Nathan Deal’s Plan B: Governor intends to step into transportation vacuum
On Tuesday morning, as metro Atlanta voters hurled an $8 million sales tax campaign into the trash, Gov. Nathan Deal held what aides called his first session with top transportation officials to discuss Plan B.
What voters dismissed was a bottom-up list of $8 billion in road and rail projects created by local elected leaders. (Read the main AJC piece on the TSPLOST vote here.)
The Plan B that staggered out of the governor’s office will be its polar opposite: Dramatically smaller, paid for with shrinking funds, and highly centralized. Projects will be hand-picked by a governor who intends to squeeze every penny available.
And no matter what others might say today, don’t look for a sequel to the TSPLOST referendum. A second vote has no place in the governor’s Plan B.
Instead, Chris Riley, the governor’s chief of staff, said traffic planners in regions across the state will be quickly asked to resubmit lists of road and rail proposals that require state and federal funding – figuring in an 8 percent decrease in federal funding. The governor has veto power over each list.
Riley said that Deal intends to use that authority to direct cash to absolutely essential projects in metro Atlanta and elsewhere. “The state’s top transportation priority is the Ga. 400 and I-285 interchange,” Riley said. But metro Atlanta residents could also find themselves enduring pot holes and worse for the sake of better roads around the Port of Savannah, he added.
That’s another priority.
The governor’s top aide said Deal had been hesitant to speak of alternatives before TSPLOST balloting ended. ”We didn’t want anyone to think that it would fail. But you can’t be a governor and not look at both options,” Riley said.
The governor is likely to express his disappointment today over the outcome of Tuesday’s vote. Certainly he will focus on the price of austerity, as chosen by voters. “Will we be able to compete in the global market with Plan B? Yes. Will every company look at us? No,” said Brian Robinson, Deal’s director of communications.
But in a way, defeat clears the way for Deal to assume full responsibility for the mess that is Georgia’s system of planning and paying for moving goods and people. The TSPLOST referendum, with its awkward system of roundtables to settle on project lists and a vote conducted in the heat of a GOP primary, was the handiwork of Gov. Sonny Perdue.
But, however liberated he may feel, Deal has few options. The most direct route – asking a Republican-led Legislature for a tax increase, whether on gasoline or anything else, is off the table. Some opponents of the TSPLOST, including Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers of Woodstock, have said they’ll push for a second TSPLOST referendum with a more road-friendly list.
But that would require a Legislature willing to debate it, a business community willing to pony up millions for another campaign, and Republican leadership in suburban Atlanta that will speak up for when the time for voting comes. Let’s ask Tim Lee, the chairman of the Cobb County Commission, how that worked out for him.
Any attempt at a second vote will move without the governor’s backing. “We haven’t given any thought of presenting it to the General Assembly,” Riley said.
That leaves the big decisions on what will be built, and with what funds, largely in the hands of the governor, the state Department of Transportation, and planning agencies like the Atlanta Regional Commission. But mostly in the hands of the governor.
“The governor will not move forward without the consent GDOT,” Riley said – very carefully. Deal will court approval from the DOT board, but he intends to keep the initiative. The governor recently appointed a trusted aide, Toby Carr, as the DOT’s planning director, giving him another layer of control over what transportation projects are funded.
So the Atlanta Regional Commission will soon have to clear its wish lists with the governor. ARC Chairman Tad Leithead said he’ll be happy to do so. “I think the entire state would welcome anything the governor does to keep transportation moving,” he said.
- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider
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424 comments Add your comment
Vote no Tsplost
August 1st, 2012
12:51 pm
Well first I want to say how happy I am at the TAX defeat, and the icing on my cake was the loss of TAX supporter, Sen Johnny Grant. As wrote yesterday in many blogs, the fight now needs to be carried to those that supported this TAX, which Mr. Grant did, I suggested that heads must roll. Only when the leaders see one of their own, brought down by the voters, will they pay any attention to us.
Secondly it has been written today, that the AJC is calling this a T party victory.
I take exception to that, as I am an independent. This victory was a loose coalition of Liberals, independents, conservatives and T Party members.
“Politics makes for VERY strange bedfellows”. Maybe our state officials should remember this.
