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Atlanta, State Tackle Transportation Issues
The city is not without its critics. Commuting into Atlanta during rush hour has become a growing problem, and current road construction has been curtailed due to the lack of federal money. For two years the city has been penalized due to poor air quality. This is a Catch-22 situation. The federal government will not fund new road construction unless air quality improves. City and state officials say air quality will improve once new roads are available for commuters. In July of 2000, the federal government finally approved the Atlanta Regional Commission's plans, and dollars were released in October for road construction.
Metro area residents agree that traffic congestion is the number one problem facing the area. In a recent poll conducted by Georgia State University for the Atlanta Regional Growth Commission, 52 percent of those responding said traffic was the primary problem. However, in the same survey most agreed that growth and development in the Atlanta area over the past five years has had a positive effect on the area's economic well-being.
State and local officials are listening. In June of 2000, Gov. Roy Barnes created the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, the most comprehensive state organization ever created to tackle traffic and smog. MARTA, the Metropolitan Atlanta Area Rapid Transit Authority, has opened several new commuter rail stations on the city's north side in the last few months. More expansions are planned. GRTA has hired an engineering firm to conduct a detailed study of the transportation needs in the northern part of the metro region. The GRTA is meeting with the Georgia Rail Passenger Authority advocating commuter rail service from Atlanta to Athens, and on the south side of the city serving the city of Griffin.
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