Fare-free means that there are no fees for riders at all; anyone can get on and ride whenever they want. It’s that simple!

Video from AthensPoliticsNerd.com

Cities that provide fare-free transit include some far-off destinations such as Tallinn, capital of Estonia, and others much closer to home like Clemson, SC, and Chapel Hill, NC. These cities understand that, as a society, we choose to hold some resources in common for all people to share. For example, no one is charged to walk down the sidewalk, no one pays to check out a book from the public library, and our children do not directly pay for their education or to be bused to school; any other way would be unthinkable to us. Likewise, as drivers we are not charged when we drive down a road, even though the tax on gasoline does not come close to covering our road and bridge repair needs.

Public transportation should be no different, especially since a number of social benefits are gained the more people use it instead of driving.

What are the benefits?

UGA Transit has been fare-free for decades and would never go back to charging a fare. There are so many riders on campus that if each student took the time to dig in their pockets for change, they’d all be late to class. It’s much more efficient to open both doors, let everyone on quickly, and pay for the system through student fees.

There are many other benefits to fare-free transit beyond speed and efficiency.

The Right to Mobility

We live in such a car-centric culture that sometimes we forget the people who either can’t afford a car or who aren’t able to drive. We in A4E believe that all have a right to mobility regardless of documentation status, age, poor eyesight or other disability, or even ability to pay. Fare-free transportation would ease the burden of living in poverty, and in a town with a 38% poverty rate that’s not something we can take lightly.

Economic Growth

Focusing on the needs of those on the bottom rungs of our society has another benefit beyond knowing that we’re doing the right thing: economic growth.

Relying on public transportation is much cheaper than taxi service and far cheaper than owning a car, nevertheless those fares add up. Riding twice a day at $1.75 per trip would cost $1,277 yearly. When passes are purchased at the bulk rate, riding twice a day would still cost $1,029. Someone living below the poverty line could easily spend 10% or more of their yearly income on bus passes.

If we instead let bus riders keep this money, they will certainly spend more at local shops which will grow our economy, helping everyone. Not only are we ensuring people get to the grocery store, with fare-free transit we’re also making sure they have a little extra money in their pockets when they arrive. Local and state governments will also benefit because they split our 8% sales tax, each raking in 4% of each new transaction.

The American Public Transportation Association estimates that every $1 invested in public transportation generates approximately $4 in economic returns. This means public transportation is an excellent investment and a driver of local economies.

Lower Costs and Increased Ridership

One of the most important metrics used by transit systems to judge their own performance is cost per rider. Those who oppose fare-free service are also the first to stress the importance of reducing taxpayer subsidy per rider. These people complain about night and weekend service because ridership is lower at these times, meaning that taxpayers have to pay more for each rider who does end up using the service.

Certainly we agree that, all things being equal, a more efficient transit system is better than a less efficient one. We’ve got good news! Fare-free bus service greatly increases ridership wherever it is tried. The boost varies but is normally between 20% and 80%, according to the National Center for Transit Research.

Ditching the fare-box also gets rid of the expenses needed to collect fares, which are substantial. In Athens, money counting, ticket printing, auditing, fare-box purchase and repair cost at least $150,000 a year: 19.6% of the money collected from fares (Athens Transit Director Butch McDuffie, personal communication).

The graph measuring the cost from the Athens-Clarke County General Fund only is a bit different.

By increasing ridership and decreasing costs associated with collecting fares, going fare-free helps both sides of the cost per rider metric and would reduce taxpayer subsidy per rider. If your main interest is a more efficient system that makes better use of taxpayer dollars, then fare-free is for you.

Increased ridership brings with it several additional benefits, especially if some of these extra riders were people who would have otherwise driven a car. Those benefits include: lower carbon emissions, less need for parking, less traffic and improved public health. You can read more about them here.

