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I also love how some of you are so generous with other people's "penny" and fail to add up those pennies. I am still waiting for the response in the other thread that lists specific companies that have failed to come here or have left based on traffic. The Chamber lists companies moving here and continuing to invest in the Atlanta metro, so in the absence of fact, I have to believe the supporters of this TSPLOST are making it up and trying to scare me, and relying on me "reading between the lines" as one poster told me to do, since he couldn't site actual companies.
In 2007, a Fortune 500 company by the name of MeadWestvaco, which is a packaging conglomerate valued at $6.5 billion, chose to relocate to Richmond instead of Atlanta due to its traffic. Despite Atlanta having the busiest airport in the world, it wasn't enough. In fact, Richmond's Chamber of Commerce was able to convince MeadWestvaco that it would be easier for them to access Dulles - which is 100 miles away - rather than fighting Atlanta traffic to get to Hartsfield-Jackson.
There were some other reasons leading to their decision, but Richmond CoC's economic development guy - who now ironically works for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, confirmed that traffic was the main selling point for luring MeadWestvaco to Richmond rather than Atlanta.
^a city with 1.2 million is going to have better traffic than one with over 5 million. If traffic was a legitimate concern in choosing a city, then yes I would not choose Atlanta. I believe Atl is the 9th largest metro and not supprisingly has the 9th worse traffic congestion. more people more traffic.
In 2007, a Fortune 500 company by the name of MeadWestvaco, which is a packaging conglomerate valued at $6.5 billion, chose to relocate to Richmond instead of Atlanta due to its traffic. Despite Atlanta having the busiest airport in the world, it wasn't enough. In fact, Richmond's Chamber of Commerce was able to convince MeadWestvaco that it would be easier for them to access Dulles - which is 100 miles away - rather than fighting Atlanta traffic to get to Hartsfield-Jackson.
There were some other reasons leading to their decision, but Richmond CoC's economic development guy - who now ironically works for the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, confirmed that traffic was the main selling point for luring MeadWestvaco to Richmond rather than Atlanta.
Thanks. At least that's a specific example. Of course, can you possibly take as serious a company who cites traffic as a blocker for moving to Atlanta, but then decides to rely on an airport 100 miles away (to Dulles), near the much worse traffic of DC off I-66, I-95, and the Beltway? Is that credible?
So locating in Henry, Fayette, Clayton, or South Fulton would have been worse than trucking 100 miles to Dulles? They could have located in Macon and trucked 50 miles to ATL, right? Come on. I can smell BS with that one.
Thanks. At least that's a specific example. Of course, can you possibly take as serious a company who cites traffic as a blocker for moving to Atlanta, but then decides to rely on an airport 100 miles away (to Dulles), near the much worse traffic of DC off I-66, I-95, and the Beltway? Is that credible?
So locating in Henry, Fayette, Clayton, or South Fulton would have been worse than trucking 100 miles to Dulles? They could have located in Macon and trucked 50 miles to ATL, right? Come on. I can smell BS with that one.
Hey. I'm just telling you what I've read and heard. That's what the execs at MeadWestvaco said influenced their decision. Mind you that not everyone at the company travels frequently and almost everyone faces a commute. Given the traffic conditions here in Metro Atlanta compared to Richmond, one can see how this is a plausible reason.
I will vote "NO" as this is just another tax that will never end and because it is so very regressive, misdirected and also unfair. First, it spends more than half of the revenue on public transportation that serves only about 5% of commuters. I favor putting almost all of the costs for needed transportation improvements directly on those who use the roads and using most of the money on road improvements. Funds needed should be raised by substantially increasing fuel taxes at the pump. Right now, the GA state tax on motor fuel is only 7.5 cents per gallon, the lowest or second lowest in the nation by a state. Increase that by a factor of five or so and increase vehicle registration fees, if that need be the case. Taxing me 1 cent for nearly every dollar I spend locally when I drive only four thousand miles a year in retirement is unfair. My county will benefit to the tune of only about 12 cents on the dollar collected in the county by this tax. That is also unfair for my county residents when one considers the fact that I live in Forsyth County, one of the fastest growing counties in GA and in the country, for that matter.
There is no plan B? Too bad. Get at working on an alternative since this T-SPLOST is going down.
Hey. I'm just telling you what I've read and heard. That's what the execs at MeadWestvaco said influenced their decision. Mind you that not everyone at the company travels frequently and almost everyone faces a commute. Given the traffic conditions here in Metro Atlanta compared to Richmond, one can see how this is a plausible reason.
Not debating your motive for sharing, only the content and the lack of credibility for the reason presented. Sure Richmond has less traffic (so does Roswell, New Mexico), but trucking goods to Dulles? Even at 2am, that will take 2 to 3 hours. Even in the worst Atlanta traffic, you can get to the airport in an hour or less from anywhere south of the city. In normal traffic, you can be there in 15 min.
Another person who has not done their research on this issue.
Ask yourself, what are the politicians going to say in 10 years when they will have to shut down all the bus service they have added, MARTA still has unfunded major maintenance projects and there's no money to support the new light rail lines they have added?
"There's no plan B. We can't shut down all these transportation options that everyone depends on, and decrease our region's competitiveness."
Here's reality. There is NO plan for continuing these projects after the tax ends. They will try to extend it, because in 10 years (or 20-there is conflicting info on how many years in operating costs they are including) they will have a disaster on their hands because they will not be able to operate the projects they have started.
Ask yourself, what are the politicians going to say in 10 years when they will have to shut down all the bus service they have added, MARTA still has unfunded major maintenance projects and there's no money to support the new light rail lines they have added?
"There's no plan B. We can't shut down all these transportation options that everyone depends on, and decrease our region's competitiveness."
Here's reality. There is NO plan for continuing these projects after the tax ends. They will try to extend it, because in 10 years (or 20-there is conflicting info on how many years in operating costs they are including) they will have a disaster on their hands because they will not be able to operate the projects they have started.
If you only knew the jeopardy that the Federal Highway Trust Fund is in. Right now we have no plan on the federal level for operating and managing our highways, but nonetheless it doesn't mean we stop planning and investing in the future.
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