The Atlanta Regional Roundtable met on July 7th. The roundtable reviewed the Executive Committee activities to date and participated in a transit decision-making workshop. During the workshop, the roundtable reviewed transit projects on the unconstrained list. The workshop also included a panel discussion with Utah Transit Authority General Manager, Mike Allegra; Salt Lake City Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Lane Beattie; Hillsborough County (Florida) Commissioner, Mark Sharpe; Denver Regional Transportation District General Manager, Phillip Washington and HDR Engineering Vice President Jim Shroeder. After the panel, the roundtable participated in a working lunch to discuss next steps of the Executive Committee.
MARTA Oversight (MARTOC) Chairman and State Representative Mike Jacobs informed the roundtable members that a draft bill on transit governance will be available for comment by the end of the month. Jacobs also discussed a seperate piece of legislation that will revise the MARTA act. Everyone agreed that legislation on regional transit governance and legislation addressing MARTA issues is needed. Everyone further agreed that both pieces of legislation should be taken up during the legislative session in 2012 rather than the upcoming special session.
On June 23rd, the Executive Committee requested the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) staff cut down the transportation project list from $22.9 billion to approximately 50% of that amount. ARC presented the $12 billion staff developed Transportation Investment Act project list at the meeting on July 7th. Roundtable members have one week to review the list and ask that projects be added back. Meetings are being set up with local elected officials in the metro counties to gather comments on the first draft of the project list. The roundtable must produce a final project list equivalent to $6.1 billion by October 13th. You can learn more about the roundtable meeting and the staff developed Transportation Investment Act project list at the links below.
ARC Staff Developed Transportation Investment Act of 2010 Project List
The next Executive Committee meeting will be on July 21st at 9:00 am at the Atlanta Regional Commission Amphitheater.