Social Justice

It’s important to note that about 60% of Athens Transit riders already ride free because they are associated with UGA. Athens Transit doesn’t keep track of demographic info on riders, but national statistics show that transit users have lower incomes overall and are more likely to be people of color. Why should they be the only people who pay a fare? Why do we accept that our local government is spending our tax dollars to purchase expensive fare-boxes whose function is essentially to extract money from low-income black people? In so doing, our transit system operates less efficiently, economic growth is depressed, pollution and traffic are increased, and our health suffers. All for $615,000 a year. Is it worth it?

Can we afford it?

Yes, we can afford a fare-free transportation system that works for everyone. For the 2018 budget, our local government cut support to Athens Transit by $734,000. Interestingly, the amount cut is nearly the same as it would cost to implement fare-free service. At the same time, total local government revenues increased $16.8 million over the last fiscal year.

Why was Athens Transit’s budget cut in a time of economic growth and increasing budgets? The local government feels that transit should be self-sustaining, and only provides money as a last-resort to keep the system functioning. One of the Transit Department’s objectives is to “develop alternative revenue sources that have the least impact on local community tax payers,” as if once these sources are discovered, the local support would be dropped. Why not expand service or remove fares instead? As the graph below shows, the revenue gained at the fare-box is a small portion of Athens Transit’s total budget, which is itself much smaller than the budget increase in 2018 alone due to an expanding economy (click on the image to see the full graph).

Why haven’t we switched to fare-free already?

Unfortunately, the ACC Mayor and Commission have shown little interest in providing dedicated funding to Athens Transit, meaning in most cases they want to provide as little as they can without cutting service. In 2012, Mayor Denson succeeded in cutting night service back one hour (to 9:45pm), and last year she fought to cut it again to 7:45pm, but she was overruled by the commission.

However, change is on the horizon; due to term limits, Mayor Denson will serve her last year in 2018. There are also progressive candidates who support fare-free bus service running campaigns for commission this year, such as Tim Denson. If we can convince the commission of the merits of removing fares, the only remaining obstacle will be UGA.

The local government fears that if Athens Transit removes fares, UGA will use this as an excuse to stop contributing as well. UGA is currently paying about $600,000 a year to Athens Transit as part of a contract which is re-negotiated every three years. These negotiations are difficult for the local government, with the Athens representatives at times overwhelmed by UGA’s superior leverage (ACC staff and local government officials, personal communication). UGA chooses to press its advantage, even though it is not a for-profit institution. It is a public institution with a social responsibility to the community in which it is based. Perhaps it’s true that UGA would choose to abandon this responsibility for a small monetary gain if Athens went fare-free.

They have not been asked about this, so we should not be casting judgement yet. But if true, this would not be acceptable in our view. If true, UGA should be publicly shamed until they relent and agree to continue paying their current contribution (at least) for the long-term. It’s the right thing to do. We know they can afford it, because we’re only asking for what they are paying now.

Conclusion

Public transportation has enormous benefits to society and should be supported by policy-makers at every opportunity. Many societal resources have long been shared without objection. For example, should those without cars worry that some of their tax dollars fund road repavement? Do those without children have a right to complain that they are helping to fund education? Should those who dislike reading demand that libraries rent their books for a fee? In a society that values transportation, education and reading, it seems clear that the answer is no. It seems equally clear to us that those who complain fare-free service would give unworthy bus riders something for nothing are similarly off-base.

Transportation systems should be judged by their ability to get as many people around as possible, conveniently, in as short a time frame as we can manage. Extra points for doing this in a socially or environmentally-responsible way. As a society, we should fund whatever system does these things the best, and put less money towards any system that does these things inefficiently or with unwanted consequences. What we should not judge a transportation system on is its ability to raise money; that’s how we judge our taxation systems.

Once we ditch the farebox, expand hours and frequency, and restructure the system in other ways, we will have a transit system to rival any in the world. We will become a more just and equal society, we’ll save money, we’ll save lives, we’ll reduce traffic and we’ll spark economic growth.

What are we waiting for?

Athens for Everyone
1/19/2018

So what are the benefits of alternative transportation? Why is this so important?