Good Grief
August 1st, 2012
12:51 pm
Meredith @ 11:28am-
You’re statement that Plan Bs are not discussed because they are usually not the best option is apt, but consider how bad a piece of legislation TSPLOST was. If our elected officials are supposed to have our best interest at heart, why was this the best plan they could come up with? Taking more money out of the hands of people who for the last few years have seen declining jobs and housing values, and telling them that investing it now might bring jobs and growth to Atlanta in maybe eight to ten years, was a doomed proposition from the start.
That is, unless you trust your government to spend your money better than you can…
Tech
August 1st, 2012
12:52 pm
There are reasons why things are the way they are. Stop assuming they are they way as a result of happenstance. Its easy to find out. There are lots of reasons why there is foreign aid. Look it up. Stop thinking that it would be a simple thing to do, in most cases, to just not send any foreign aid.
Someone said something incoherent about tax dollars and the new Hartsfield International terminal, and it being empty…I’m glad someone else corrected their ignorant assessment about tax dollars. I wanted to add something else. Partially, the International terminal was created as an investment. An investment in Atlanta to attract more international travelers to our great city. Partially paid for by bonds, and some by the airlines themselves. A great investment for growth. To help accompany that attraction of new travelers and new sources of revenue to Atlanta guess what would have been nice? Maybe a plan to rectify some of our current traffic/transit issues…but this will get mired in dumb pissing-contest type politics instead of getting any real work done at all…
The Truth
August 1st, 2012
12:52 pm
@ Philman…no one is arguing anything about the Civil War…just a casual observance that most northern transplants lack intelligence, social skills, and vision – oh, and fashion sense! FYI, if you’re over 20 and not a professional or college athlete you have no business wearing a sports jersey!
T-SPLOST Fails To Pass - Not Because Of Taxes | The Political Zealot
August 1st, 2012
12:54 pm
[...] I hope Governor Deal becomes that leader for Georgia. Deal has already said he is going to act on a Plan B fast. The funny part about Deal’s Plan B is that the people won’t get to vote on it like [...]
PLAN B---HA!
August 1st, 2012
12:54 pm
@pb, why should anyone have to sell it? It’s a law written for 8th graders that takes 20 minutes to read. It’s not that complicated. The only reason you’d have to sell it is either a) the voter is too stupid to know what they’re reading or b)the voter is too lazy to read it. These same tea partiers were all up in arms when Nancy Pelosi didn’t read Obamacare before voting on it but they’ve all just done the same exact thing. Hypocrites.
PLAN B---HA!
August 1st, 2012
12:56 pm
The only reason I’m so frustrated today is because now I have to try and sell my house in a F**Ked up housing market to a tea bagger that will probably nitpick the crap out of the offer. Ugh..
Mike
August 1st, 2012
12:58 pm
Good luck to all you. You will all be sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, 2-4 hours every day trying to get to your $10 an hour jobs.
The Truth
August 1st, 2012
1:00 pm
lol @ Mike
Bryan -- MARTA supporter
August 1st, 2012
1:04 pm
Not So Casual Observer August 1st, 2012 10:56 am
It’s so funny how you say that as we sit in a Republican state and while nothing has been done in years under Republican leadership!
Tech
August 1st, 2012
1:11 pm
@Good Grief,
So many assumptions and flat out misunderstandings of reality in your last post. Where to start… First. Bad piece of legislation…? I’ll just refer you to @Plan B—Ha! post above. I think it’s pretty clear that this was written (and would have been implemented) in the most open, full of checks and balances, public oversite manner possible. How is that bad legislation?? Give an example of good or perfect legislation.
Secondly, the project was to improve traffic for the people who live here, provide jobs for the people who live here, to improve the quality of life for the people who live here, and to allow for grow for new people who will live here, who should pay for it the magical traffic elves??
Third. Do you think being able to attract new business to Atlanta with a progressive plan for transit and transportation infrastructure would help with declining jobs? Do you think it would help with housing values?
Fourth. Guess what would have to happen inorder for much of the work to get started? (Hint it would be a lot sooner than 8 years) RIGHT! There would be hiring to start the work. Yes TSPLOST would have created jobs…not 8 years from now.
