MARTA for Georgia

Like Grift, I don't think Rep. Fran Millar's idea to let the state run MARTA is necessarily a bad one. Obviously, there are a few hurdles that need to be sorted out - such as hammering out a basic funding mechanism for state transportation projects as a whole, as well as sifting through the final pieces of reform needed for comprehensive oversight of the Department of Transportation - but, at least as the surface level, Millar's idea has some legs ...

Furthermore, per Georgia State University, metro Atlanta (10 counties) pays 53 percent of the state’s taxes and receive 37 percent of the state’s spending. If metro Atlanta’s physical infrastructure cannot allow further growth and/or our competitive position deteriorates, then the balance of our state will not continue to receive this additional funding over what they collect.

This alone should be the necessary incentive for non-metro legislators to support the creation of this public transportation division under DOT and a regional transportation solution with a sales tax component.

No great city in our country (New York, Chicago, Washington, San Francisco) relies only on highways. We either seize the initiative now or in the not-too-distant future explain to our children why Atlanta is no longer the capital of the South. Remember when we were the financial headquarters of the South?

It's refreshing to see Republican leaders begin to endorse the concept of rail, mass transit and the like. Given the Obama Administration's stated desire to extend rail lines through Georgia, it's evident the infrastructure is in place to build a system for the future that relies less on additional pavement and more on a diverse, integrated transportation system (perhaps utilizing MARTA as the foundation for a more comprehensive statewide network of rail, commuter train and the like).

Arguably, this is a relatively new proposal, and I've got some questions and concerns, but I'm more than glad to see Millar taking some action on this front.