Austin Scott: Lift the toll on Ga. 400
The Republican campaign for governor continued at the state Capitol this afternoon.
State Rep. Austin Scott (R-Tifton), in an apparent attempt to attract the attention of metro Atlanta commuters, has introduced HB 1443, which would dismantle the State Road and Tollway Authority as well as the toll on Ga. 400 – which raises $22 million annually.
Quoting from his press release:
“When this project began, citizens and government agreed that the toll would come down when the road was paid for. Yet when Roy Barnes was governor, he directed a change in the legislation that will leave the toll up indefinitely.
“Now more than ever, Georgians should be concerned with their ever-expanding government. Why should taxpayers spend $20 million to run an agency that provides $2 million in road maintenance?”
But this is from an article written last March by my AJC colleague Ariel Hart:
Not only will drivers continue to pay a toll on Ga. 400 through 2011, but they may be paying even more tolls in the future.
As of this fiscal year, the authority owes $26.6 million in principal and interest on the debt incurred by building Ga. 400, said Cherie Gibson, spokeswoman for the State Road and Tollway Authority. That’s less than the $32 million the state has on hand, sitting in reserve accounts. That money represents tolls collected, as well as interest and investments from the toll money.
But Georgia can’t pay off the Ga. 400 debt, authority officials say, because it has to stick to a payment schedule that runs through 2011.
The 6.2-mile extension of Ga. 400 inside the perimeter opened in 1993, and was financed by tolls. Some neighborhoods may have despised the roadway, but it was a hit with drivers and the tolls poured in.
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127 comments Add your comment
Road Scholar
March 23rd, 2010
6:24 pm
Uncle Tom: The PDR bridge was suppose to open today, subject to the contractor finishing their punch list. It shoud be open to traffic and has pedestrian sidewalks!.
Commuter Tax
March 23rd, 2010
6:27 pm
If there is enough money to pay off the debt then the future toll should only be the amount required to maintain the roadway. I think tolls on roadways such as this that are mainly for commuters are a perfect idea. Those people who choose to live a million miles from the city but want to work downtown and have a fast way to get there should continue to pay for it.
elaine
March 23rd, 2010
6:36 pm
it was approved with a promise that has been broken. Thanks, Austin Scott!
Tim T
March 23rd, 2010
7:33 pm
We need more roads in the Atlanta area with tolls so that the roads pay for themselves…..keep the toll on GA400 and let it help fund other additional toll roads and projects…..If you want to look at a good system of roads (aside from I-4) look at Orlando…..they are getting it right.
bill
March 23rd, 2010
8:18 pm
Actually y’all ought to blame this on George Bush and call it a day!!!
Alphare
March 23rd, 2010
8:45 pm
bill,
you are right on about blaming Bush. Sensing Bush coming to power in 2001, the democrats just knew governments would be financial peril. So they took a preemptive action: keep in toll booth.
John
March 23rd, 2010
9:11 pm
A toll is a tax. Gov’ts need to spend some of what they have. Read my type, no new taxes
UGA 1954
March 23rd, 2010
9:17 pm
Dear “Austin Scott”: I know for a fact that you are not the real Austin Scott. Isn’t there a law against impersonating an elected official? I believe there is and therefore you should tread lightly. You sound like such a baffoon that no one is actually buying into your act.
BIOMASS
March 23rd, 2010
9:25 pm
I hope they keep that 20 lane merge zone with an upped speed limit of 55+ mph.
Better than NASCAR.
Waldo313
March 23rd, 2010
9:38 pm
Once a tax is enacted, not even God can rescind it. Government has a way of spending all the money you give it and never ceasing to need more.
Willie Mae Evans
March 23rd, 2010
9:45 pm
we knew that was not the real Austin Scott…. Thanks state rep. for all you are doing for us! You will be our next governor of ga….
Really?
March 23rd, 2010
9:57 pm
Tim T: Good point about toll roads paying for themselves and other projects, especially in and around the Orlando area. Just one thing though. Georgia doesn’t do infrastructure too well, as a matter of fact, since the opening of GA 400 in 1993, Georgia has hardly done infrastructure at all. Come to think of it, planning and management aren’t particularly strong points either.
While Georgia, and particularly, Metro Atlanta’s population has increased by two-and-a-half million people since the Olympics nary a new state-planned road or locally-planned transit line has opened in that time while the Georgia Department of Transportation has routinely pulled off managerial and accounting hi-jinks of gargantuluan proportions like the $430 million in unpaid invoices found stuffed in a desk at their headquarters after many years. The local politics of the area just don’t seem to accept that roads, trains and infrastructure doesn’t pay for itself. Commuters are just gonna have to be willing to pay higher taxes and/or user fees (tolls and fares) or are going to have to be willing to go without and sit in endless traffic. Oh wait, we sit in endless traffic now don’t we. Oh, well….
Will the REAL Austin Scott please stand up?
