The state of Georgia has a really good track record of creating regional transit agencies, but none of them have a good track record in actually building regional transit.
That reality resurfaced last week when the House Transportation Committee passed HB 1358, which would have abolished the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) and the Atlanta-region Transit LINK Authority (The ATL) by folding them into a reconfigured State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA). GRTA was established in 1999, and shortly thereafter, SRTA was given expanded powers. The ATL was created in 2018.
While HB 1358 did not pass the Georgia House on Feb. 29, few believe it has gone away.
“We are operating under the assumption that the idea is not dead,” said Seth Millican, executive director of the Georgia Transportation Alliance.
Millican added that if it resurfaces, the bill could have a “seismic” impact on the future of transit in the Atlanta region.
State Rep. Phil Olaleye (D-Atlanta) agreed.
“It’s never dead,” Olaleye said. “It has been hurried and so fast. There are more questions than answers as it relates to this proposed legislation.”
The 34-page bill came as a surprise to most people in regional transportation and planning circles. It is believed the governor’s office supports the concept, but not necessarily every aspect of the bill.
The merits would be streamlining the alphabet soup of transit agencies and bringing a more consolidated vision to transit implementation. On the other hand, the bill as proposed would basically dissolve the GRTA Xpress bus service. A major area of concern is who would be at the table making decisions. A big fear is that the state would be calling the shots without ample participation from regional leaders.
“There are so many consequences and downstream implications, we can’t wrap our…
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