More Roads Won't Ease Traffic

"...if we look back at the history of paved roads to improve travel times, it's easy to see that new asphalt always is a temporary solution. The 2005-2035 Georgia Statewide Transportation Plan, released in December, offers 30 more years of temporary solutions.

The governor's Congestion Mitigation Task Force also released its final report to the governor in December. The task force, formed last year by Perdue, was made up of board members of the State Department of Transportation, the Atlanta Regional Commission, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and the State Road and Tollway Authority.

This group has put relief of traffic congestion as its top priority, with road expansion as its only recommendation. This is supposed to put the available money into the most pressing needs instead of into pork barrel projects. This is a step forward in temporary solutions."

"How much pavement has to be laid and maintained before our elected officials say that a better way must be found to move forward in our social and economic growth?"