Did I miss anything?
Bryan -- MARTA supporter
August 1st, 2012
1:19 pm
@ Wutehvah August 1st, 2012 11:14 am
Please explain to me when this became the Alpharetta metro area or the Milton metro area? Do you not understand that those business only come to the area for the name Atlanta? You even pointed out why downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead are still the biggest concentration of employers. All in ATL and all with great connection to MARTA rail.
Myself on the other hand, doesn’t stay confined to one area like you do and make assumptions. While Alpharetta and the north side do have some really nice areas there are far more nice areas in ATL than there and way more up and coming areas. Hell, if you go far enough out Campbellton Rd and Cascade Rd there are nicer areas than I’ve see in some of the northern parts!
As far as MARTA not helping East Cobb, Duluth, or Gwinnett as a hole your probably right. I wonder why though. Maybe cause MARTA DOESN’T GO THERE AND ISN’T ALLOW TO EXPAND! How can you make an argument like that when the service isn’t even provided there? I’m sure there are plenty of road project on the list that wouldn’t benefit Atlanta at all in some of those areas. The point is we are all one region and should be working as one to fix problems. Instead the OTP want to down ATL when ATL is the reason they have the life they have. Look at the rest of Georgia. Nothing but country. You people enjoy what you have because of close proximity to a major city, not because Alpharetta just grew into this major metropolis!
Bryan -- MARTA supporter
August 1st, 2012
1:21 pm
@ CobbVoter August 1st, 2012 11:19 am
Yeah just keep your corrupt and poorly run CCT that makes every effort to connect to MARTA and Atlanta. You keep paying for that.
PLAN B---HA!
August 1st, 2012
1:23 pm
@Tech. Don’t waste your time. If they can’t understand how a ‘no’ vote guaranteed they are getting a worse version of the things they didn’t like about TSPLOST they’ll never understand simple logic.
I’ll spell it out for the no voters who are able to read past 2 sentences.
-You don’t trust government – Your ‘no’ vote just gave more money and control to government with even less oversight.
-You didn’t like the projects developed through years of study and research by traffic professionals – Your ‘no’ vote just put project selection in the hand of somebody who has zero transportation experience. And you won’t know how much they cost. LOL.
-You thought it was too much money at this time in our economy. – Your ‘no’ vote just guaranteed traffic will not get any better and now you’ll waste more time (time = money remember) sitting in traffic and you’ll spend more money on fuel/tolls.
Again, well done. You’ve voted for a worse version of the things you didn’t like about TSPLOST.
zeke
August 1st, 2012
1:27 pm
once a penal colony, always…….
Bryan -- MARTA supporter
August 1st, 2012
1:31 pm
@ Middle of the Road August 1st, 2012 11:26 am
Explain to me then why there is more office space in 3 CBD in ATL (downtown, Midtown, and Buckhead) than in the entire suburban market? Why are there condos, apartments, and new major infill projects going on all over the city but barely nothing going on in the burbs?
I agree MARTA doesn’t go to the Braves stadium as far as rail but where else to people want to go that MARTA rail doesn’t? Emory? Oh that was lost with the T-SPLOST. South Dekalb? Oh, that was also lost indirectly with the T-SPLOST. Cobb, Gwinnett, and Clayton? Oh, they chose not to support MARTA so they didn’t get service. Wait I know, up 400. Darn it, also lost with the failure of the T-SPLOST.
Where else doesn’t MARTA rail go that it should? And even with that trains are still packed during all times. There are definitely times when there are less people but 500,000 people a day don’t lie. Especially when the service area is only covering about 2 million!
Bryan -- MARTA supporter
August 1st, 2012
1:33 pm
@ Ga Values August 1st, 2012 11:30 am
Great to see you are still pushing Atlanta into the backwoods, which is probably where you stay.
marl745
August 1st, 2012
1:34 pm
Can they explain the $636M appropriated from the stimulus fund and why they felt the need to sell us on a $7.2 billion tax? This stinks of corruption & greed!! http://stimulus.georgia.gov/
marl745
August 1st, 2012
1:36 pm
Let me correct myslef. Almost $1B has been already been AWARDED to fund transportation from the stimulus. This is as of 2011. Does anyone see something wrong here??? http://stimulus.georgia.gov/transportation
dre
August 1st, 2012
1:36 pm
Really happy to see Deal fail. Anything he is for, I am against…and I am a republican!
