Saporta Report takes a look at HB170 (Atlanta: sales, house)

[Ha-Mez]

LINK

Saporta Report champions transit, so their analysis is focused on that.

I believe there's plenty of misinformation floating around about HB170 here on this board. Hopefully, this will clear things up.

[ATLTJL]

Well, it's nice to know that they are focused on congested areas like I-85.

But I just don't know what can really be done about it. I don't think there's any more room to expand and it's pretty clear that the HOT lanes haven't done anything to help.

So I'd like to see just what the state plans to do to help with situations like this.

[magnetar]

It's not misinformation, but the shape of the bills are changing rapidly as they move through the lege.

I found this reassuring:

House Bill 170 now provides for the collection of taxes and fees to pay for transportation projects, in addition to motor fuel taxes. The stream of money from taxes and fees can be spent on public transit, while the motor fuel tax remains dedicated by the state Constitution to roads and bridges.
The final version of House Bill 170 specifically cites transit as eligible for funding:

So maybe local jurisdictions can vote to raise the MARTA sales tax using this provision, making the other amendment redundant.

[Ha-Mez]

Originally Posted by magnetar

So maybe local jurisdictions can vote to raise the MARTA sales tax using this provision, making the other amendment redundant.

It's possible. That may have been the "Technical issue" that led to the additional half-penny amendment getting crushed so resoundingly.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by Ha-Mez

It's possible. That may have been the "Technical issue" that led to the additional half-penny amendment getting crushed so resoundingly.

What I want to know is, why can't (or maybe they already can?) a county vote to raise their own amount of money to fund MARTA? They can do it for any other county transit projects they want can't they?

[atltechdude]

Originally Posted by magnetar

So maybe local jurisdictions can vote to raise the MARTA sales tax using this provision, making the other amendment redundant.

It's separate from the MARTA tax, but it allows counties not participating in the regional TSPLOSTS to vote on a TSPLOST specific to that county. That would include the counties in the Atlanta region since the regional one was voted down.