Atlanta Regional Roundtable Hosts Transportation Forum, Community Gives Feedback

The auditorium at the Manuel Maloof building in downtown Decatur was standing room only as members of a transportation panel listened to comments from the public on Wednesday evening.

CEO Burrell Ellis addressed the audience with opening remarks and stressed the importance of getting feedback from the community.  “The reason that we are here tonight is to hear from you," said Ellis, who serves as one of the 21 members of the Atlanta Regional Roundtable.  “We need to know how you feel about the existing projects list and where you would like to see it changed."  

The four member panel, which included MARTA and DOT representatives, DeKalb County’s Chief Operating Officer for Infrastructure, and a representative from the Atlanta Regional Commission, answered several questions and listened to a variety of comments from members of the audience.

“I cannot support this project unless you put the I-20 rail back [on the list]”, said South DeKalb County resident Faye Coffield. “I have paid …the extra penny to have something that was promised to me when I moved out here in 1979. We keep talking about being an international city and bringing jobs [to the Southside], but we will never be able to bring jobs unless we have rail."

On Friday, Ellis announced in a press release that he formally submitted an amendment to the Roundtable, increasing the amount of funding for the I-20 East rail line by $297 million, for a total of $522 million. Seconded by Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd, the amendment can now go through the Roundtable’s process.

In the amendment, CEO Ellis explained to the Roundtable that “the extension of mass transit along the I-20 East corridor has been a top priority in the regional transportation plans of the Atlanta Regional Commission, the MARTA Board, and DeKalb County Government for many years. In order to create a true win-win solution both for competitiveness and congestion relief through our enhanced regional transit network, this amendment should be adopted.”

Community members like Jerry Myer Jackson, Jr. were vehemently opposed to increasing sales tax to fund more infrastructure and transportation projects. 

“Tax, tax, tax”, Jackson said. “Where is this money going to come from? We talk about these roads and bike trails and thoroughfares like somebody’s waving a magic wand and it’s all going to be beautiful in DeKalb County."

According to the Transportation Investment Act of 2010, “elected officials in each of the state's 12 regions will develop a list of projects to be funded by a one percent sales tax. Georgians will vote on the tax in the 2012 primary elections." The Atlanta Regional Transportation Roundtable was formed as a result of the investment act.

The Atlanta Regional Roundtable is scheduled to meet on October 6 to decide the final list of regional transportation and infrastructure projects to present to voters on October 13.