Cobb County Board of Commissioners Chairman Tim Lee and Kennesaw Mayor Mark Mathews are seeking to change the Regional Transportation Referendum Project List to reduce funding for transit and add the I-75/575 reversible toll lanes. State Senators Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) and Lindsey Tippins (R-west Cobb) and State Representative Earl Ehrhart (R-Powder Springs) are also supporting reopening the project list. This proposed change would require the state legislature to reopen HB 277 in order to allow changes to be made to the project list.
The I-75/575 reversible toll lane project was originally slated to be financed through public-private partnerships with the state. In December, Governor Deal announced that this project must be funded entirely by public funds. Lee and Mathews stated at a press conference on Tuesday January 24th at the Capitol that since they originally thought the toll lanes would be funded by public-private partnerships they were able to support transit projects in Cobb. However, since they must now find funding for the project from only public sources, they have re-evaluated the importance of funding the toll lanes with Transportation Referendum funds.
The Council continues to support the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 as it was passed. To read the full AJC article regarding this matter, CLICK HERE.