March 23rd, 2010
10:00 pm
“Once a tax is enacted, not even God can rescind it. Government has a way of spending all the money you give it and never ceasing to need more.”
Waldo313: Ain’t that the truth!
Will the REAL Austin Scott please stand up?
March 23rd, 2010
10:07 pm
Willie Mae Evans:
“we knew that was not the real Austin Scott…. Thanks state rep. for all you are doing for us! You will be our next governor of ga….”
The only way that Austin Scott will be the next governor of Georgia is if he survives the aftermath of a “Lost, The Final Season”-type political plane wreck in which John Oxendine, Karen Handel and Nathan Deal all self-destruct in spectacular fashion in the Republican Primary. A political plane wreck which seems to be in progress right now as we blog. “We now return to this political plane wreck in progress….”
Wil
March 23rd, 2010
10:14 pm
More tolls should be created throughout the state. How many dollars do you have to pay between Atl and orlando or Atl and Chicago? Let the State make money from all of these people traveling through Ga. going North or South. The locals would know how to get around the tolls. Build the tolls, collect the fees.
Austin Scott's evil twin, Buster Scott
March 23rd, 2010
10:16 pm
When I blast thru the cruise card side of the toll plaza every morning at 6:05, the little green “Thank You” light flashes as I drive by. For the cost of only 50 cents, I get an official government issued ‘Thank You’ every morning. To me, that’s just worth 50 cents. Heck, if there were a road where I could just pay my taxes by driving by stuff, I would be all over that…it sure beats all those silly forms.
Well you can see how people are really, yawn, excited, yawn, about the idea of closing down the toll booths….yawn….snoozzzzzz.
Georgia Driver
March 23rd, 2010
10:21 pm
Pet Peeve: why can’t people understand that the cruise lanes are to the left and the toll-lanes are to the right? Every stinking day, some maroon practically causes a 20 car pileup by doing the last minute panic-lane-change move. They warn you with flashing signs a MILE back from the toll plaza.
road runner
March 23rd, 2010
10:48 pm
Just run the toll an don’t pay for it. Just like the governor does. A free ride works for me, screw Georgia
palepadre
March 24th, 2010
5:00 am
Sounds good. we need government officials to learn how to reign in spending.This is a mini course.
DropTheTollsOnGA400
March 24th, 2010
7:31 am
If you support dropping the tolls on GA 400, then please join Facebook group “DROP THE TOLL ON GA 400!!!”…
http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=111026068914982
R. Mahler
March 24th, 2010
8:42 am
I would say we the toll should stay open, be raised to $2.00 and all the money collected go to MARTA. Put the same toll on 75 and 85. A toll should also be introduced on 285 similar to the ones in New Jersey, take a ticket and when you get off, based on the distance you traveled you pay a toll. Georgia wants to complain about traffic, but all they want is roads with out having to pay for it. Roads are not the answer, Mass Transit is. Make it more expensive to drive then to use Mass transit and the traffic will be reduced.
Satisfied Toller
March 24th, 2010
8:48 am
Keep the toll, let everyone that ride the help continue to pay for the maintenance, overhead, the upkeep of the road. If you don’t like saving time and gas, take another route.It is a road of choice. The road should not have to be maintained by Fulton County taxpayers. Fulton is already broke.If the tolls come down, get ready Fulton county residents for your property taxes and everything else to go up. Vistors and people from the north and south of Ga 400 will be using the road at the expense the Fulton County taxpayers expense.
rdh
March 24th, 2010
10:33 am
Satisfied Toller…you are an idiot. Firstly, MOST of the people using the Toll lane are from north Fulton. Secondly, Fulton doesn’t pay the upkeep bill on 400, 285, 75, or 85. Your taxes will not go up if the toll gate comes down.
MiltonMan
March 24th, 2010
10:45 am
Austin Scott = clown. This is nothing more than an opportunity to “win” votes & to increase his pathetic 3-5% rating for the GOP nomination. This guy does not support Milton County, arming college students, etc. but “all of a sudden” supports this??? Austin, does us a favor, go back to Tifton.
MiltonMan
March 24th, 2010
10:47 am
Satisfied, are you serious??? Man, you need to educate yourself on the difference between funding/maintaining an interstate highway, a state highway & a county road. You must have been educated by the city of Atlanta.
oldfart
March 24th, 2010
11:19 am
Obvious pandering.
John
March 29th, 2010
7:15 pm
Satisfied toller. I suppose your fine paying idiots 200k to run a toll road. A term limit was established with the creation of this road. Violating this term does not surprise me given the lies of Purdue and Evans, however thanks to an upcomming election, both will be gone, just like the toll booths.
Interesting that they are using HOT lanes to continue this nonsense of the SRTA. $1.00 a mile. Are you kidding? Can’t wait for the class-action law suit for elitism. Perhaps Purdue and Evans can afford it, but the rest of us can’t.