Georgia Must Find Transportation Funding Solution

Georgia’s huge transportation funding shortfall will emerge as a central issue for the newly elected Legislature in 2015.

So far, the gap between transportation needs and funding hasn’t made waves in the governor’s race between Democrat Jason Carter and Republican incumbent Nathan Deal. But metro Atlanta and Georgia’s prosperity depends on finding a solution, says an influential Republican leader.

Former House Majority Whip Edward Lindsey, who left his 54th District seat in July to serve as a citizen member of the Joint Study Committee on Critical Transportation Funding Infrastructure for Georgia, recently sent an e-mail to Georgia Pundit outlining the funding crisis. The committee, which is holding hearings around Georgia, will make a recommendation to the General Assembly.

“The purpose of my e-mail was to lay out the problem, to get people to start looking at the problem realistically, to move beyond sound bites and bumper sticker slogans,” Lindsey told Insider Advantage Georgia. “Our transportation funding is grossly inadequate in order to meet all of our future needs. The sources are precarious into the future.”

“It’s time for us simply to do the math and look at solutions realistically,” Lindsey said. “We have seven more [committee] meetings, and I look forward to hearing more solutions.”

In his Georgia Pundit article, Lindsey cited the ancient Turkish city of Ephesus that declined from failure to maintain its river port. He said Atlanta faces a similar demise if it doesn’t solve its transportation woes.

“There is no standing still,” Lindsey told Georgia Pundit. “Either we meet the infrastructure needs of our community or we slowly wither and die.”

According to Lindsey’s e-mail, the committee in an initial Altanta hearing learned that the state’s transportation plan through 2035 will cost an estimated $160 billion. Over that period, current revenue sources are estimated to bring in $86 billion, leaving a $74 billion gap.

Candidates are avoiding proposals to raise the 4 percent gasoline sales tax. Deal recently said it’s “premature to be talking about an increase in taxation,” according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, saying he would wait for the committee’s recommendations and that getting legislative votes for a tax hike would be tough. Meanwhile, Carter has shunned tax increase proposals, even to raise education funding, and advocates improved government efficiency instead.

Discussing the funding gap, Democratic State Rep. Stacey Evans of Smyrna said, “the state has to do something. I’m not sure raising the gas tax is the right solution.” She said she plans on attending some of the remaining committee hearings. “I need to learn more about what our options are,”

Evans represents Cobb County, where traffic gridlock is expected to worsen with the Braves’ stadium.

“I’m very excited about the Braves’ move,” she said, adding that the team’s new home “will be a stone’s throw away from my district. I’m thrilled, but I’m concerned about transportation like everybody else.”

She said she travels through the area to get home, and “Cobb Parkway bottlenecks every single day, and that will be a very major way for people to get out there [to games]. We’ve got to do something about that.”

One partial remedy to the budget shortfall would be using all of the state gas tax for transportation. Lindsey pointed out in his e-mail that only three quarters of the 4 percent sales tax is now used for roads, with the other penny going to the state general fund. The extra cent generates $180 million per year that could be used for roads.

While a legislator, Lindsey was fond of pointing out that his district includes two MARTA stations. He still sees mass transit as part of the solution. “I think when you talk about transportation, you talk about everything. As far as I’m concerned, you can’t discuss transportation without discussing mass transportation. Everything needs to be on the table.”

Both Evans and Lindsey said solving the transportation problem will require bipartisan agreement, no matter who is elected governor. The Legislature will remain predominantly Republican.

“It’s something that needs to receive bipartisan support,” Lindsey said. “It’s a matter of doing the math and figuring out a way to pay for roads.”

The committee holds a hearing today in Columbus, with other sessions around the state through October.

Lindsey, who made an unsuccessful run for the 11th congressional district nomination in last May’s primary, said he plans to remain involved in issues. He didn’t rule out a future return to politics.