Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Transit MARTA: Federal transportation bill is bad, bad news
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 2:24 PM
MARTA this morning told Georgia's congressional delegation — via the always festive "urging resolution" — that the transit agency opposes a provision of H.R. 7, the $260 billion surface transportation bill that's making its way through Congress. The provision that's raised the ire of MARTA and transit supporters — and many editorial boards — eliminates dedicated funding to public transportation and instead directs the cash to roads. Set asides for pedestrian and bike projects were also gutted. Via MARTA:
Since the Reagan administration in 1983, nearly half of all public transportation funding has been provided from the federal motor fuels tax dedicated to the Highway Trust Fund. This funding structure has successfully provided highway and transit programs with secure, dedicated revenues and has allowed public transit systems around the country to create jobs and foster economic growth.Under H.R. 7, however, public transit funding would receive a one-time appropriation with no funding for public transportation after 2016. This would create deep uncertainty for MARTA as well as other transit service providers in metro Atlanta including the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, Cobb Community Transit and Gwinnett County Transit. Scores of local transit systems in Georgia could also be adversely affected.
The loss of a dedicated revenue source would likely result in decreases in future federal funding to MARTA, which would force reductions in our transit service levels and seriously hamper future prospects for expansion.
Transit agency officials say federal cash makes up for 10 percent of the system's operating costs and 22 percent of its capital-improvement program.
Congressman John Lewis, D-Atlanta, has joined several other lawmakers, including some Republicans, to cut the elimination of transit funding from the bill and dedicate $40 billion to supporting public transportation. (In all honesty, the bill, which is becoming severely bloated with unrelated amendments involving oil drilling, needs a makeover. Plus, the Congressional Budget Office says it'll likely bankrupt the nation's the highway trust fund. Pretty much everyone hates the legislation.
Wanna tell your congressman to mothball the choo-choos and buses? Or maybe you'd like to keep funding public transit? Then contact your representatives and senators.
Comments (6)
Showing 1-6 of 6
like
dislike
So fucking disgraceful. Transit has already been cut to the bone. Prices have gone up, MARTA trains don't come as often, trains are often packed. And they want to cut funding even more? Are they really fucking serious? Gas prices are already outrageously high and will probably go well up over 4 bucks this summer. People are desperate to save money on gas and take public transit. Unfortunately, it looks like public transit is dead in this country. That giant sucking sound you hear is all the money we're sending to the oil companies.
my letter sent to congressman price (north atlanta):
Dr. Price,
I'm writing you in hopes that you will oppose H.R. 7 which was recently proposed in this session of Congress, in its current form.
The reasoning behind this, is that at a time when the economy is so poor, gas prices are rising, and there are few private investors willing to put up the cash, this bill sets aside $260 billion for transportation, but guts all potential appropriation to public transit, including all forms of rail. The passage of this bill would be detrimental to our community, as Atlanta and Alpharetta in particular are desperately underfunded in terms of public transportation.
As our roads clog up and become less and less commutable, and as our "rush hour" turns into two hours and three hours, it has become apparent that public transportation is desperately needed.
Unfortunately, the state isn't willing to fund public transportation as it should.
As a proponent of the Tenth Amendment, I am very much in favor of the state's authority to fund these sorts of things, but in this case our state legislature has failed. Georgia is almost dead last in state funding for public transportation, and our community has been devastated because of this.
As you may know, MARTA has already begun an Alternatives Analysis for the GA 400 corridor, which may lead to increased bus service, streetcars, and light or heavy rail. Unfortunately, with the amount of state funding for transportation, these projects could never be completed without federal funding.
I do not think we should put extra pressure on taxpayers by asking for increased funding across the table— clearly our national debt is an important problem. I simply believe that H.R. 7 should be modified to fund ALL types of transportation, both roads and public transit, both of which are desperately needed to solve the traffic situation in the Alpharetta area.
Other congressmen in Georgia have already come out in opposition to the bill in the way that it is written. I hope that you will seriously consider the impact that this bill will have on Georgia's Sixth District.
Thank you for your time,
Daniel
The Fed are a bad bad deal. Note to all Feds=losers and problems galore.
Good god...this would destroy Atlanta. Without this, the price to ride MARTA would be too expensive for the vast majority of riders to afford to ride it, and the handful of people that stick with it, even though they could drive (including me) would probably abandon it, due to the price/hassle of reduced services.
The state won't get it's act together to provide any support, and republicans from Ackworth will continue to derail any hopes for real urbanization and progress. We'll become nothing more than a massive swath of land, sparsely populated by shitty homes, and boring people. There will be no city, and therefore no definitive job center. What little dynamism existed will be gone, and the jobs will leave with it.
The areas of intellectual, progressive, and wealthy centers will continue to concentrate themselves in areas that provide the services, and will continue to entice populations that are more concerned with their social and intellectual development than they are with the color of leather in their overleveraged BMW.
Latest in Fresh Loaf
-
Time and Place: Read between the lines
To me this photo is about doing your own thing and following your own path in life.
-
Vernon Jones wants to return to the Gold Dome and other interesting qualification tidbits 1
Qualifying period ends, dust settles, campaigns begin
-
Suspects in Pittsburgh gay bashing slated to go to trial Tuesday
The men accused of beating Brandon White in Southwest Atlanta already headed to court
- More »
More by Author
-
House rushes, approves tax 'overhaul' 7
Legislation adds sales tax to online purchases, gives benefits to married couples
-
Atlanta Daily World, city's oldest black-owned newspaper, sold to Detroit media company
Busy few weeks for historic, family-owned publication
- More »