Wutehvah
August 1st, 2012
1:39 pm
Bryan — MARTA supporter…
Hey, I’m with you. TSPLAT didn’t address the transit/rail push that’s needed. ATL as a whole is the reason other areas have grown with great success, my point was that Alpharetta/Milton tax dollars are HUGE for Fulton county and the downtown area. Believe me, I venture out of my northern burb plenty – but I would venture more if we had a better transit system. I’m not a fan of sitting in traffic when I don’t need to.
Bryan -- MARTA supporter
August 1st, 2012
1:39 pm
@ S12C4131 August 1st, 2012 11:38 am
MARTA doesn’t go to Turner Field cause it was never in the plans to do so. Nothing to do with the olympics.
ATL doesn’t have major attractions?! GA Aquarium, the largest in the world. World of Coca Cola, nothing like it in the world, MLK Memorial… I don’t know of another MLK civil rights leader that lived, do you? Heck, even Underground Atlanta is still a major tourist attraction.
And funny you say MARTA downtown attractions don’t connect because it sure seems like there is a streetcar line that is trying to connect them that everyone is fussing about.
Specializer
August 1st, 2012
1:43 pm
For those of you saying a ‘no’ vote for T-SPLOST means we have less control and get a worse version I disagree. Instead of our elected officials shirking their responsibilities and punting to the voters we can now hold them responsible as the political system intended. We live in a Republic, NOT a Democracy. The people are not supposed to decide on issues. We are supposed to decide on who can best make those decisions in representation of their constituents. Now our “leaders” must decide how to prioritize and budget, just like the rest of us.
A region-wide SPLOST effort by our elected representatives is intellectually dishonest and an admission they are more worried about their political stature and position than serving those they represent.
Hayek
August 1st, 2012
1:49 pm
“Bryan — MARTA supporter
August 1st, 2012
12:05 pm
@ Hayek August 1st, 2012 10:55 am
There could easily be express buses added from Douglas county that travel I-20 East to I-285 North to the Perimeter. Once there use local buses to get where they need to go, which are already there.
There was even a proposal for light rail from Doraville to Cumberland. If MARTA rail was extended in both Cobb and Gwinnett someone easily could commute to a rail station and travel to transfer to the I-285 light rail and get to where they needed to go, with the use of local transit once in the county they were going”
-And it would take as much or more time for that individual to make it to work. no?
In any case I have yet to read any statement from a traffic engineer which said this plan as presented was going to shave significant time off our commutes. IIRC it was something like 2 minutes per commuter. ROI seems a little low don’t you think?
Bryan -- MARTA supporter
August 1st, 2012
1:50 pm
@ Wutehvah August 1st, 2012 1:39 pm
Please read my post on page 6 — August 1st, 2012 11:22 am
While I also agree that Alpharetta/Sandy Springs/Milton definitely contribute it’s nothing compared to ATL as a whole. That’s my argument with a lot of OTP folks. They enjoy the burb life and I’m all for that if that’s what you want. Just they don’t understand that we are still one region and should be working together. They think THEIR areas just grew into these nice burbs out of no where.
Specializer
August 1st, 2012
1:54 pm
And how about instead of 8 billion for congestion “bandages”, let’s focus on the actual issue no one talks about: making the Urban Atlanta Area desirable again. Instead of fixing a symptom, fix the problem. Make living in Atlanta desirable and people will return in droves. Until then everything else is just a band-aid, and I will happily keep commuting 1 hour each way to suburbia.
BLAH!!! BLAH!!!! BLAH!!!!!!!
August 1st, 2012
1:58 pm
TODD-LAWRENCEVILLE
Thank You!!!! You took the words right out of my mouth!!!!!!!!! Great Comment
Tech
August 1st, 2012
1:59 pm
Mike,
That is pretty funny but actually most of the people making minimum wages are not sitting in bumper to bumper traffic. They are local. or they take the bus, or they walk to work, or they take Marta. The people sitting in traffic actually make a decent income and can still afford to pay for gas and keep their cars on the road.
