation needs. I am afraid this may not have the magic needed to stir men’s blood.
To win approval of the transportation sales tax, we need to show voters that the July sales tax referendum is not only about transportation projects, but also about our future. Atlanta’s economy has always depended upon transportation — first railroads, then highways and then the airport. We need to show the voters that metro Atlanta’s future depends upon how much we invest in transportation today.
We need a plan to meet our transportation needs. The mayors of Fulton and DeKalb counties have such a plan. The Mayors’ Plan would expand bus and rail transit to all of metro Atlanta so that you could travel wherever you want to go quickly, inexpensively and safely. Even if you don’t use transit, by offering an alternative to others, transit would reduce the time you waste stuck in traffic. Transit will never replace automobiles, but metro Atlanta cannot grow if we do not invest in transit and reduce our reliance on automobiles.
To create a regional transit system, we must first create a regional transit authority.
The Mayors’ Plan would create a regional transit authority — one operating entity to operate one transit system. A regional transit authority would cost less, be more efficient and be in a better position to make regional plans and coordinate regional service than MARTA, GRTA, and the Cobb, Gwinnett and Clayton County transit agencies.
A regional transit authority would have access to funding from the entire region, not just one or two counties. Under the Mayors’ Plan, the regional transit authority would be governed by a democratically elected board of directors representing everyone served by transit, not just one city or county. Under the ARC plan, I’m not sure how they will pick the board members. It seems to be a bit of a moving target.
A 1-cent sales tax would not by itself be enough to build the transit system we need, but the creation of a regional transit authority with regional funding would lead to a regional bus and rail system. A regional transit authority would continue to serve us and our children and grandchildren long after the 1-cent sales tax has expired. For the first time, all of metro Atlanta would be represented by a single elected board.
The support of 17 mayors from Fulton and DeKalb counties is conditioned upon creation of a regional transit authority before the July referendum.
It is hoped the governor and the state Legislature will create a regional transportation authority before the July referendum. If they do, we can show the voters that part of the 1-cent transit sales tax will go to a regional transit system, and then we can create the magic to stir their blood enough to vote for a new tax.
Jere Wood is mayor of Roswell.
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