Looking Past TSPLOST

Voters in all 10 metro Atlanta counties including known as TSPLOST.

"While the outcome of the vote is a disappointment, this is not the end of the discussion; it's merely a transition point," Gov. Nathan Deal, , said in an email. "We won't be able to do everything we want to do to get people and goods moving quicker, but we'll do whatever we can to prioritize our most pressing needs."

The tax unofficially failed by 167,207 votes—a 26% margin, with 248,319 (37%) voting yes, and 415,526, (63%) voting no. Cobb voters soundly rejected the referendum with 85,412 (69%) voted against it, and 38,703 (31%) voted in favor, out of the 124,115 votes cast on Tuesday.

“Georgia has under-invested in our transportation network for years, and we rank near the bottom in per capita transportation spending,” said House Democratic Minority Leader Stacey Abrams. “The 2012 T-SPLOST was an important opportunity for Georgia to act. Unfortunately, due to yesterday’s vote, we must redouble our efforts. We must also address the continued needs of MARTA, which will be devastated by continued inaction.”

But what action should be taken?

The Sierra Club and the Atlanta Tea Party are among the groups that came out against TSPLOST, saying it was full of unnecessary projects and didn’t do enough to relieve traffic. 

"Throughout the election I think we came to realize that traffic congestion is not a problem that we can just solve," Colleen Kiernan, director of the Georgia chapter of the Sierra Club, said. "Voters want smart investments, not just spending more money."

Going forward both proponents and opponents of TSPLOST will need to look at three areas, Kiernan said:

1. "We need to get out of house in order to make sure the agencies that are dealing with transportation are accountable," she said. Reform is needed at the Georgia Department of Transportation and small groups of counties must be allowed to come together on traffic issues, she said.
2. "Transportation revenue should be tied to travel behavior; so going forward we need to look at gas taxes, the hotel tax and any source tied to travel behavior," Kiernan explained.
3. "We need to offer a twenty-first century transportation solution," she said. This means, in part, reforming the operation of MARTA. Before MARTA can expand, it must be brought up to a "reasonable level of service," Kiernan said. Freeing MARTA from a state restriction of spending and restoring services are two focus points.

What do you think should be done to help with traffic congestion in and around Cobb County and metro Atlanta? Share your thoughts on the defeat of TSPLOST and what should come next in the comments below.

"There's a consensus among Georgians that we need transportation investment, and we must move forward working with existing resources available," Gov. Nathan Deal said. "Given state budget constraints, significant reductions in federal funding and the long time it takes to get projects completed, the rejection of the TSPLOST does significantly reduce our capacity to add infrastructure in a timely fashion."

“The passage of T-SPLOST would have been an important step for Georgia to move in the right direction,” Leader Abrams said. “We cannot afford to sulk about losing. As elected officials, we must start working today on a new solution. We must listen to the people and get it right this time. That’s our job.”

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