10/25: T-SPLOST a good idea for Cobb County?
Moderated by Tom Sabulis
The debate over metro Atlanta’s special purpose local option sales tax for transportation has a number of flash points. One is Cobb County, where an early plan for a rail extension was scuttled in favor of more road improvements and bus service if the 1-percent tax is approved next year. Below, two former county leaders have their say on the issue.
William B. Dunaway, former mayor of Marietta, writes that Cobb transit future can’t wait. While Bill Byrne, Cobb County Commission chairman from 1992 to 2002, writes that the tax is a bad idea in tough times.
What do you think?
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
28 comments Add your comment
Will the last Democrat in Georgia please turn off the lights?.....
October 24th, 2011
9:44 pm
Road Boy
October 24th, 2011
9:30 pm
“We just need more roads. Especially through intown Atlanta. And get those buses out of the way.”
There’s virtually ZERO political support for any new or expanded roads inside of I-285, so It’s a waste of time and energy to even suggest it. Though a great deal of the commuter buses that clog downtown streets could be reduced with commuter rail on existing rail corridors, but that’s still many, many, MANY years away at this point as the state and the region haven’t gotten completely serious about relieving congestion just yet.
The only transportation projects that are politically viable inside the Perimeter are rail-centered transit projects.
Road projects aren’t even necessarily as politically viable outside of the Perimeter as many would think either as public perception is that any new roads proposed are would only end up being for commercial development or crony political purposes.
zeke
October 24th, 2011
9:35 pm
10-4 Road Boy!!!
Will the last Democrat in Georgia please turn off the lights?.....
October 24th, 2011
9:33 pm
Chris
October 24th, 2011
9:05 pm
“Last Democrat, Your analysis is much appreciated, but I think you are under the assumption that the goal of the T-SPLOST is to relieve congestion and make Cobb county commute times easier.”
Not really, I was giving input into how the TSPLOST funds SHOULD be spent if it was really all about relieving congestion, but I realize that it not (like the $100 million to “study” commuter rail service in the I-85 Northeast Corridor in Gwinnett, something that has been studied by GDOT numerous times over the years, not to mention money for the Beltline and light rail from Midtown to Cumberland Mall, etc.).
What’s really concerning is the way that money can moved around from the projects on the list to other projects of politicians’ and bureaucrats’ choosing after the vote if the TSPLOST is passed.
Like I warned earlier, also lookout for the state to raid the Cobb and Cherokee Counties’ TSPLOST monies to attempt to fund a HOT lane debacle similar to that on I-85 in Gwinnett.
Road Boy
October 24th, 2011
9:30 pm
We just need more roads. Especially through intown Atlanta. And get those buses out of the way.
Chris
October 24th, 2011
9:05 pm
Last Democrat,
Your analysis is much appreciated, but I think you are under the assumption that the goal of the T-SPLOST is to relieve congestion and make Cobb county commute times easier.
The real goal of the T-SPLOST is to take revenue from the public and redistribute it to private interests, mainly road contractors and engineering firms (note the heavy emphasis on “studies” that may never lead anywhere).
These private interests then recycle some of the money back into the campaign coffers of the local county officials, essentially bribing them to continue the swindle.
This is what passes for government these days. Welcome to crony capitalism.
Will the last Democrat in Georgia please turn off the lights?.....
October 24th, 2011
8:58 pm
Chris
October 24th, 2011
7:29 pm
“It’s a horrible idea, and I’ll be voting no…..The project list for Cobb basically consists of 3 things: light rail to Cumberland Mall, enhanced bus service from Acworth to midtown, and some money for McCollum field…..And besides, 15% of the funds won’t be dedicated to any special projects and will inevitably end up as a “slush fund” for the local pols to handout in exchange for campaign contributions, also known as bribes…..Vote this turkey down. It’s just more” soak the poor” disaster capitalism.”
There is alot of talk and speculation that the state may attempt to raid the T-SPLOST funds for “enhanced bus service” on I-75 to pay the $300 million public portion of the $1 billion I-75/575 Northwest Corridor HOT lane project that there is currently no funding for whatsoever as just the $300 million public portion of the project is more than the roadbuilding and maintenance budget for the entire state.
MiltonMan
October 24th, 2011
8:15 pm
I live in North Fulton & I will be voting NO!
Will the last Democrat in Georgia please turn off the lights?.....
October 24th, 2011
8:15 pm
Speaking of light rail, the light rail line planned to run from Midtown to Cumberland and eventually continue up Cobb Parkway to the Kennesaw/Town Center area is a misallocation of resources at this time.
A light rail line that would better serve Cobb County and the gridlocked I-75 Northwest Metro Corridor would be a light rail line that originates in the Cumberland area and runs eastward to the Perimeter and I-85/285 NE Spaghetti junction areas to help relieve the even more gridlocked I-285 Top End Perimeter stretch which backs up traffic on I-75 most mornings all the way up to Acworth.
Will the last Democrat in Georgia please turn off the lights?.....
October 24th, 2011
7:59 pm
The problem with the TSPLOST in Cobb is that it tries to force a mostly transit solution on an area that may not necessarily need as much local bus service overall as Fulton and DeKalb Counties. Cobb needs a transportation solution that needs more road improvements than transit at this time.
Though transit is still very much needed in the form of high-frequency commuter rail on the CSX line that parallels I-75 between Vinings and Acworth, on the Georgia Northeastern rail line that runs north from Marietta to Canton and parallels I-575, on the Norfolk Southern rail line that parallels I-20 between Atlanta and Anniston, AL and on the NS line that parallels Hwy 278-6 between Austell and Rome and through the southwest corner of Cobb County.
Implementation of high-frequency commuter rail luxury liner service on existing rail corridors should be the HIGHEST so-called transit priority to help relieve intense traffic pressure and rush-hour gridlock from Interstates 20, 75 & 575 and Hwy 41.
Implementation of commuter rail on existing rail lines should also be packaged with improvements to the the overstressed surface road network where applicable to help relieve really bad traffic congestion on major roads that right now are the only option for commuters to around the region.
Chris
October 24th, 2011
7:29 pm
It’s a horrible idea, and I’ll be voting no.
The project list for Cobb basically consists of 3 things: light rail to Cumberland Mall, enhanced bus service from Acworth to midtown, and some money for McCollum field. Only the second project makes any economic sense or could relieve any traffic.
And besides, 15% of the funds won’t be dedicated to any special projects and will inevitably end up as a “slush fund” for the local pols to handout in exchange for campaign contributions, also known as bribes.
Vote this turkey down. It’s just more” soak the poor” disaster capitalism.