Maria Saporta - "Looking for bold leadership from Atlanta’s business community" (Sandy Springs: home, neighborhoods)

[LynnHarris]

By Maria Saporta

Wimpy, wimpy, wimpy.

That is the most generous way to describe the transportation proposals coming out of the state legislature – and the response from the Atlanta business community.

Before the legislature convened, a Joint Study Committee on Critical Transportation Infrastructure Funding released its findings. To just maintain our current transportation system of roads and bridges, the state would have to bridge an annual funding gap of $1 billion to $1.5 billion.

And all of this smoke and mirrors budget maneuvering is being done for show rather than for substance. It certainly will NOT add $1 billion in net new revenue for transportation (one observer estimated the number is closer to $60 million to $80 million a year when all is said and done).

That’s a far cry from the minimum that the Metro Atlanta Chamber and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce said was needed at the beginning of the session. Remember? At least $1.5 billion with a large share going to transit.

But now that the session is in full swing, the Metro Atlanta Chamber has gone silent or underground.

From all outward appearances, it feels as though the Metro Atlanta Chamber has become complicit in Georgia’s favorite sport – to aim low when it comes to investing our state’s future..."

Full Story: SaportaReport | Looking for bold leadership from Atlanta’s business community

[arjay57]

She's right.

The Atlanta area needs a Robert Moses who can come in and get things done. That old boy didn't mess around.

[CCATL]

Originally Posted by arjay57

She's right.

The Atlanta area needs a Robert Moses who can come in and get things done. That old boy didn't mess around.

I agree, we need the bold leadership she is calling for. However, not Robert Moses, please - at least in the form of projects that he completed. He had too much power in NYC, and successfully destroyed neighborhoods to build interstates regardless of community pushback, and wanted to destroy much larger swaths of Manhattan before he was taken down. We don't need somebody like that coming in an ramming another highway through downtown Atlanta - but, we do need somebody with similar influence (less influence and power, but similar at least) to be a proponent of transit (ie: not road) projects in Atlanta.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by CCATL

I agree, we need the bold leadership she is calling for. However, not Robert Moses, please - at least in the form of projects that he completed. He had too much power in NYC, and successfully destroyed neighborhoods to build interstates regardless of community pushback, and wanted to destroy much larger swaths of Manhattan before he was taken down. We don't need somebody like that coming in an ramming another highway through downtown Atlanta - but, we do need somebody with similar influence (less influence and power, but similar at least) to be a proponent of transit (ie: not road) projects in Atlanta.

I know but Moses didn't mess around.

[jsvh]

Here is hoping some of the private transportation companies that are starting to do rail in places like Florida and Texas will come to metro Atlanta soon. That would be some real business leadership there.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by arjay57

I know but Moses didn't mess around.

Fun fact: He never learned how to drive.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by Gulch

Fun fact: He never learned how to drive.

Driving is for people who mess around.

[ATLTJL]

It really is amazingly terrible.

I couldn't believe reading the quote from the official (from Sandy Springs or DeKalb county, I don't remember) who in response to 1 million new square feet of office space being constructed admitted that there would probably be additional traffic on Mt. Vernon Road.

Wow. Ace transportation plan!

And for the life of me, I can't figure out why everybody is underestimating the impact of NCR pulling out of Gwinnett county and relocating to midtown. It's like nobody even realizes, or at least cares, that this is a huge blow and is an indicator of what is to come.

It makes me angry to see how terrible we are at addressing such a large problem in the area. The only thing that gives me hope is since we have done so little for so long, we will eventually be faced with a serious choice: give a real transportation plan rocket boosters, or suffer decline. When that day comes, it will be great to see spectacular transit options get greenlit and all barriers removed. I just hope we are smart about it and don't use that political capital to design a system that doesn't work. Or even worse, choose to go into decline instead.

[AcidSnake]

Unfortunately, the people who do actually vote in this state seem to place more priority on "restoring their religious freedom" (try not to laugh or cry too hard at that one)...than they do in safeguarding their infrastructure or strengthening the economy for future generations.

So this situation as you so perfectly framed it, is the result of said priority.

Thank you babyboomers!

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

It really is amazingly terrible.

I couldn't believe reading the quote from the official (from Sandy Springs or DeKalb county, I don't remember) who in response to 1 million new square feet of office space being constructed admitted that there would probably be additional traffic on Mt. Vernon Road.

Wow. Ace transportation plan!

And for the life of me, I can't figure out why everybody is underestimating the impact of NCR pulling out of Gwinnett county and relocating to midtown. It's like nobody even realizes, or at least cares, that this is a huge blow and is an indicator of what is to come.

It makes me angry to see how terrible we are at addressing such a large problem in the area. The only thing that gives me hope is since we have done so little for so long, we will eventually be faced with a serious choice: give a real transportation plan rocket boosters, or suffer decline. When that day comes, it will be great to see spectacular transit options get greenlit and all barriers removed. I just hope we are smart about it and don't use that political capital to design a system that doesn't work. Or even worse, choose to go into decline instead.

[AcidSnake]

I will say this though:

These corporations and their lobbyists & thinktanks since 2002 have been preaching to people on the evils of taxation. Even the local corporate media through passive resistance or non-resistance, enabled this dogmatic message.

So now we see the result.

These folks better not complain now. This is what they wanted. Political gridlock and traffic gridlock.

The chickens have come home to roost.