Atlanta and Suburbs to Hold Separate Transportation Sales Tax Votes in November

The 13 suburban cities of Fulton County agreed to a roads-only, .75-cent sales tax measure that needs to be approved by the county, while Atlanta voters will decide on a MARTA-only .50-cent sales tax. MARTA serves eight of the cities.

2 minute read

July 11, 2016, 6:00 AM PDT

By Irvin Dawid


Thirteen cities in Fulton County, all except for Atlanta, agreed to a three-quarter cent, five-year sales tax measure on July 7. The county's population was over a million in 2015, while Atlanta's was almost 464,000.

"A new state law required all of the entities to agree on the referendum before it could be placed on the ballot," reports Arielle Kass for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "If approved, the tax will provide up to $655 million to spend on transportation needs in the county."

The bulk of the money, just more than a third, would go to congestion relief projects, like road widenings. Other large categories of spending include operations and safety (which includes improving intersections and traffic signals) at 23 percent; maintenance and safety enhancements (like resurfacing roads and repairing guardrails) at 19 percent; and pedestrian and other streetscape improvements (like bike lanes and sidewalks) at 15 percent.

The rest of the money will go toward repairing and replacing bridges, quick projects like filling potholes and managing the projects. A small amount also will go to the Fulton County Airport and to paying down debt.

The parallel tracks of the 13 suburban cities and the county seat and state capital, Atlanta, was termed "micro-regionalism" in a post last April, "A Transportation Schism in the Atlanta Region."

As far as the Metropolitan Area Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) projects to be funded by the Atlanta measure, "Faye DiMassimo, manager of the Renew Atlanta infrastructure program, said the city council may vote later this month on its own project list," adds Kass.

"The revenue raised by the half-penny tax inside Atlanta would go strictly toward MARTA projects inside the city limits," according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle. "Ninety percent of the City of Atlanta is within Fulton County (the other 10% lies within DeKalb County)," per Wikipedia.

While MARTA won't benefit from the county tax measure, there is still hope that the suburbs will support the regional transit system at a future time.

Roswell Mayor Jere Wood "pressed the mayors to meet in the months after the vote to discuss another referendum that would call for a .25-cent sales tax increase to go toward MARTA expansion," adds Krass.

Thursday, July 7, 2016 in 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

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

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.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

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

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Red and white "Wildfire Evacuation Route" sign on signpost.

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions

An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

July 10 - The Markup

Protester at Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles holding sign that says "Housing is a human right"

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?

The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

July 10 - Shelterforce Magazine

Aerial of rainbow painted crosswalks at large intersection in Castro District, Sna Francisco, California.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts

Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.

July 10 - Streetsblog USA

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.

Home and Land Services Coordinator

Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA