Atlanta Rejects Transpo Tax

Voters in the Atlanta metro area overwhelmingly rejected a 1% sales tax increase to fund $7.2 billion in transportation improvements. The result is being framed as a victory for anti-government Tea Party allies and a loss for the region's economy.

2 minute read

August 1, 2012, 11:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


The decisive failure of the referendum (63% opposed), which would have funded "a $6.14 billion list of 157 regional
projects - relieving congestion at key Interstate highway chokepoints and
opening 29 miles of new rail track to passengers, among others - as well as
$1 billion worth of smaller local projects," was "fueled by citizens' distrust of
government and the metro area's splintered transportation desires," writes Ariel Hart. 

"'It's heartbreaking,' said Ashley Robbins, president of Citizens for
Progressive Transit, one of dozens of organizations that worked for the
referendum. She predicted a loss of valuable young workers to the region's
economy. 'If Atlanta's not the region that we want, the young energetic
people that drove these campaigns are going to leave.'"

Of course, the majority of voters applauded the result. Writing in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Craig Schneider saw the defeat of the referendum as "a big win for the Georgia tea party, whose
leaders didn't shy away Tuesday night from claiming giant-slayer status."

According to Bob Grafstein, assistant dean of the University of Georgia's school of public and international affairs, the results, "make [the tea party] look like people protecting the average citizen from the rapacious government." 

Rounding out AJC's coverage, Jim Galloway charts the course forward for efforts to improve "the mess that is Georgia's system of planning and paying for moving goods and people." According to Galloway, the ball will now bounce to Gov. Nathan Deal's court.

"What voters dismissed was a bottom-up list of $8 billion in road and rail projects created by local elected leaders. The Plan B that staggered out of the governor's office will be its polar
opposite: Dramatically smaller, paid for with shrinking funds, and
highly centralized. Projects will be hand-picked by a governor who
intends to squeeze every penny available."  

Tuesday, July 31, 2012 in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 9, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Aerial view of downtown San Antonio, Texas at night with rotating Tower of the Americas in foreground.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion

The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

July 3, 2025 - Governing

White park shuttles with large Zion logo on side and red rock cliffs in background in Zion National Park.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”

Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

3 hours ago - Reasons to Be Cheerful

Chart of federal transportation funding comparing Biden and Trump administration spending.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden

Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

4 hours ago - Transportation for America

Close-up on yellow and black TAXI sign on top of beige car in central Munich, Germany.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence

Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.

5 hours ago - Bloomberg