The American Council of Engineering Companies of Georgia (ACEC) on Thursday hosted Georgia Department of Transportation Commissioner Russell McMurry, who gave an update on the state’s transit patterns in the face of the pandemic as well as a look at the upcoming budget process, which obviously will be a bit more complex than in a normal year.
GDOT is linked at the hip to the state’s engineering industry, with an annual budget (normally) over $2 billion and much of that money going to engineering contractors working on road and rail projects across the state. Part of the ACEC’s mission is to bring policy leaders into the discussion with industry professionals, and when it comes to experts on the nation’s 10th largest transportation system, few could be more qualified than McMurry.
Click to enlarge – Daily vehicular volume on Georgia roads since March
McMurry brought plenty of hard data to the online forum, some “inside baseball” for the engineering professionals in attendance. Traffic volume, according to numbers collected by the GDOT since March 22nd, is down across the state by some 45%. While total trips are only down 10-15%, the state has seen 30% fewer miles traveled on Georgia roads. Less congestion on the roads – not necessarily a bad thing. But the kicker for the GDOT comes in the form of reduced fuel taxes as folks are fueling up less – a number that will be reflected in the FY2021 budget.
One bright spot – trucking volume, after a slight early dip as the market recalibrated, is now up over 2020. All those Amazon deliveries have to come from somewhere, right?
He also stayed positive when it came to looking ahead at the FY2021 and 2022 budgets. Gas consumption going down obviously hurts fuel tax revenues, and indeed revenue is down some 13% – staying in line with what the rest of the state has seen. However McMurry praised Gov. Brian Kemp and other legislative leaders who managed to find money for road and bridge repair even in a shrunken budget. “I’m still smiling, with COVID we’ve landed in a very good spot” he told viewers.
Likewise voters in the Central Savannah River Area – the area around Augusta, voted in June to extend a 1% sales tax that will go toward a wide range of projects in the region. McMurry thanked voters and called the approval a “a testament to us being good stewards with the money.”
Many questions remain for the GDOT moving forward into 2021 and beyond. The effects of the COVID pandemic will surely be felt rippling through the economy and tax revenues for years to come. But with continued good leadership – and a continued strong link between both legislative leaders industry leaders – the “new normal” should include a bright future.