Increased Ridership Benefit #1: Environmental Sustainability

The world is facing a dire situation due to human-caused climate change. Changing our transportation habits is one of the most important things we can do to fight climate change on the individual and local levels. Walking, biking, carpooling and riding the bus can all significantly reduce our carbon footprint.

Private cars, on average, emit almost one pound of carbon dioxide per passenger mile, but about a third of this is saved by switching to bus transit at one-quarter occupancy. A bus at full occupancy emits only 0.18 pounds per passenger mile — an enormous savings. Switching to hybrid electric buses (as Athens is in the process of doing) will save even more.

Given the climate crisis that lies ahead of us, we should be doing anything we can to use our carbon energy resources more efficiently, including riding transit more often.

Increased Ridership Benefit #2: Less Need for Parking and Less Traffic

Athens currently requires a minimum amount of parking to be included in each new development, as do most cities. Yet, covering so much of our most valuable land in concrete causes numerous problems. Urban density and walkability is reduced because buildings must be placed further apart to accommodate the parking lots. Stormwater becomes harder to manage, meaning water pollution and flooding. The heat island effect is increased, meaning higher electricity bills and more power consumed. To top it off, traffic worsens and housing becomes more expensive. All of this is because of requirements for off-street parking.

Encouraging transit use helps reverse all of these problems by reducing the need for parking (although minimum parking requirements would also need to be repealed). It also reduces traffic, meaning fewer headaches, getting to our destinations faster and less wear-and-tear on our roads. Since so much is spent on road maintenance (over $25 million of the recent TSPLOST was consumed by the road repair budget), tempting people out of their cars and on to public transit could be a significant savings to our local government’s budget.

Increased Ridership Benefit #3: Improved Public Health

There were 1,430 traffic fatalities and 19,405 serious injuries in Georgia in 2015, according to GDOT. Traffic accidents were the leading cause of death in people ages 8-24 in 2010 and rank in the top 10 in all age groups except 65+. The cost of our car culture is enormous and can’t be measured only in dollars. Fortunately, the majority of these deaths are preventable. Travel by bus is over 60 times safer than travel by car! As the graph below shows, even when the added danger buses represent to pedestrians and bikers is accounted for, buses are still twice as safe as private cars.

The health benefits don’t stop there, either. Public transportation is an important contributor to public health because it reduces pollution and encourages exercise. The Victoria Transport Policy Institute did an economic analysis of the health benefits of transit, and found that if a typical American city changed their transit system from average to high quality (more convenient, more frequent service), the health benefits would amount to $355 per person per year! The CDC sites this study as part of their reason for including the improvement of public transportation as one of their HI-5 interventions with the greatest potential for impact on public health.

Alternative transportation saves lives, reduces climate change and promotes social justice

The decisions we make every day, both as individuals and as a society, have a huge impact on all of us in so many different ways. Our car culture is toxic and causes immense harm to the planet and to our health, while at the same time harming our quality of life. It’s also exclusionary to those who can’t afford to be a part of it — those without cars suffer all the harm of this lifestyle but reap none of the benefits. It’s about time we made different choices as a society. Admittedly, our current ways are entrenched and will be difficult to change, but everyone who rides transit, bikes to work, carpools with their coworkers or speaks out in favor of increased transit investment is helping change come about. Let’s all be part of the solution.

Athens for Everyone
January 17, 2018

Athens voters will have a chance to support a new Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) on November 7 of this year. Athens for Everyone supports a YES vote on this referendum.

Athens deserves to be a world-class walkable, bikeable city, with a public transportation system that mobilizes and empowers us all. We believe the plan laid out in the November TSPLOST will help Athens get closer to this long-term goal.

The Transportation Funding Act of 2015 made it possible for Athens to hold its own referendum (after the failed region-wide TSPLOST of 2012) and the ACC government is stepping up to provide voters a choice. The support and funding of transportation projects in Athens, especially for public transit along with pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure, must be a priority. We are pleased to see funding for the Athens in Motion plan, West Broad neighborhood sidewalks, and other alternative transportation facilities such as the Greenway and Firefly Rail Trail. We are especially excited about a bus for the US-29 corridor, which has been part of our advocacy efforts for the past two years.

