Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Keith Golden recently told a gathering about the state’s reliance on federal money for transportation, saying, “We’ve got to find a way to break away from our dependence on federal dollars.”
Nikki Wiley reports on a recent presentation by Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Commissioner Keith Golden, in which he detailed the state’s struggle to find money for transportation. The state’s transportation funding concerns are compounded by uncertainty over the future of federal transportation funding.
GDOT’s 2014-15 budget includes $80 million for capital improvements and $200 million for maintenance. “Much of the department’s projects are funded by federal allocations, a 4 percent state sales tax and a 7.5 percent gas tax, with 1 percent going to the state’s general fund budget,” writes Wiley. States like the neighboring Florida spend a lot more on transportation per capita, according to Golden.
Golden voiced strong opinions about the federal government’s inability to resolve the expected insolvency of the Highway Trust Fund. “It’s not a sustainable option and everyone knows it,” said Golden, calling the highway fund the “fiscal cliff of transportation.”
Golden also made a case for raising the federal gas tax as a possible solution to the highway fund’s problem, saying it wouldn’t be political suicide but acknowledging that raising the tax is unlikely.
Golden was clearly being generous with his time and opinions, also discussing Atlanta's new major league baseball stadium, to be built in 2017 in the Cumberland area. Golden stated that he doesn’t believe the project would have much of a negative impact on traffic in the area.
FULL STORY: Chief says GDOT relies too much on federal funds

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

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

California Homeless Arrests, Citations Spike After Ruling
An investigation reveals that anti-homeless actions increased up to 500% after Grants Pass v. Johnson — even in cities claiming no policy change.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)