If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That dour saying appears to fit the bill in the case of two infrastructure programs approved under the watch of former Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed – the 2015 Renew Atlanta bond and the 2016 TSPLOST.
The pair of programs were originally expected to raise some $940 million to cover their expansive project lists, which included repairs and upgrades to city streets and sidewalks as well as expansion of public transit. Now though, city officials say that the funding sources for the two programs will only total some $540 million, far short of the initial cost estimate and forcing decision-makers to cut their project lists down to size.
In recent weeks the city has held public meetings to inform Atlanta residents of the funding gap, as well as to gather feedback on what the new list should prioritize moving forward. In that spirit, the city has released a public survey, which can be found HERE, letting the public weigh in on how they’d like to see their tax dollars spent.
The project list features some pretty extensive lists of the city’s current recommendations, including which streets and bridges are set for total overhaul, which will receive minor upgrades and repairs, and which have been de-prioritized entirely. The survey is slated to close this Friday.
City officials, led by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, say they hope to set a final project list by mid-April. Some tough decisions will surely have to be made, but such is life when dealing with another headache left by the Reed administration that saw two of its major transportation projects underfunded by nearly a half-billion dollars.