We were disappointed, however, to see that public transit project funding was reduced to less than five percent of the TSPLOST budget, including a 50% reduction in monies for hybrid-engine buses. This follows the trend of choosing to fund projects that have more of a direct impact on middle and upper-income residents.

The idea behind TSPLOST is supporting innovative and transformative projects—projects that can help counteract the negative effect that a sales tax can have on lower income residents. Had the Mayor and Commission followed the recommendations of the TSPLOST Citizens’ Advisory Committee, a full 20 percent of revenues could have been devoted to building a public transit system that would rival any in the southeast. This would have helped not only to reduce congestion, pollution, and wear on our roads, but to improve our economy and quality of life. Investments in public transit also help reduce the impacts of economic disparities. Unfortunately, it is now too late for this vision to become a reality in the 2017 referendum. Nevertheless, given insufficient and declining transportation funding at the state and federal level, an imperfect TSPLOST is better than no TSPLOST at all.

Athens for Everyone thanks the ACC staff for their excellent work checking and researching TSPLOST proposals, the transportation advocates who proposed projects, and most of all, members of the TSPLOST Citizens’ Advisory Committee, who not only reviewed proposals but performed the difficult task of balancing competing interests with the overarching goal of serving the most residents in need.

Please let us know that you intend to vote yes on November 7 —

Text TSPLOST to 7064384330 or click here to pledge a YES vote!

Athens for Everyone
September 9, 2017

This is a “flex route,” meaning you can call for a personal pick-up within a mile distance of the route (the orange area on the map) – call 706-613-3439!

Athens for Everyone is very excited about this route! We’ve been working on getting bus service to run along US-29 for two years. We couldn’t be happier that not only does route 30 start this week but our proposal for a standard, fixed-route along US-29 made it on the final TSPLOST project list! That means that potentially starting as soon as next year, there could be not one, but two routes serving this previously underserved area.

If you’re taking this route from Pinewoods, it will pick up / drop off right at the Pinewoods library!  Don’t wait by the highway, it won’t stop there – call 706-613-3439 at least an hour before you need to be picked up.

Our next project: Fare-Free Bus Service. Athens Transit fares are still $1.75, but remember, kids under 18 ride free already!

Numbers 3, 5 and 7 (Athens Tech, JJ Harris, Pinewoods) aren’t actual stops, but this is when the bus will usually be passing by. If you call the bus from these locations, it will pick you up there around the time listed.

Download the full-resolution map here.

The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government is in the process of developing a bike/pedestrian master plan known as the Athens In Motion Plan. The Athens In Motion Plan will identify a clear strategy for near and long-term projects that will result in a safe, connected, and equitable bike and pedestrian network for Athens-Clarke County.

Check out this cool interactive map! You can plot the routes you bike or walk, and can point out barriers that prevent you from walking or biking other routes.

Not quite our first TSPLOST…

Athens voters approved a regional Transportation Special Local Option Sales Tax in 2012, but the neighboring rural counties rejected the one percent sales tax increase. The Transportation Funding Act of 2015 made it possible for Athens-Clarke County to hold its own referendum, with Athens voters only.

Throughout the spring, a mayor and commissioner-appointed citizens advisory committee met to review projects submitted by ACC staff, local groups, and citizens. Athens for Everyone submitted a project requesting a bus for service expansion along US 29, a route for which we have been advocating these past two years.

The citizens advisory committee has created a list of projects that add up to the anticipated $104 million dollars. Currently A4E’s US 29 bus service project is on that list.

What’s next?

The citizens advisory committee presented the list of candidate projects to the Mayor and Commission last Tuesday. The Mayor and Commission are under no obligation to stick with the recommendations of the committee. If you like the list, or want to ensure certain projects stay on, or fall off, tell your commissioner and the Mayor.

