The Atlanta Regional Commission has conceded that the TSPLOST projects list will do little to reduce regional commute times. The ARC says they are defining “alleviating traffic congestion” as meaning increasing the number of people who can reach a point in the region within 45 minutes. The ARC has conceded that this has nothing to do with improving the flow of traffic, and that it will have an insignificant impact on reducing commute times.
The reason that so many state legislators are now opposing the TSPLOST is that the projects list became a massive bait-and-switch. Most of the money, billions of dollars, is going to projects that will do little or nothing to improve the flow of traffic.
In public presentations on both July 12 and July 13, TSPLOST proponents said
* Light rail has NOTHING to do with reducing traffic congestion, and
* Light rail has NOTHING to do with moving people.
* Cities build light rail to promote economic development.
The Georgia Public Policy Foundation recently concluded that the TSPLOST projects list has “massive boondoggles that will put this state at a disadvantage for decades,“ and that “it would commit the region to wasteful spending on questionable projects for long past the 10-year sales tax.”
They also point out that rail transit is appropriate in places with very high population density. However Atlanta has the lowest population density of any major city in the world.
Express bus is the form of transit that can best meet the needs of a city that has low population density and widely dispersed employment centers.
Light rail will likely wind up being at least 50 times more expensive to implement than express bus, and light rail is also drastically more expensive to operate and maintain. The TSPLOST will obligate a huge amount of future transportation dollars for purposes that have nothing to do with improving traffic flow on our roads.
In 2004, the State of Georgia produced the Regional Transit Action Plan (RTAP). The RTAP could have provided an affordable seamless transit network, serving the entire region, for less than 1/5th of what three light rail projects will cost.
For 80 percent less money, the region could have gotten dramatically superior service that would better serve the needs of our low population density city. Special interests opposed the RTAP because the only thing it would do was to address the region’s transportation needs. The RTAP did not provide a way for special interests to hijack taxpayer dollars for their personal profit.
Not only does the TSPLOST squander billions on projects that will not reduce congestion. It also obligates huge amounts of future transportation dollars to purposes that will not reduce traffic congestion. Passage of the TSPLOST will literally financially obstruct the Atlanta region from ever being able to solve our traffic problems.
The TSPLOST failed to fund many good projects that would have actually helped to improve the flow of traffic. Yes, there are a few good projects on the list. Billions are being squandered on projects that will not improve the flow of traffic.
TSPLOST supporters tell us that Dallas and Denver have light rail, so we must have the same toys that those cities have. They don’t mention that both Dallas and Denver have longer commute times than Atlanta. Light rail does not have a track record for reducing traffic congestion anywhere.
When confronted with these issues, TSPLOST supporters suddenly reverse themselves and say that Cobb’s transit project won’t really be light rail. It will just be $689 million to enhance an existing bus route. What could be more ridiculous than $689 million to enhance an existing bus route? Project CO-035 clearly states that if Cobb’s “alternatives analysis” study recommends light rail, that this project can be light rail. Light rail will cost at least $3 billion, and taxpayers are going to get whacked for the “cost overruns.“
TSPLOST supporters like to ask a trick question. Should Atlanta reject a good projects list in hopes of a perfect projects list? Unfortunately, we don’t have that choice. We have to make a decision about a projects list that is so bad, that it will literally financially obstruct this region from ever solving our traffic problems.
It is absurd for TSPLOST proponents to claim that if voters don’t approve their special interest boondoggles, that the region will give up and do nothing. On July 31 voters should reject the boondoggles list, and send a clear message demanding a new projects list that spends the money on reducing traffic congestion.
Ron Sifen of Vinings is president of the Cobb County Civic Coalition. His views do not necessarily reflect the views of the CCCC.
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One of the projects in my area that made a huge difference in reduction of congestion, the Windy Hill-Macland Connector was built by Cobb DOT and I give kudos to THEM - for doing it in FIVE YEARS from conception to completion. Good job!
Had we left that project up to those who developed the TSPLOST model, we'd still be waiting.
I pay close attention to your views because I know that you spend considerable time studying these matters. But what are some of the boondoggle projects that your reference? That would help me form a better view.
Even if the TSPLOST passes you will be sitting in traffic ten years from now asking yourself how you could have been so foolish and gullible as to vote for the TSPLOST.
Ten years wasted not to mention $8.5 Billion!!
Rail will not fit along I-75 the right of way is full!
Do the math.
It will take a minimum of 35ft for a two rail system. There are businesses and one apartment complex that will have to be torn down. Two high voltage transmission lines are also in the way.
Some of the hills that were cut down for the I-75 will have to be cut back as much as 100ft to meet rail safety requirements.
Where I-75 is bridged over a street the grade is to steep for rail, it will take two miles of ramp on both sides of the overpass to keep the rise under 6%.
Atlantic Station and the Arts Center Station are on opposite sides of I-75, more bridges more time and money.
Getting the right of way through eminent domain will take more than ten years and millions of dollars.
With the delays for rail and the fact that projects are not guaranteed the current budget will quietly be spent elsewhere.
The TSPLOST is not about moving people it's about development.
VOTE NO
You're right that the TSPLOST is a boondoggle. BUT, you're wrong that BRT would be the best solution. It may be the better of the two, light rail and BRT, but it is far from the best solution. Here's why:
Buses require drivers, therefore have high operating costs.
Buses HAVE to mingle with traffic at some point, lowering their commuting reliability and raising average commute times. Both of these factors attractiveness to potential riders and, therefore, impact ridership.
The life cycle cost of buses over 30 years is miserably expensive.
Buses are dramatically slowed down when attending the needs of disabled riders' loading and unloading.
And, while not a cost issue, buses pollute massively in the forms of air contaminates (exhaust and rubber wheel particles) and water/soil contaminates (diesel/oil leaks).
A successful solution would be elevated and automated to be reliable, fast and lower cost.
Your opposition to T-SPLOST is right-on, but your solution for an alternative falls flat!
It is hard to defend the indefensible and that is what they are trying to do.
They never anticipated that the TSPLOST opposition would be able to articulate their concerns loud enough to overcome the $8 million dollar propaganda campaign.
My concern is that there are a large number of lazy, uninformed voters that will let their vote be influenced by the misinformation that is constantly bombarding them in tv, radio and other media.
Maybe if they are too lazy to inform themselves they will be too lazy to get out and vote.
The only flaw in your logic based, common sense reasoning is that if we get another bite at this apple we are going to be stuck with the same group of people who screwed it up this time.
They are going to be very reluctant to change their minds, because they had this project list arranged just the way they wanted it.
They want it done their way or not at all.
The only way to successfully change the list is to dramatically change the decision makers that formulate the list.
That is the real challenge we will face if the TSPLOST is postponed.
The Atlanta region has had several high profile "wins" in the past year. None of these "wins" went to locations served by rail transit.
Tim Lee says that Cobb has attracted one-third of the region's job growth in the past year. And we have accomplished that without light rail.
Perhaps 1% of businesses might decide against Atlanta based on not expanding our rail (the region has MARTA, so there are opportunities to locate near rail now).
Perhaps 50% of businesses might make decisions based on where they can get low taxes for their business and for their employees. I say let's compete for those businesses, and not worry about the 1% who want something else.
Many people have chosen to live in the Atlanta region for low taxes. We don't want expensive new government services. And we don't need new taxes for spending on special interest boondoggles that won't reduce traffic congestion.