An example:
If anyone is getting on the highway they probably have more than 30 or so miles to drive each way, or they’d use the back roads. 60 miles a day for a week would be 300 miles a week. (60 x 5).
Say they drive a car that gets 18mpg…let’s give them the benefit of the doubt 20mpg. That’s without traffic. Add traffic and that mpg probably drops to 15… that means @ 300miles a week it would cost them ~$256 a month to commute (300 miles / 15mpg = 20 gallons; 20 gallons * ~3.20 = $64 a week in gas *4 = $256 per month) That’s just to commute. I’d add another $50 just for everything else…conservatively.
Some one making $10/h is probably working about 30 hours a week so the company doesn’t have to give them benefits or insurance… = $300 a week… and probably $255 after taxes with the most deductions… so @ $1020 a month…(which is probably being generous) gas would be > 1/4 of their total income. Bad economics. This is why I don’t think the $10 folks are the majority of people on the roads…I could be wrong…
Middle of the Road
August 1st, 2012
1:59 pm
“Secondly, the project was to improve traffic for the people who live here, provide jobs for the people who live here, to improve the quality of life for the people who live here, and to allow for grow for new people who will live here, who should pay for it the magical traffic elves??”
By “here” I presume you mean Atlanta. Just a suggestion about who should pay for it – how about those who “live here”. (i.e. not us in the suburbs that don’t “live here”)
Hayek
August 1st, 2012
2:03 pm
@PLAN B—HA!
The problem with the plan is that is lacked vision. It didn’t contain anything which would address sprawl or create SIGNIFICANT improvements in congestion. This is why very few if any transportation engineers publicly supported the project.
Tune Gal
August 1st, 2012
2:13 pm
Middle of the Road is right. While there are road projects needed outside of the metro Atlanta area, when you start talking about traffic jams and gridlock, that’s an Atlanta problem.
I actually chose to work near where I live, thank you very much.
The people who choose to live in the burbs and drive to work in Atlanta and use 85, 75, 400, etc. should pay for it.
Tech
August 1st, 2012
2:14 pm
Middle of the road,
Do you live in Atlanta? And when I say Atlanta, I am referring to the Metro area commonly referred to as “Atlanta”. I.e. where you would tell someone that you live – that doesn’t live here. I.e. “I live in Atlanta, or just outside of Atlanta…” Do you travel on any of the roads associated with Atlanta?? 285/85/75/20? Any of the local roads that connected to any of those highways? Let me guess you voted “No”? Like I said earlier…critical thinking and intellectual curiosity and rigor is really the problem in Atlanta…not enough of it. Too much short sightedness.
Hayek
August 1st, 2012
2:14 pm
@Specializer
Bingo. I would opine that most middle-income families (2 parents, kids) only live in City of Atl because they must not because they want to. I find it funny that some of the ITP crowd think if we OTP were more than willing to live in a 40-60 yr old 1,200 sq/ft single family home for twice cost of our current home that we’d somehow “get it”.
Puerile Pedant
August 1st, 2012
2:18 pm
So the Deal, the Empty Suit, is going to step into a vacuum?
What are the metaphysical implications of that? Nothingness?
Puerile Pedant
August 1st, 2012
2:19 pm
Actually Hayek, we the “ITP crowd” don’t think of you at all.
Enjoy your car.
Tech
August 1st, 2012
2:21 pm
Mostly what both you Middle of the Road, and Tune Gal fail to realize is that you living just outside of Atlanta and the traffic that is generated by Atlanta are inextricably connected in one way or the other. It is irresponsible to move to Atlanta benefit from being here and then not expecting to be a part of any solution. It’s really not that difficult to think these things through. It’s not a you or me issue, it’s an us issue. When it comes down to it many of you people are just plain selfish. That’s really the bottom line…
Good Grief
August 1st, 2012
2:22 pm
@ Tech and Plan B – HA! -
No I think you pretty much covered everything. Also, props to you both for finding the need to belittle opponents of the plan.
How could I be so blind as to not see how passing TSPLOST would’ve magically opened up the roads overnight? How could I not trust government to do such great things as “road improvements?”
