Modernizing Georgia's Transportation System
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Modernizing Georgia’s Transportation System: Progress and Challenges in Providing Safe, Efficient and Well-Maintained Roads, Highways and Bridges Founded in 1971, TRIP ® of Washington, DC, is a nonprofit organization that researches, evaluates and distributes economic and technical data on surface transportation issues. TRIP is sponsored by insurance companies, equipment manufacturers, distributors and suppliers; businesses involved in highway and transit engineering and construction; labor unions; and organizations concerned with efficient and safe surface transportation. Modernizing Georgia’s Transportation System Executive Summary Three years ago, faced with inadequate investment in the state’s transportation system to support a growing population and quality of life, the Georgia legislature approved a long-term increase in transportation funding. The 2015 Transportation Funding Act (TFA) provided a significant boost in transportation funding in Georgia, allowing the state to address many of its critical transportation challenges. Approval of the TFA has allowed the state to increase its investment in road, highway and bridge repairs and roadway safety improvements. It has also enabled the acceleration of numerous highway improvements, including the Major Mobility Investment Program, to relieve traffic congestion and support economic development opportunities in the Peach State. With an economy based largely on agriculture, manufacturing, industry and tourism, and with Atlanta serving as the chief distributor of goods and the communications and transportation center for the Southeast, the quality of Georgia’s transportation system plays a vital role in the state’s economic growth and quality of life. An efficient, safe and well-maintained transportation system provides economic and social benefits by affording individuals access to employment, housing, healthcare, education, goods and services, recreation, entertainment, family, and social activities. It also provides businesses access to suppliers, markets and employees, all critical to a business’ level of productivity and ability to expand. Reduced accessibility and mobility - as a result of traffic congestion, a lack of adequate capacity, or deteriorated roads, highways, bridges and transit facilities - diminishes a region’s quality of life by reducing economic productivity and limiting opportunities for economic, health or social transactions and activities. While approval of the TFA greatly improves Georgia’s ability to fund needed roadway repairs and improvements, with Georgia’s population anticipated to increase by 2.5 million people over the next two decades, the state will continue to face transportation challenges. From continuing to maintain its aging transportation system to further improving roadway safety and making additional transportation improvements to serve the future needs of its growing economy, Georgia will need additional increases in reliable transportation funding from local, state and federal governments. Achieving the state’s goals for a modern, well-maintained and safe transportation system will require staying the course with Georgia’s current transportation program and achieving additional increases in transportation investment. Modernizing Georgia’s Transportation System 2 TRANSPORTATION FUNDING AND NEEDED TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS Transportation funding provided by the 2015 Transportation Funding Act will allow for the completion of numerous projects throughout the state to improve road and bridge conditions, relieve traffic congestion, and improve traffic safety. While the additional transportation funding will allow dozens of needed projects to proceed, many other transportation projects still lack adequate funding. • The 2015 Transportation Funding Act (HB 170) replaced the existing gasoline tax with an excise tax of 26 cents per gallon on gasoline and 29 cents on diesel (which will be indexed on the Consumer Price Index and Georgia CAFE Standards), added a $200 fee on personal electric vehicles and a $300 fee for commercial electric vehicles, instated a $5 per night hotel room tax, and included a heavy truck impact fee of between $50 and $100 depending on the weight of the vehicle. • The legislation is expected to provide an additional $5.4 billion for transportation from 2016 to 2021, an average of approximately $900 million per year. • The chart below details anticipated additional funds that will be made available each year through 2021 due to the passage of the TFA. Additional Funds Available Due To 2015 Transportation Funding Act 2016 $ 765,114,468 2017 $ 845,629,709 2018 $ 909,160,509 2019 $ 933,198,709 2020 $ 958,896,609 2021 $ 984,938,609 • Proceeds from the TFA will allow for increased funding for maintenance, preservation, reconstruction, capacity expansion and local projects. The chart below details recent and projected expenditures by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) for maintenance, preservation, reconstruction, highway and bridge capacity expansion, and local projects from 2015 through 2021. 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Maintenance $ 229,307,807 $ 439,212,982 $ 435,507,607 $ 457,707,607 $ 407,807,607 $ 407,807,607 $ 409,557,607 Preservation $ 149,498,149 $ 540,428,310 $ 402,757,327 $ 435,000,000 $ 445,000,000 $ 351,000,000 $ 384,533,496 Reconstruction $ 386,008,730 $ 596,765,332 $ 768,475,712 $ 769,970,171 $ 680,834,971 $ 877,955,322 $ 537,497,117 Highway & Bridge Capacity $ 806,645,330 $ 969,440,861 $ 871,036,192 $ 950,181,206 $ 1,065,279,411 $ 1,399,129,477 $ 1,129,079,630 Local Projects $ 228,870,489 $ 258,202,963 $ 287,306,796 $ 305,015,382 $ 257,215,147 $ 310,125,453 $ 213,073,980 TOTAL EXPENDITURES $ 1,800,330,506 $ 2,804,050,449 $ 2,765,083,635 $ 2,917,874,367 $ 2,856,137,135 $ 3,346,017,859 $ 2,673,741,830 HB 170 REVENUE N/A $ 765,114,468 $ 845,629,709 $ 909,160,509 $ 933,198,709 $ 958,896,609 $ 984,938,609 • The charts below detail transportation projects in the state’s largest urban areas and statewide that will be underway by 2021, partially as a result of increased transportation funding. Modernizing Georgia’s Transportation System 3 Project Description County/Counties Improvement Year Cost Benefit of Project Atlanta Urban Area I-20 FROM COLUMBIA DR TO PANOLA RD - MOVABLE BARRIERS DeKalb Barriers 2020 $18.4M Congestion Relief I-75 NB CD SYSTEM FROM SR 331 TO I-285 Clayton Ramp 2018 $41.8M Congestion Relief SR 3/US 19/US 41 FROM S OF TARA RD TO S OF SR 54 Clayton Widening 2019 $30.4M Congestion Relief WEST WINDER BYP-CR 325/MATTHEWS SCHL RD TO SR 211- PH I Barrow Widening 2018 $38.3M Congestion Relief, Safety SR 316 @ SR 81, @ SR 11, & @ SR 53 Barrow Interchanges (3) 2018 $47.0M Congestion Relief, Safety SR 20-SHARON CHURCH RD TO BRAND RD; 