Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

Georgia Screws Transit Riders, Again

11:39 AM EDT on June 3, 2015

Georgia ranks near the bottom in transit spending among U.S. states. MARTA, which serves residents of the Atlanta region, is the largest transit system in the country to receive no state funding.

And Darin at Network blog ATL Urbanist reports that the state has yanked the rug from under transit-using Georgians once again.

As jobs in Georgia spread farther out, the state isn’t making it any easier to get to work without driving. Photo: James Willamor/Flickr
As jobs in Georgia spread farther out, the state isn’t making it any easier to get to work without driving. Photo: James Willamor/Flickr

[Y]ou can understand the excitement felt by many when it was announced earlier this year that the state was going to set aside $100 million in bonds for transit projects statewide. It’s a small amount of money considering the budgets of transit systems, but it was encouraging to see Georgia at least make the gesture -- one that might, arguably, be a sign of changing opinions on transit spending at the state level.

But this week we have news that the amount, already a small gesture, has gotten smaller. It now stands at $75 million. Why?

It turns out the State Road and Tollway Authority diverted 25 percent of that $100 million mostly for the “Savannah Megasite,” which the Atlanta Business Chronicle describes as “a 1,558-acre property at interstates 16 and 95 the state has been trying for years to peddle to auto manufacturers eying Georgia.”

Darin says the $25 million is needed to help Atlantans get to work. This week, Brookings reported that Atlanta is one of the worst metros in the nation when it comes to job sprawl, i.e. the proximity of residents to workplaces.

Adding insult to injury, Darin notes, the “Savannah Megasite” is a far piece from central Savannah, and would be difficult to access without a car.

Elsewhere today: Itinerant Urbanist says a proposed Chicago airport connector is a bad idea that won’t go away; Urban Indy features repurposed structures saved by socializing; and The Dirt has an interesting story on how the blind navigate cities.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Labor Gains: Judge Tosses App Giants’ Suit to Stop Deliverista Minimum Wage

Justice Nicholas Moyne cleared the way for a long-delayed wage hike for workers who brave dangerous roads to bring food directly to New Yorkers.

September 29, 2023

Fed Up Bronxites Tell Mayor To Forget About Bus Ride Invitation After Fordham Road ‘Betrayal’

"I really would think that our mayor would be a little bit more active and speak with us, because he hasn't really made any time with riders. We're not the enemy. We just want better bus service."

September 29, 2023

City Pays $150K to Settle Suit Over Cops Who Harassed Man Who Reported Police Parking Misconduct

Justin Sherwood and his lawyer will pocket $152,000 to settle his federal civil rights suit against the city and several officers who harassed him following his 311 calls.

September 28, 2023

Police Brass Gets Booed During E-Vehicle Safety Alliance Meeting for Applauding Deliveristas

Attendees of the E-Vehicle Safety Alliance's latest meeting castigated a Transportation Bureau deputy inspector for saying that delivery workers are responsive to safety issues.

September 28, 2023
See all posts