In the waning days if the 2015 Legislative Session, I introduced a couple of bills meant to be discussed during the off season and taken up during the 2016 Session. I will be writing a few posts about them and would like feedback from the Peach Pundit community. The first one I’ll talk about is an idea I have to provide more funding to MARTA for the purpose of expanding their rail system.

HR830 is a Constitutional amendment that would allow for the creation, via Legislation, of a transit community improvement district (TCID). The funds generated by the TCID would be used to expand MARTA’s rail service. The TCID would be located along the path of existing rail lines and could be expanded to include new rail lines as they are constructed. The ballot question would read as follows:

Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as provide for the creation of transit community improvement districts in which property, with the consent of the owners thereof, may be subject to taxes, fees, and assessments for the purpose of providing extensions of existing transit rail infrastructure, including rail lines, terminals, rail cars, and other associated capital expenditures?”

Over the next few months, I plan to meet with various stakeholders to get their feedback and input on this. That feedback will help craft the enabling legislation which I will introduce next session. One key component of the enabling legislation will be that MARTA’s rail could only be expanded as funds become available. In other words, MARTA won’t be accumulating tons of debt based on future revenue from the TCID.

So why allow for the creation of a TCID? Funding for transit, especially expansion of rail, has been a vexing question for a number of years. In the wake of the failure of the TSPLOST measure in 2010, it became clear to me that the discussion of funding transit needed to be separated from the discussion about funding roads and bridges. The debate over this year’s transportation funding bill further cemented my thinking. The interests of pro-transit people and pro-roads and bridges people are at odds. You can argue they shouldn’t be but the reality is they are. I can also assure you that the desire to take up the subject of funding transportation will not be very high on next year’s Legislative priority list. So, pro-transit folks disappointed with HB170 will have to stay disappointed unless a different funding mechanism can be found (like HR830).

CID’s have become popular, especially in the Metro area, as a way to make improvements in a specific area. Here in Gwinnett they are making tangible improvements to areas around Jimmy Carter Blvd for example. The Jimmy Carter Blvd bridge over I-85 was converted to a diverging diamond interchange and traffic has improved. Why not use that concept to help fund expansion of MARTA’s rail lines in areas where there is a need and desire for this service? It would avoid an annual transit vs. roads fight in the State budget and provide a steady, and increasing as MARTA grows, source of revenue.

What do y’all think of my idea?