Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
LOL! I suspect this is nothing more than wishful thinking on your part.
No I don't wish anything bad on anybody city. Im just warning that's all. That could possibly happen if some of the strain isn't took off the atlanta transportation system interstates.
The smaller metros are more likely closer to breaking even, but the thing is many of the GRIP corridors that have taken much of the state's DOT's spending money for new projects has gone to connecting these second tier metros.
Technically every region of the state contributes, but that doesn't mean that Atlanta is getting too much of the attention as he is making it out to be.
As for TSPLOST... that money, by design stays local and is controlled locally. That was on them to do it or not. It has less to do with whether or not Atlanta (or themselves) get their fair share of other GDOT funds.
Well now you atlantians can not complain about spending money on us 2nd tier cities anymore. Because we will have our own tsplost that will fund our projects.
Well now you atlantians can not complain about spending money on us 2nd tier cities anymore. Because we will have our own tsplost that will fund our projects.
That's additional funding on top of what you already get from GDOT, if I'm not mistaken.
Well now you atlantians can not complain about spending money on us 2nd tier cities anymore. Because we will have our own tsplost that will fund our projects.
yes/no
It all depends and varies from case to case. TSPLOST is one single funding mechanism among others. TSPLOST does not fund everything. It also doesn't fund existing maintenance, which is sizable and where the state has under-invested the past 2 and half decades. That is pretty much a universal problem.
I'm also not trying to go out of my way to complain about 2nd tier cities, as much as I am sick and tired of these general opinions many seem to have about Atlanta getting everything when we are helping more than we are taking.
None of the second tier metro areas or Atlanta really receive the fair share. They all have transportation issues and are in need of major road improvements expansion, of course Atlanta much more than the others. While the small towns and rural areas have more than enough adequate roads. The state of Georgia as a whole just isn't serious about improving the transportation issues and as some have pointed out our transportation system has been severely underfunded for a while now.
I do think that all of the regions would have benefited from passing T-Splost.
Are you taking about construction projects or something else.Because if you go to georgia navigator and look at the current construction projects on the map most of them are in atlanta with hardly nothing in the other small cities in georgia. And the smaller cities in georgia are growing as well not just atlanta. But atlanta is the fastest growing city in the state but us 2nd tier georgia cities deserve some attention too. I also understand that atlanta holds most of the states population and none of us 2nd tier georgia cities will never be able to compete with atlanta.But however us smaller cities have growing needs and demands too.And all im asking for is for there to be a interstate brought threw columbus.
I agree that the second-tier Georgia city/metros deserve attention....And Georgia's second-tier metros have gotten some attention with the ongoing GRIP (Governor's Road Improvement Program) and some recent transportation infrastructure projects in:
> Macon (...the recent reconstruction of the south I-75/I-475 interchange)...
> Augusta (...the recent reconstruction of the I-20/I-520 interchange and the completion of the I-520 Loop around the south side of Augusta)...
> Savannah (...the road expansion projects in and around the Port of Savannah (Jimmy DeLoach Parkway, etc), the continuing road maintenance projects on I-95, the deepening of the Savannah River channel at the Port of Savannah, etc).
> Columbus (...the Fall Line Freeway east out of Columbus in addition to the completion of the US 80 J.R. Allen Parkway around the north side of Columbus over two decades ago)...
Are the transportation projects enough? Most likely not?
Though, as the other posters have pointed out, the entire state has suffered from underinvestment in transportation infrastructure over the last 2 decades or so, not just the second-tier city/metros.
I also agree that the construction of an Interstate-quality superhighway (a future I-14?) would be an excellent investment for Middle Georgia and for the state of Georgia as a whole.
I don't just think that the road would potentially be a good investment from a logistical standpoint (by helping to take a significant amount of through truck traffic (though most certainly not all truck traffic) off of Atlanta-area superhighways like I-20 and the south leg of I-285).
I think that the road would potentially be a good investment from an economically developmental standpoint by potentially helping to bring increased economic development opportunities to a part of the state that could use more economic development opportunities in Middle Georgia.
Though, I think that the road should (and would have to) be built as a toll road so as not to cut into severely limited transportation funds that are needed for the rest of the state.
As we have touched on before, the problem is that getting a grade-separated Interstate-quality superhighway version of the Fall Line Freeway is a total impossibility in this current political climate, even if the road were to be built with tolls.
Even if tolls were used to fund the project, the environmentalists and the anti-road construction groups (which have a lot more pull in state government than they appear to have on the surface and are infinitely much more powerful than they seem) would most assuredly pressure the state into abandoning the project early-on.
And if tolls were not used, Atlanta media outlets would most assuredly get Metro Atlantans worked up into a lather over state transportation dollars being spent to build a new superhighway through sparsely-populated Middle Georgia while Metro Atlantans continue to sit in worsening traffic jams.
Columbus area residents may view an Interstate-quality superhighway version of the Fall Line Freeway/future I-14 as a way to take through truck traffic off of some Atlanta-area Interstates like I-20 and I-285, but I can assure you that is very likely not the way that such a road would be portrayed and viewed in Metro Atlanta.