Mike
August 1st, 2012
2:26 pm
@Tech,
You completely missed my point and typed a bunch of useless mumbo jumbo to make a point. People are going to have to string 2-3 of these low wage, dead end jobs together to make a living.
Tech
August 1st, 2012
2:27 pm
And Tune Gal and Middle of the road,
I can almost guarantee that the company that you work for benefits from the society that is Atlanta, so when you inaccurately point out that this is an ITP vs OTP problem and that the two are not connected, it’s mostly a delusional response…
Good Grief
August 1st, 2012
2:28 pm
Tech @ 2:14 -
“Do you live in Atlanta? And when I say Atlanta, I am referring to the Metro area commonly referred to as “Atlanta”
____
Just a quick question: When you say “Metro area commonly referred to as “Atlanta,” are you actually talking about Metro Atlanta? Or are you establishing an arbitrary boundary of “Atlanta” separate from the City Limits of Atlanta or Metro Atlanta?
Tech
August 1st, 2012
2:33 pm
@Mike, What are the maximum number of hours in a day that one would be able to work? Think about it. It’s not that hard.
I didn’t miss your point. I think you missed your point. Think about the economics of it.
Tech
August 1st, 2012
2:35 pm
Good Grief….
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_metropolitan_area
….good grief…
Tune Gal
August 1st, 2012
2:38 pm
Tech—and you would be wrong. So much for the guarantee.
Tech
August 1st, 2012
2:39 pm
Good grief,
No one said anything would happen overnight. Not sure why you would assume that. As far as belittling…if you feel that pointing out facts, the lack of judgement and lapse of understanding of the opponents of…progress hurt your feelings then you totally missed what this was all about.
Tech
August 1st, 2012
2:40 pm
Tune Gal,
Put some skin in the game. What does your company do? What is their product? If I’m wrong I will gladly admit it.
Philman
August 1st, 2012
2:42 pm
Anyway people… We americans don’t want to pay taxes, no taxes no government help.. no defense no transportation etc…A good example: The HOT lane, it is always empty, good for me I am getting to work faster than ever and I do not spent to much $ on gas, because I don’t stay in traffic!!! Wake up Georgians, let’s move on…
Hayek
August 1st, 2012
2:43 pm
@Puerile Pedant
Likewise. Enjoy your WW2 era SFD with untold layers of lead based paint, asbestos siding, medicore insulation, high property taxes, and irrelevant public school system.
Good Grief
August 1st, 2012
2:54 pm
@ Tech -
I’m sorry that I’m wasting your patience on this topic. I suppose it is my fault for being an OTPer that doesn’t understand how we’re all in this together. I had no idea that the stretch of Peachtree Industrial from Buford to Duluth was considered “Atlanta.” Actually, I’m sorry that you bought into GDOT’s and the TSPLOSTs supporters vague notion of “road improvements” as a good issue to spend money on. Especially in a down economy with withering house values, I’m sure taking more money out of the peoples hands seems a great idea.
And your comment that “no one said anything would happen overnight…” Sure, they might not have said it in such explicit terms, but the proponents I talked with acted as though this was a magical potion that would save Atlanta traffic. This whole debate has centered on Atlanta and how Atlanta traffic would be saved. I drive 27 miles one way to work, down I-985 then GA20 then Peachtree Industrial. I haven’t been inside the Perimeter since the Thrashers left town. For me, personally, this was not an Atlanta issue. I looked at the project list, and everything touted on the list was so vague it was not hard to see corruption seeping in. If you were okay with such vague definitions as what GDOT and the TSPLOST website provided, then good on you. I couldn’t accept their terms, hence my NO vote.
Barry Hopkins
August 1st, 2012
3:08 pm
People are saying….we don’t trust the government to manage any more of our money. It’s loud and clear. Hear the message, Georgia politicians….and those of you who don’t like it….just get over it. More to come.
marl745
August 1st, 2012
3:13 pm
Im going to post this again….Almost $1B has been already been AWARDED to fund transportation from the stimulus. This is as of 2011. Does anyone see something wrong here??? Why hasnt this money been distributed appropriately to help w/ the traffic issue. They cant use this to help, and expected us to fork over $7B more??? http://stimulus.georgia.gov/transportation