Stimulus spending efficiency

Smart Growth America has released an analysis of the spending of federal stimulus money on transportation projects - and how efficient the states have been in prioritizing and allocating said funding - and it's arguably a mixed bag.

Georgia, for all of its needs to alleviate congestion in the urban areas, entered the round of funding in pretty solid condition. Only eight percent of our roads and bridges were considered to be not in 'good' condition, while our drivers spent only an additional $44 due to 'poor' roads. Both numbers were best in the country.

Our allocation and efficiency in utilizing the funds, however, is more mixed.

Georgia ranked 30th in the state rankings for effective usage of its stimulus money in the area of transportation, signifying a weakness in job creation and infrastructure repair and enhancement. The state allocated close to $330 million, or roughly 60 percent of all funding, toward roadway preservation projects, but only dedicated a little more than five percent to public transportation options.

According to the report, the majority of states have missed an opportunity to utilize the funding as a opportunity to remove the backlog of road repair projects and public transportation enhancements as it noted that one-third of the total amount of funding was used on new road construction. In Georgia, more than 30 percent was used for new roads and bridges.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has more than 10,000 projects backlogged right now, many of which are the result of the deliberate slowing down of the process for awarding construction grants by former DOT Chairperson Gena Evans. As a result, the waiting list for projects soon featured a price tag that far exceeded the DOT's ability to pay.

Vance Smith, a former representative in the Georgia General Assembly and vocal critic of Evans, was just tabbed to serve as the new chairman.