Yonah Freemark reports on the conundrum faced by the 10-county Atlanta region over how to allocate expected revenues from a new sales tax intended to fund transit projects.
As Atlanta's population has grown and dispersed into its outlying counties over the forty years since the region's federally funded rail system was first formed, the system itself has failed to sprawl with it.
As the region prepares to vote on a proposed 1% sales tax increase to support the highly needed expansion of the system, plans for how to allocate the $6.1 billion in predicted ten-year revenues have caused controversy and thrown passage of the referendum into serious doubt, reports Freemark who sees a battle "relevant to any metropolitan area considering major investments in new transit lines."
"Is there a way to avoid this? Unlikely. There are only a limited amount of funds available and a seemingly infinite number of projects that individuals or organizations will latch on to as priorities. Indeed, there is inevitably some opposition in the public discourse to any proposed intervention by the government. The question is how influential each side is, and what percentage of the population will be persuaded by each argument."
FULL STORY: In the Atlanta Region, Disagreements about Investment Priorities Spur Discord Over a Planned Transit Tax
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
MARTA Adds Train Service for NYE Events
The Atlanta transit agency will run additional trains to accommodate traffic to sporting and cultural events downtown over the New Year’s holiday.
Atlanta Transit Officials Call for Traffic Cameras to Enforce Bus-Only Lanes
MARTA says bus-mounted cameras would be a more effective way to keep bus lanes clear and make upcoming bus rapid transit lines run smoothly and reliably.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.
Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.
Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.
MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.
Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie