Five Georgia transportation projects are featured in a national public outreach campaign being conducted by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) entitled “The Benefits of Transportation: The Solutions State DOTs Bring to People & Their Communities.”
Designed to increase public awareness about the multitude of benefits transportation investment provides, this new national campaign uses an interactive map to link website visitors to transportation projects across the country including five projects in Georgia. Four of the projects in the state are recognized for reducing travel times, improving safety, protecting the environment, increasing mobility and boosting the economy. A fifth project featured in the AASHTO published report discusses the PATH 400 project which provides a critical active transportation connection within the community, bringing together 8,000 residents within a 10-minute walking distance, while also providing direct access to the Buckhead and Lindbergh Metro Atlanta Regional Transit Authority (MARTA) stations within Metro Atlanta, as well as the North Springs and Dunwoody stations through future phases
“The professionals working at state departments of transportation know these benefits first-hand, because they’re responsible for planning, designing, and building the transportation projects that keep America moving by car, truck, rail, bus, and bicycle,” said Jim Tymon AASHTO executive director. “This year will be pivotal for transportation because Congress must pass a new surface transportation bill before the current law expires at the end of September. The purpose of this campaign, website, and report are to help citizens understand the important connection between transportation investment and the benefits we experience today and into the future.”
“In the transportation industry we talk a lot about reducing travel time and improving mobility,” said Commissioner Russell McMurry, P.E., Georgia Department of Transportation. “But the results of the projects highlighted in the AASHTO campaign are more personal than that. It’s the parent who can make it home from work in time to be in the stands for their child’s ball game because the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes reduce rush hour congestion by over an hour. It is an elderly rural Georgia resident who is able to stay in her home because Georgia’s GDOT-funded Rural Transit system takes her to medical appointments.”
Return on Investment
The Federal Highway Administration estimates that each dollar spent on road, highway, and bridge improvements results in an average benefit of $5.20 in the form of reduced vehicle maintenance costs, reduced delays, reduced fuel consumption, improved safety, reduced road and bridge maintenance costs, and reduced emissions as a result of improved traffic flow.
Similarly, the American Public Transportation Association estimates that the total long-term economic effect of “enhanced investment” in transit systems sustained over 20 years is in the range of 3.7 times the amount being spent annually.
A wide range of transportation infrastructure projects are included within the report and on the website demonstrating how these projects are providing real benefits to real people from coast to coast. Members of Congress and their staffs can use the website to inform constituents about the importance of transportation investment.
For a list of projects in Georgia, visit https://benefits.transportation.org/georgia/.
This is a press release from GDOT.
