Provides an overview of the Georgia Transportation Investment Act, transportation projects and other information prior to the ballot referendum scheduled for July 31, 2012.
1. Statewide Independent Living Council of Georgia &
Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities
T-SPLOST :
Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax
July 31 – Make an Informed Choice for
The Transportation Sales Tax Vote
Thursday, July 26, 1:00 P.M. and 7:00 P.M.
Pat Puckett, Executive Director, SILCGA
Pat Nobbie, Deputy Executive Director, GCDD
John Keys, Transportation Advisor
2. T-SPLOST Basics:
• 10-year, 1 penny sales tax, collected for each region of State
• All money must stay in each of Georgia’s 12 multi-county regions
• 75% goes to regional projects, 25% to local needs (85%-15% in
Atlanta Region)
• Only each region’s voters can approve an extension in 10 years
• Accountability: Citizens Oversight Panel for each region, annual
audits, etc.
• Specific Project Lists were developed with unprecedented
public input
• For Projects and Detailed Information – See:
www.connectgeorgia2012.com/moreinfo.php
www.metroatlantatransportationvote.com
4. The Need: Transportation funds
State gas tax revenue has lost buying power
Federal transportation funding may be CUT BY 25-30%
5. TIA & the Disability Community –
What We Asked For All Over Georgia!
• More transportation options in place in our communities –
including more transit.
• Better access to these transportation options –you can’t use
the options if you can’t get to them – via sidewalks and
accessibility features e.g. ramped sidewalks and tactile strips.
• Link Transportation Options – use technology-based
information system of mobility management – folks then
know how to connect and use all of the transportation
options in place
DO WE LIKE WHAT’S IN THE PROJECT LISTS?
“LOOKS GREAT TO US!”
6. A YES Vote Will Mean:
• More choices for your
transportation needs
• Funds can be used for any
transportation purpose,
unlike gas taxes – roads &
bridges only.
• Less Traffic, faster trip times
• More Jobs – 10 years of project development, construction, ancillary jobs – an
economic engine for Georgia! $19 Billion in direct investment statewide!
• Better access to jobs, medical & social trips
• More Transportation Options and Choices. Moves us toward a fast, clean,
modern transportation system for Georgia.
7. A “Yes” Vote = These Projects Will Happen!!
• Mobility Management Improvements/Coordination (ATL and
NW GA R.C.’s)
• Continued GRTA Bus service in ATL region (ATL R.C.)
• New GRTA van pool and bus service in Forsyth & Coweta (GA
Mtns. & 3 Rivers R.C.’s)
• Clayton County transit service restored (ATL R.C.)
• Athens bus improvements (NE GA R.C.)
• Sidewalks in numerous Regional Commission areas (NW,
Coastal, ATL, NE, 3 Rivers, Middle GA, SW GA, others)
• Coastal GA intercity transit expanded
• Rail transit and bus rapid transit leading to rail service
throughout ATL region
8. More Project Examples
• Thomasville bus improvements (SW GA R.C.), Jones, Bibb/Macon,
Baldwin/Milledgeville transit vehicles acquisition (Middle GA R.C.)
• BikePed projects in Dawson, Clarke, Lee, Bulloch, Chatham & many other
counties and regional commissions
• Augusta (Cent. Sav. River R.C.) transit operations and maintenance
support
• Chatham/Savannah transit ops and maintenance support & new vehicles
(Coastal R.C.)
• Brunswick/Glynn County, Long County, Liberty County transit operating
and capital funding (Coastal),
• Regionwide bridge replacement (Heart of GA/Altamaha R.C.)
• Intercity Express Park n Ride Service – Columbus/Muscogee (River Valley
R.C.)
• RR crossing improvements – Waycross/Ware Co. (So. GA R.C.)
• Statewide – numerous local airport improvements
9. A “Yes” Vote = Local Funds for all Transportation
Purposes – Vital to GA Communities’ Mobility
• TIA says 75% of total sales tax money is for “regional” projects, 25% of all
the region’s funds will be spent by city/county officials for local needs
• For ATL this figure is 85%-15%
• A discretionary pool of funds for each locality to meet its transportation
needs!
___________________________________________________________
• These “local” funds divided among all cities and counties within each
region on a formula basis spelled out in the TIA law.
• These “local” funds can be used for any transportation purpose…SO, if a
favorite project isn’t on the regional list, we can still get our local elected
officials to put that project on the local list!!
• Many areas plan to do county and city maintenance, or improving transit
service and accessibility to transit stops – e.g., sidewalks!
10. A NO vote on July 31 means:
• Traffic congestion will worsen: 3 million more residents in
metro Atlanta by 2040, many more folks in rest of Georgia.
• More toll roads, HOT lanes in urban areas, fewer options for
travel.
• No new transit projects, transit support, or transportation
options in Georgia will be possible
• Reliance solely on local property taxes or state general
funding for non-road projects, including sidewalk
improvements and transit!
11. More Information?
1. Questions and Answers
– Early voting started July 9
– Vote early if possible, but VOTE no matter what!
– State Fact Sheet -
http://www.connectgeorgia2012.com/moreinfo.php
– ATL Region Fact Sheet -
http://transformmetroatlanta.com/resources/faqs/
• Ways to help:
– Talk to friends, family, co-workers, etc.
– Use Your Social Media – Tell Others!
– Phone Banks, Postcards, other volunteer opps
Editor's Notes
Over 200,000 citizens participated in project selection process
The region ’s needs are increasing while our funds are dwindling for new transportation options and improvements. Georgia is 48 th in spending per person on transportation. In addition, revenues from the state gas tax have been flat over time and has lost its buying power. Federal transportation funding is expected to be cut by 25-30% in the next few years. Just to put that into perspective, the state of Georgia now collects about $900 million a year in gas taxes. Three years ago that was over $1.2 billion. That’s $900 million for transportation funding a year – STATEWIDE. And about 70% of those funds are used each year to simply maintain what we currently have. That leaves less than $300 million a year to build new transportation projects across the entire state. Since 1980, the fuel efficiency of the average passenger car sold in America has increased by 40%, from 24.3 mpg to 33.8. Georgia has not raised the motor fuel excise tax since 1971.