State representatives have introduced two bills that would set up a regional mass transit agency over metro Atlanta's patchwork of local transit agencies. But they are probably as stalled as Senate Bill 474, which was introduced in that chamber last week.
House Bill 1199, introduced by Rep. Donna Sheldon, R-Dacula, would be a companion to SB 474, introduced by Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga. Sheldon and Mullis were co-chairmen of a task force Gov. Nathan Deal convened to develop the transit legislation. But Mullis, the chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, and House Transportation Committee Chairman Jay Roberts, R-Ocilla, have said the bills are unlikely to move this session.
Some local officials and residents of DeKalb and Fulton counties complained that the proposals seemed to give too much power to the state, as opposed to the region or local officials, when the state hardly funds mass transit. They said that was unfair to MARTA taxpayers, who are in DeKalb and Fulton.
As an alternative, Democrats this week introduced House Bill 1200, which would instead create metropolitan transit authorities. But they do not hold a majority of votes.
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