According to a survey conducted on behalf of the Transit Planning Board, the majority of registered voters in the 11-county metropolitan Atlanta study area expressed highly favorable views towards transit and are supportive of funding strategies that will make expanded regional bus and rail service a reality in the foreseeable future.

Such support bodes well for regional transit efforts being led by the Transit Planning Board. Most recently, these efforts have been focused on gathering public input for an expanded regional transit network, known as Concept 3.

See "Concept 3" plan, give comments: http://tpb.ga.gov

Voters strongly agree with the statements about the benefits of, and need for, increased transportation options. Consider the reaction of voters to the following statements:

• Increased investment in public transportation would strengthen metro Atlanta’s economy, create jobs, reduce traffic congestion, air pollution and fuel consumption (85% agree, 12% disagree).

• Metro Atlanta needs to continue funding road construction, but also needs to spend additional money on new public transportation options (80% agree, 17% disagree).

• My community needs more sidewalks and bike lanes (77% agree, 21% disagree).

• My community needs more transportation options like commuter rail service, light rail, buses and trolleys (74% agree, 23% disagree).

In contrast, less than half of voters agree with the statement:

Atlanta, GA – Citizens for Progressive Transit expressed disappointment over the Georgia State Senate’s failure to achieve a two-thirds majority on a new transportation funding measure, but also expressed confidence that transit expansion plans will continue.

“This is a setback, but while we did not get two-thirds in the Senate, we still won overwhelming majorities in both chambers,” said Lee Biola, president of the transit advocacy group. "This is proof there is broad consensus about how to resolve our transportation problems."

Biola credited hard work and good faith negotiations between members of the business community, county commissioners, transportation contractors, engineers, environmental organizations, and transit advocates that got as close as possible to a solution that would give Georgians a way out of traffic and rising gas prices.

The coalition, known as Get Georgia Moving, forged a new consensus about what transportation funding should look like. The plan would have made possible significant expansions in Georgia’s mass transit system.

The plan called for counties to create a transportation project list and submit it to voters along with a sales tax to pay for it. Voters in various regions of the state would have been able to accept or reject the tax increase and project list.

“Fortunately, having the counties come up with a project list is not something that requires new legislation,” said Biola. “There is no reason counties can not come together now and create a project list for voters to approve and then get the legislature’s blessing next year.”

Counties in the Atlanta region are already close to completion of a transit expansion plan through the efforts of the regional Transit Planning Board. The Transit Planning Board was created by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA). Public hearings on “Concept 3,” the Transit Planning Board plan, are currently underway in all Metro Atlanta counties.

MARCH 17, 2008:

STAND UP FOR CLEAN AIR, LESS DRIVING, EXPANDING PUBLIC TRANSIT

Breakfast, Citizen Lobbying, and Rally.

8:30-10:00am:
Breakfast, Citizen Lobbyists Training
Central Presbyterian Church
(201 Washington St SW Atlanta, GA 30303 - 1 block from the Georgia State MARTA Station)

10:00am-12:00 noon:
Citizen Lobbying at State Capitol

12:00-1:00pm:
Rally at State Capitol

1:30-2:30pm:
Debrief & celebration at Irish Bred Pub
Located in Underground Atlanta (74 Upper Alabama St SW Atlanta, GA 30303)

RSVP TO ERIN GLYNN

E-mail: erin.glynn@sierraclub.org

Phone: (404) 607-1262 x229

LOOK UP YOUR STATE SENATOR AND STATE REPRESENTATIVE:
http://www.votesmart.org

Directions to Breakfast/Training at Central Presbyterian: Exit the Five Points MARTA Station to Underground Atlanta. Walk through Underground Atlanta along Lower Alabama Street past Johnny Rockets to exit onto plaza of Georgia Depot. Walk across plaza to Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. Walk left on Martin Luther King up toward Capitol. Central Presbyterian Church is at corner of MLK Drive and Washington Street.

Try the A-TRAIN Trip Planner at: http://trip.atltransit.com

What - Happy Hour with the Lobbyists

Who - Neill Herring and Cathy Woolard

Date - Thursday, February 21, 2008

Time - 6:30pm to 8:00pm

Hosted by - Citizens for Progressive Transit

Location - Slice Downtown - 85 Poplar Street

Directions - Take MARTA to Peachtree Center Station (N1). Follow signs to library to exit southwest corner of station. Make a right on Forsyth Street and walk past library and Rialto Theatre. Make a right on Poplar St. Slice is at the corner of Fairlie St. and Poplar St.

Transportation plans float one day and sink the next. That's the legislative process for you. No one knows where things stand better than the lobbyists.

Will we move forward with commuter rail? Any state help for MARTA or the Beltline? Come hear what state legislators are doing (or not doing) to free Georgians from traffic.

Cathy Woolard lobbies on behalf of CfPT and other organizations fighting for expanded public transit. Neill Herring is a longtime lobbyist on transit issues for the Sierra Club. Let them be your guides through the legislative maze.

We are excited about the challenges and possibilities the year 2008 brings. Thank you to so many of you for contributing your time, talents, and dollars to our 2007 efforts.

Over the course of 2007 we:

1) Actively advocated the extension of the MARTA operating agreement to 40 years

2) Opposed the Regional Transportation Plan's underinvestment in transit

3) Supported the Transit Planning Board's transit expansion plan

4) Launched our Online Transit Trip Planner http://trip.atltransit.com

5) Educated the public and elected officials about transportation funding issues

6) Provided perspective for media coverage of transit

In 2008, we look forward to continue spreading the word about the benefits of transit.

Please save the Date March 17: We hope you will join us St. Patrick's Day at the state Capitol. We will join other pro-transit organizations in a rally and show you how to engage in citizen lobbying of your legislators.

Thank you again for your support over the past years. We look forward to promoting the use and expansion of transit with you in 2008 and beyond.