Al points out that a list of 12 amendments to the Transportation Investment Act draft list now posted on the Atlanta Regional Commission’s website.   Among them is CEO Burrell Ellis’ request to take $297 million from GA 400 projects and give it to the I-20 East corridor mass transit project, which is seconded by Decatur Mayor Bill Floyd.  Here’s the wording of the amendment…

The purpose of this amendment is allocate an additional $297 million in regional sales tax funds to the mass transit extension along I-20 East corridor (TIA-M-023), by reducing that amount of sales tax funding from the projects proposed on State Route 400 at I-285 (TIA-AR-030), and the S.R. 400 Collector-Distributor lanes (TIA-FN-014), and asking the State of Georgia to pledge that these important roadway projects for the Region and the State will still be completed over the next 10 years through multiple alternative sources of funding such as public-private partnerships, toll revenues, bonds, and other state-generated funds that can leverage the federal funds that are also being programmed for this corridor, in order to create a true win-win both for economic competitiveness and congestion relief through our enhanced regional transit network as well as the roadway network. The remaining $45.5 million in TIA funding is proposed to be split equally between TIA-AR-030 and TIA-FN-014 to advance the projects.

And here’s the stated “reason for the request”…

On September 27, 2011, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted to request an additional $297 million to fund this priority mass transit project. The completion of a mass transit extension along the I-20 East Corridor has been a top priority in the Regional transportation plans of the Atlanta Regional Commission, the MARTA Board, the DeKalb County CEO and Board of Commissioners for many years. The projected ridership for this line would be among the highest for the transit extensions being considered by the Regional Roundtable for the Transportation Investment Act. Alternative funding sources are available for the SR 400 projects.

The amendment is slated to be considered at a roundtable meeting tomorrow.

Last night as the storms started, my land line rang from a number that identified as “GA ST GOVT.” Curious, I answered it, and I was greeted by a recorded message from Decatur mayor Bill Floyd, inviting me to participate in a “Telephone Town Hall” on the “Transportation Investment Act,” the July 2012 referendum to consider a 10-year penny sales tax to fund transportation improvements in 10 Metro regional counties. The discussion was taking place right that very minute. All I had to do was stay on the line.

I’ve been invited to participate in all sorts of “roundtables” and “town halls” and “webinars” and such, but never have I gotten a phone call like this one. On the one hand, it might have been nice to get a little bit of advance notice that this call was coming, but on the other hand, advance notice may not have changed the likelihood of my participation. As it was, it came at a good moment; I had unplugged the computer during the thunderbumper and was unloading the dishwasher and listening to that blessed rain fall. So I crooked the phone between my ear and shoulder while I cleaned the kitchen and paid attention.

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I’m about a week late on this, but still think it’s worth pointing out to anyone that doesn’t also stalk Thomas Wheatley online.  The ARC has created an interactive map that shows all proposed transportation projects currently on the Transportation Roundtable’s table.  Sure we reviewed all of Decatur’s projects a few weeks back, but what about MARTA and DeKalb projects that GO THROUGH Decatur?  Heh?  Did ja think about those??

For instance upgrades and expansion of the DeKalb Multi-Use trail running along Howard Ave!  Let me know what else you discuss, as I haven’t had a ton of time to investigate yet.