Between the powerful environmental and anti-road construction groups, an aggressive tabloid-like Atlanta media and traffic gridlock-fatigued Metro Atlanta commuters, an Interstate-quality superhighway version of the Fall Line Freeway would very much likely die an early death in this toxic political environment...
...Which are probably some of the major reasons why the state very quietly built the Fall Line Freeway as a divided 4-lane surface road with at-grade intersections over the past two-and-a-half decades.
Now, I'm not necessarily saying that there is no hope of a future I-14 or a West Georgia Tollway (via I-185/US 27) being built.
There is maybe (just maybe) a sliver of hope that a Middle Georgia/Fall Line superhighway and/or a West Georgia Tollway, but most likely only if the State of Georgia distracts and satisfies the aforementioned road construction-averse constituencies (environmentalists, anti-roadbuilding groups, transit advocates, Atlanta media, rush hour commuters, etc) with a MASSIVE build-out of an extensive regional rail and bus transit network along with the long-overdue reconstruction of some severely-congested existing freeway interchanges.
Quote:
Originally Posted by columbusmetro89
Columbus is the third largest populated city in the state of georgia but has no interstate. You would think the the state of georgia would be working on bringing a interstate threw columbus to give our third largest city in georgia a good reputation and to give our state a good reptuation. But georgia has kinda a bad reptuation when it's third largest city doesn't even have an interstate. Because ask yourself this what other third largest city in other states don't have an interstate I think they all do.
But Columbus does have an interstate....Columbus has Interstate 185 which (although it is an interstate spur) connects to Interstate 85 which connects directly to the world's busiest airport at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport....An interstate connection which many cities in Columbus' situation would kill for.
Just because Columbus does not have one or two mainline interstates running through it does not mean that the city and metro area does not have anything to build off of....The existing I-185/I-85 interstate connection to the world-leading Atlanta Airport and the very fast-growing Atlanta metro region are really huge assets that a city/metro area like Columbus can build on.
Instead of waiting for one or two Interstate-quality superhighways that very well may never be built through the Columbus area, some things that the Columbus area can build on much sooner are:
> The continued investment in the growth and expansion of Columbus State University into a residential campus (...this is something which will bring many more students and younger residents into the area over the long-run)...
> Continued investment in improving Columbus' downtown area and making it an attractive area in which to live, work and play...
> Continued advocacy by Columbus leaders for the implementation of high-speed commuter and interurban passenger rail service to the world-leading Atlanta Airport and the job centers of very fast-growing Metro Atlanta...
(...High-speed passenger rail service is something that would effectively make Columbus an exurban bedroom community of Atlanta (in a way that is similar to how a city like South Bend, Indiana has become an exurban bedroom community of Chicago with a regional commuter rail link 95 miles away to Downtown Chicago) by making Columbus much more easily accessible to Atlanta....Current and future Columbus residents would be able much more easily and quickly travel to catch flights and go to jobs in Atlanta while Atlanta-area residents would be able to travel to jobs, education and events in Columbus with a high-speed rail link between Columbus and Atlanta.)
The continued growth of CSU, continued improvement of Downtown Columbus and a future high-speed passenger rail link to Atlanta by way of the world-leading Atlanta Airport are some of the major investments that will help improve the long-term economic prospects and quality-of-life of a city like Columbus.
High-speed rail service will also potentially (but not absolutely) be much more easier for a city like Columbus to obtain and bring online than a mainline interstate which would be much more difficult to get built because of the objections of environmentalists, anti-road construction groups, transit advocates, the Atlanta media and angry Metro Atlanta commuters.
I agree that the second-tier Georgia city/metros deserve attention....And Georgia's second-tier metros have gotten some attention with the ongoing GRIP (Governor's Road Improvement Program) and some recent transportation infrastructure projects in:
> Macon (...the recent reconstruction of the south I-75/I-475 interchange)...
> Augusta (...the recent reconstruction of the I-20/I-520 interchange and the completion of the I-520 Loop around the south side of Augusta)...
> Savannah (...the road expansion projects in and around the Port of Savannah (Jimmy DeLoach Parkway, etc), the continuing road maintenance projects on I-95, the deepening of the Savannah River channel at the Port of Savannah, etc).
> Columbus (...the Fall Line Freeway east out of Columbus in addition to the completion of the US 80 J.R. Allen Parkway around the north side of Columbus over two decades ago)...
Are the transportation projects enough? Most likely not?
Though, as the other posters have pointed out, the entire state has suffered from underinvestment in transportation infrastructure over the last 2 decades or so, not just the second-tier city/metros.
I also agree that the construction of an Interstate-quality superhighway (a future I-14?) would be an excellent investment for Middle Georgia and for the state of Georgia as a whole.
I don't just think that the road would potentially be a good investment from a logistical standpoint (by helping to take a significant amount of through truck traffic (though most certainly not all truck traffic) off of Atlanta-area superhighways like I-20 and the south leg of I-285).
I think that the road would potentially be a good investment from an economically developmental standpoint by potentially helping to bring increased economic development opportunities to a part of the state that could use more economic development opportunities in Middle Georgia.
