This entry was posted on 1/16/2010 9:20 PM and is filed under uncategorized.
Well, folks, the "good ol' boys" are back in Atlanta under the "Gold Dome" for the 2010 Georgia General Assembly session... and there's going to be one more attempt to raise "mo' money" for improving Georgia's transportation infrastructure.
- Purchasing $300,000,000 in bonds to fund transportation funds statewide. Said bonds would be repaid "by state general funds, not to be taken out of the transportation gas-tax budget".
- A regional 1-cent transportation sales tax. The state would be divided into 12 regions (including an "Atlanta region" consisting of Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Rockdale, Henry, Fayette, Clayton, Douglas, and Cobb Counties). Each region's voters would be given a list of projects to be funded by said tax and can approve (or disapprove) via a referendum.
My hope is that this will truly be the year that we, the voters, will get the opportunity to have a say in funding much-needed transportation improvements and maintenance. So far, our elected officials seem to be "talking the talk" in terms of how our transportation infrastructure is important to our well-being as Georgians, and I do agree that we should make the necessary investments. Hopefully, it wont' be like the old Atlanta Falcons end-of-season cliche "Wait 'til next year", for as the bridge collapse catastrophe in Minneapolis shows us, "next year" may be too late.
Way down in Columbus, Georgia, their city leaders want to raise the speed limit on I-185 from Smith Road (Exit 14) at the Muscogee/Harris County line to its southern end at Victory Drive (Exits 1A/B at Fort Benning) from 55 MPH to 65 MPH.
Having driven I-185 in its entirety and based on my observations as of a year-and-a-half ago, I tend to agree with Columbus Poilce Chief Ricky Boren that it would be safer to raise the limit only as far south as the Airport Thruway/Columbus Airport (Exit 8). With the construction that was occurring on the very southernmost end near Victory Drive, it is better from a safety standpoint that the limit remain at 55. Once the construction has been completed and the new "flyover" bridge from Victory Drive eastbound to I-185 northbound opens, then I would probably consider raising it to 60 or 65.
And finally, here's the latest headbangin' "road video" from Georgia's own "FreewayJim"...
That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please come back again.
1/19/2010 8:56 AMBryant wrote:
Hopefully, the Georgia House and Senate can pass some type of transportation bill that'll help quell our traffic woes.
I agree that raising the speed limit on portions of I-185 near Columbus would be a good idea. The speed limit stays 55 as well as 65 too long, especially as far from Columbus you are, north of the welcome center. Reply to this
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