Loading...Georgia Chamber to Back Region-Based Transportation Bill
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce today, joined a growing list of supporters of H.B. 434, a bill that would allow voters in any region of the state to raise funds for transportation improvements through a public vote.
“Almost every region of the state has critical, but unfunded, transportation needs ranging from improving unsafe roads to reconstructing outdated highways to funding local transit initiatives,” said George Israel, president and CEO of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce. “This bill simply says that if voters want to tackle transportation improvements that are critical to their particular communities, they can do it.”
H.B. 434 was introduced on Feb. 14 by Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Alpharetta) and Rep. Richard Royal (R-Camilla). The bill is co-sponsored by Rep. Jon Burns (R-Effingham), Rep. Stephanie Benfield (D-DeKalb) and Rep. Virgil Fludd (D-Fulton), among others. It is also supported by 15 chambers of commerce, the Regional Business Coalition, the Livable Communities Coalition and the Technology Leadership Coalition.
While Georgia has been the fourth-fastest growing state in the nation over the last decade, its rate of investment in new transportation infrastructure is fourth from the bottom.
Across the country, regional referenda have been highly popular as a means to fund transportation improvements. In 2004 alone, there were 79 different public votes across the country on transportation matters, according to the national Center for Transportation Excellence. Of those, 73 were regional and 80 percent of the regional measures passed.
Many of the measures that passed in other parts of the country had the same safeguards as H.B. 434 -- a clear end date, a specific list of projects and an independent oversight committee.
Current supporters of H.B. 434 include:
Augusta Chamber of Commerce
Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce
Clayton County Chamber of Commerce
Cobb County Chamber of Commerce
Cumming-Forsyth Chamber of Commerce
DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce
Douglas County Chamber of Commerce
Fayette County Chamber of Commerce
Georgia Chamber of Commerce
Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce
South Fulton Chamber of Commerce
Henry County Chamber of Commerce
Newnan-Coweta County Chamber of Commerce
Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Paulding County Chamber of Commerce
Regional Business Coalition
Livable Communities Coalition
Technology Leadership Coalition
