Gwinnett’s Billion-Dollar Transit Boondoggle
The plan to extend MARTA into Gwinnett and build a new station at Jimmy Carter Boulevard does nothing to address travel between cities in Gwinnett or to adjacent counties other than Fulton and DeKalb.
Transportation policy must focus on improving mobility and relieving congestion, not social engineering to force commuters out of their chosen mode of transportation. Most commuter rail proposals are expensive and ineffective, and could also limit the growth of freight traffic driven by expanding coastal port operations. Policies should embrace technological innovation, a user-pay system, and objective, mobility-focused criteria with cost-benefit analysis.
Foundation Adapts, With 2020’s Georgia Legislative Policy Forum on Zoom
Instead of surrendering to COVID-19, the 2020 Georgia Legislative Policy Forum will adapt: It will be hosted on Zoom as a series of FREE weekly webinar beginning July 15, 2020, with the opening keynote by U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.
A Tail-Chasing Regional Transportation Plan
What does Atlanta get for $172.6 billion? With or without the plan, the Atlanta Regional Commission admits, the region’s congestion will worsen.
Put the Brakes on High-Speed Rail in Georgia
Riding the rails sounds romantic. But once the facts are revealed, the romantic notion is replaced by the cold, hard reality of massive government subsidies.
Regional Transit Plan A Veritable Smorgasbord for ATLanta
As it oversees at regional cooperation and collaboration, the ATL must avoid the “insanity” definition: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.
Atlanta Streetcar’s Gone Off the Rails
The Atlanta Streetcar opened over deadline and over budget. Its performance has been astoundingly underwhelming, yet city officials continue to explore expansion.
From an Unlikely Source, Market-based Transit Policies
Public transportation is a highly debated topic in Georgia. Central to this debate is the allocation of federal funding through grants and tax revenues.
Managed Lanes, The Untolled Story
Since the opening of the reversible express toll lanes on I-75 and I-575, enough commuters are choosing to pay the tolls that it’s making an enormous difference to traffic flow in the general-purpose lanes.
Georgia Rail Passenger Program
The Georgia Rail Passenger Program consists of a comprehensive plan for two distinct kinds of rail transportation: commuter and intercity trains, and proposed high-speed rail systems.
Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA)
GRTA is a state-level authority that addresses mobility and air quality in metro Atlanta. GRTA approves the allocation of state and federal transportation resources in metro Atlanta via the Atlanta Transportation Improvement Program (TIP), the federally-required planning process that allocates funds to the highest-priority, near-term transportation projects.
Bus Rapid Transit Shows Promise
The US DOT and FTA seek new ways to design and operate high capacity Bus Rapid Transit systems as an alternative to building Light Rail systems that often prove to be more expensive and less effective and solving congestion.
Bus Rapid Transit – Faster and Less Expensive than Light Rail
For years, the U.S. public transit industry has exhibited a clear preference for light rail systems even where bus systems could perform more effectively and at lower cost.
Governor’s Road Improvement Program (GRIP)
The Governor’s Road Improvement Program (GRIP) is a system of economic development highways that, when complete, will connect 95 percent of Georgia cities with populations of 2,500 or more to the Interstate Highway System.
Grant Anticipation Revenue Vehicles (GARVEEs)
In the broadest sense, a GARVEE is a type of anticipation vehicle, which are securities (debt instruments) issued when moneys are anticipated from a specific source to advance the upfront funding of a particular need.
Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
FTA provides financial and technical assistance to local public transit systems, including buses, subways, light rail, commuter rail, trolleys and ferries. FTA also oversees safety measures and helps develop next-generation technology research.
U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics
BTS is the preeminent source of statistics on commercial aviation, multimodal freight activity, and transportation economics, and provides context to decision makers and the public for understanding statistics on transportation.
U.S. DOT Highway Statistics
The Highway Statistics Series consists of annual reports containing analyzed statistical information on motor fuel, motor vehicle registrations, driver licenses, highway user taxation, highway mileage, travel and highway finance.
Georgia Department of Transportation
GDOT works to boost Georgia’s competitiveness via leadership in transportation by delivering a transportation system focused on innovation, safety, sustainability and mobility.
U.S. Department of Transportation
The mission of the USDOT is to serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future.
Light Rail vs. Reality
Everyone loves light rail—especially if they don't actually have to rely on it for actual transportation or pay the full cost of what it takes to schlep a rider from Point A to Point B.