3 INTERSECTIONS Gwinnett, Walton Widening 2020-21 $47.6M Congestion Relief, Safety SR 92-SR 3/US 41 TO GLADE RD Cobb Widening 2019 $31.8M Congestion Relief, Safety SR 9-WINDWARD PKWY TO FORSYTH CO LINE Fulton Widening 2021 $31.5M Congestion Relief, Safety SR 9-FULTON CO LINE TO SR 141 Forsyth Widening 2021 $55.8M Congestion Relief, Safety SR 20- I-575 TO NORTH CORNERS PKWY Cherokee, Forsyth Widening 2019-21 $91.0M Congestion Relief, Safety MLK JR DRIVE @ RICH'S PARKING LOT IN ATLANTA Fulton Bridges 2019 $44.0M Replace Outdated Bridge I-75-CHATTAHOOCHEE RVR TO ALLGOOD ROAD Cobb Resurfacing & Maintenance 2018 $32.0M Preservation I-20 FROM SR 5 TO SWEETWATER CREEK Douglas Resurfacing & Maintenance 2019 $31.7M Preservation Augusta Urban Area I-20 @ SAVANNAH RIVER Richmond Bridges 2019 $72.2M Congestion Relief, Safety SR 10-FORT GORDON NEW ACP/GATE 6 TO SR 223 Richmond Widening 2018 $16.2M Congestion Relief, Military Access SR 4/US 25BU-SAVANNAH RIVER AT SC STATE LINE Richmond Bridges 2021 $16.2M Replace Outdated Bridge SR 388- I-20 TO SR 232 Columbia Widening 2019 $8.1M Congestion Relief SR 4 -MILLEDGEVILLE RD TO GOVERNMENT ST Richmond Widening 2020 $5.0M Congestion Relief Columbus Urban Area SR 219 -SCHLEY CREEK NW OF COLUMBUS Muscogee Bridges 2020 $2.2M Replace Outdated Bridge SR 520/US 280 EB & WB - BAGLEY CREEK 2 MI SE OF CUSSETA Chattahoochee Bridges 2020 $2.3M Replace Outdated Bridge SR 85/US 27 ALT SB & NB - CR 1660/MILLER RD IN COLUMBUS Muscogee Bridges 2021 $4.8M Replace Outdated Bridge SR 22/US 80 - KENDALL CREEK IN COLUMBUS Muscogee Bridges 2020 $1.7M Replace Outdated Bridge SR 22/US 80 - FLATROCK CREEK IN COLUMBUS Muscogee Bridges 2021 $3.0M Replace Outdated Bridge Macon Urban Area I-16 EB FROM I-75 TO WALNUT CREEK - PHASE IV Bibb Bridges 2021 $128.7M Bottleneck Relief; Congestion Relief I-16 WB FROM I-75 TO WALNUT CREEK - PHASE V Bibb Bridges 2021 $97.2M Bottleneck Relief; Congestion Relief I-16 EB & WB - OCMULGEE RIVER OVERFLOW Bibb Bridges 2021 $10.8M Bottleneck Relief; Congestion Relief SR 11/SR 49 -ROCKY CRK & TOBESOFKEE CRK &OVFLW Bibb Bridges 2019 $16.3M Replace Outdated Bridge SR 11/SR 49/US 41 - 1.4 MI S OF MACON Bibb Bridges 2020 $3.8M Econ. Dev. Savannah Urban Area I-16 FROM I-95 TO I-516 Chatham Widening 2018-21 $130.2M Bottleneck & Congestion Relief I-16 - I-95 INTERCHANGE RECONSTRUCTION Chatham Interchange 2018-21 $125.4M Bottleneck & Congestion Relief CR 787/ISLANDS EXPWY - WILMINGTON RVR/BASCULE BRIDGE Chatham Bridges 2018 $56.0M Replace Outdated Bridges JIMMY DELOACH PXWY EXT - I-16 TO SR 26/US 80 Chatham New location roadway 2018 $26.3M Freight Bottleneck & Congestion Relief BRAMPTON RD FROM SR 21/SR 25 TO SR 21 SPUR Chatham New location roadway 2019 $43.3M Freight Bottleneck & Congestion Relief Other Areas in Georgia MCCAYSVILLE BYPASS FROM SR 5 TO TN STATE LINE Fannin New location roadway 2020 $31.3M Congestion relief; Econ. Dev. SR 5 - SR 2/BLUE RIDGE N TO PROP MCCAYSVILLE BYP NR CR 138 Fannin Widening 2020 $61.0M Congestion relief; Econ. Dev. SR 133 - S OF SR 35/US 319 TO N OF CR540 HOLLY DR Colquitt, Worth, Dougherty Widening 2019-20 $185.7M Econ.Dev.; Freight corridor SR 24/US 441 - PUTNAM CO LN TO N OF CS 646/PIERCE DAIRY RD Morgan Widening 2021 $32.6M Econ.Dev.; Freight corridor SR 4/US 1- N OF WILLIAMS CK TO GREEN OAK RD Toombs Widening 2020-21 $145.4M Econ.Dev.; Freight corridor SE ROME BYP - SR 101 NE ON NEW LOC TO US 411 Floyd Roadway Project 2019 $61.9M Congestion relief; Econ.