Buckhead Projects At Risk If Regional Voters Reject Transit Tax

Improving pedestrian safety along Piedmont Road and new bus and rail options for Buckhead may never become a reality unless voters approve a regional, 1-cent-sales-tax referendum next year.

“What we’re doing is complex and hard, and it’s something that’s never been done in the history of Georgia,” said Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, who attended a regional transit meeting of local mayors and legislators Wednesday night.

“But we’re not spending our energy and time on issues that are small. If we succeed on these issues surrounding transportation, we’re going to have a 10- to 20-year period of prosperity that is unmatched in Georgia’s past.”

The meeting, held in the old Atlanta City Hall council chambers, was organized by metro Atlanta leaders to build support for the special local option sales tax (SPLOST). Several metro counties and municipalities have submitted multi-million-dollar “wish lists” of projects for their area, which could be funded if voters approve the SPLOST next year.

A final list of projects will be released in August. 

Here are the Buckhead-related projects requested by the city of Atlanta:

• Improving pedestrian safety, adding bus and rail transportation options from Piedmont Road  to the Lindbergh Center MARTA station;
• Creating an Atlanta streetcar beltline circulator system stretching from south Buckhead to Midtown; and
• A series of bus and rapid transit operational improvements on Roswell Road and Piedmont Road up to the Lindbergh Station.