Though, I think that the road should (and would have to) be built as a toll road so as not to cut into severely limited transportation funds that are needed for the rest of the state.
As we have touched on before, the problem is that getting a grade-separated Interstate-quality superhighway version of the Fall Line Freeway is a total impossibility in this current political climate, even if the road were to be built with tolls.
Even if tolls were used to fund the project, the environmentalists and the anti-road construction groups (which have a lot more pull in state government than they appear to have on the surface and are infinitely much more powerful than they seem) would most assuredly pressure the state into abandoning the project early-on.
And if tolls were not used, Atlanta media outlets would most assuredly get Metro Atlantans worked up into a lather over state transportation dollars being spent to build a new superhighway through sparsely-populated Middle Georgia while Metro Atlantans continue to sit in worsening traffic jams.
Columbus area residents may view an Interstate-quality superhighway version of the Fall Line Freeway/future I-14 as a way to take through truck traffic off of some Atlanta-area Interstates like I-20 and I-285, but I can assure you that is very likely not the way that such a road would be portrayed and viewed in Metro Atlanta.
Between the powerful environmental and anti-road construction groups, an aggressive tabloid-like Atlanta media and traffic gridlock-fatigued Metro Atlanta commuters, an Interstate-quality superhighway version of the Fall Line Freeway would very much likely die an early death in this toxic political environment...
...Which are probably some of the major reasons why the state very quietly built the Fall Line Freeway as a divided 4-lane surface road with at-grade intersections over the past two-and-a-half decades.
Now, I'm not necessarily saying that there is no hope of a future I-14 or a West Georgia Tollway (via I-185/US 27) being built.
There is maybe (just maybe) a sliver of hope that a Middle Georgia/Fall Line superhighway and/or a West Georgia Tollway, but most likely only if the State of Georgia distracts and satisfies the aforementioned road construction-averse constituencies (environmentalists, anti-roadbuilding groups, transit advocates, Atlanta media, rush hour commuters, etc) with a MASSIVE build-out of an extensive regional rail and bus transit network along with the long-overdue reconstruction of some severely-congested existing freeway interchanges.
But Columbus does have an interstate....Columbus has Interstate 185 which (although it is an interstate spur) connects to Interstate 85 which connects directly to the world's busiest airport at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport....An interstate connection which many cities in Columbus' situation would kill for.
Just because Columbus does not have one or two mainline interstates running through it does not mean that the city and metro area does not have anything to build off of....The existing I-185/I-85 interstate connection to the world-leading Atlanta Airport and the very fast-growing Atlanta metro region are really huge assets that a city/metro area like Columbus can build on.
Instead of waiting for one or two Interstate-quality superhighways that very well may never be built through the Columbus area, some things that the Columbus area can build on much sooner are:
> The continued investment in the growth and expansion of Columbus State University into a residential campus (...this is something which will bring many more students and younger residents into the area over the long-run)...
> Continued investment in improving Columbus' downtown area and making it an attractive area in which to live, work and play...
> Continued advocacy by Columbus leaders for the implementation of high-speed commuter and interurban passenger rail service to the world-leading Atlanta Airport and the job centers of very fast-growing Metro Atlanta...
(...High-speed passenger rail service is something that would effectively make Columbus an exurban bedroom community of Atlanta (in a way that is similar to how a city like South Bend, Indiana has become an exurban bedroom community of Chicago with a regional commuter rail link 95 miles away to Downtown Chicago) by making Columbus much more easily accessible to Atlanta....Current and future Columbus residents would be able much more easily and quickly travel to catch flights and go to jobs in Atlanta while Atlanta-area residents would be able to travel to jobs, education and events in Columbus with a high-speed rail link between Columbus and Atlanta.)
The continued growth of CSU, continued improvement of Downtown Columbus and a future high-speed passenger rail link to Atlanta by way of the world-leading Atlanta Airport are some of the major investments that will help improve the long-term economic prospects and quality-of-life of a city like Columbus.
High-speed rail service will also potentially (but not absolutely) be much more easier for a city like Columbus to obtain and bring online than a mainline interstate which would be much more difficult to get built because of the objections of environmentalists, anti-road construction groups, transit advocates, the Atlanta media and angry Metro Atlanta commuters.
Yeah I totally agree with all you said.And the highspeed rail would be nice from columbus to atlanta that way we would not have to deal with atlanta traffic. And downtown columbus is on the rise and is becoming a more larger college town with columbus state university expanding downtown this is going to bring more college students downtown.
Last edited by columbusmetro89; 02-07-2015 at 11:43 PM..
Get used to it, we aren't going anywhere. And with over 60% of Georgia's population in the metro, it sort of is all about us. We are sick and tired of funding the rest of the State and getting very little in return.
Ignorant mindsets like this hurt everyone in the state.
On the I-14 topic, what would the chances of parts of it being constructed in other states? From reading the plans for it I see some of them list it going out as far as western Texas according to the linked Blogspot post. based on this blogspot post. I've only followed the discussions on here about the political climate in Georgia. Would sections of it being built further west bring in more support or pressure to develop it going in to Georgia?
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