Attend the public hearings and meetings

The public is invited to attend any and all of the following hearings and meetings. Please attend and speak up:

Leave your comments online

In addition, anyone can leave comments on the public comment form through July. Unfortunately there have not been as many public comments as staff and the citizens advisory committee would like, so leave your thoughts on any/all projects sooner rather than later.

Vote in November on the final list of projects

Citizens will vote on the final list of projects approved by the Mayor and Commission in November. They will vote to accept all projects on the list, or they will reject the entire list and there will be no TSPLOST. As with previous SPLOSTs, it is all-or-nothing.

TSPLOST 2018 List of Candidate Projects

As mentioned above, this list of projects, as well as the amount of money allocated to each, is subject to change based on the preferences of the Mayor and Commission. Some projects are recommended for funding at their “alternate” (usually lesser) funding level.

Matching funds for the Ben Epps Airport

Formally known as: Project 01: Airport – Airport CIP Matching Funds – $1,531,000

Did you know that Georgia has 108 airports? Well, one of them is the Athens Ben Epps Airport on Ben Epps Drive!  It currently serves as the entry/exit point for the private flights of companies like Walmart, Johnson & Johnson, Caterpillar, Coca-Cola, Chick-Fil-A, Pepsi Cola, and Carmike Cinemas. It is also serves other purposes such as pilot training and medical transport. They are currently working on the acquisition of a commercial airline to take folks from Athens to New York (by way of New Jersey) and DC (by way of Baltimore); the ACC 2018 budget proposal allocates $200,000 towards that attempt at acquisition. We included these matching funds in this proposal because we think this is the best bet for returns. This amount in matching funds has the potential to turn into $31,448,580 with through Federal Aviation Administration and GDOT Aviation funds.

Hybrid-electric replacement buses for Athens Transit

Project #5: Transit Vehicle Expansion & Replacement Project (Alternate) – $13,287,000 by Transit Department

Submitted by Butch McDuffie, Director of Athens Transit System. This project proposal would work to bring 2 hybrid-electric buses to the Athens Transit each year for the 5 years. The committee saw a need to include this request because the transit service is currently 6 years behind in its replacement cycle. Adding hybrid buses to the fleet helps promote mass transportation along with reaching higher levels of sustainability in Athens-Clarke County.

Covered bus shelters, more benches, and possibly more transfer stations

Project #6: Bus Stop & Transfer Facilities Improvement Project (Alternate) – $3,375,000

Submitted by Butch McDuffie, Director of Athens Transit System. The consensus of the committee echoed the results of the A4E transportation survey in that people need benches and shelters at their bus stops! Whether stops have benches, shelters, or just a sign depend on the frequency of stop’s usage. There is a current need for 185 two-seat benches and 106 shelters around the county. Along with contributing to more seating and shelter for transit users, this money could go towards the exploration of creating more transfer facilities, solar lighting at stops, electronic/verbal notifications for ETAs, and better waste receptacles at the stops.

Multi-use paths along the Greenway

Project #9: Oconee River Greenway (Alternate) – $12,000,000 by North Oconee River Greenway

Submitted by Oconee Rivers Greenway. The Greenway’s intended goals are to promote alternative transportation, resource protection, education, health and well-being, and recreation. Personally, I want to see the group push to promote this as alternative transportation over recreational use in a way that is accessible to all members of our community. This funding would help the Greenway on projects in the first tier of prioritization. Sections included in this tier are Cook’s Trail, Oak/Oconee Bridge Underpass, Riverside Trail — MLK Parkway, Riverside Trail — North Oconee River Park, and Tallassee Road Connector. For more information on the Greenway, visit their website.

Firefly Rails-to-Trails multi-use path from Athens to Winterville

Project #10: Firefly Trail (Alternate) – $16,752,000 by Firefly Trail, Inc

Submitted by ACC Rails-to-Trails Committee with support from BikeAthens. The Athens portion of the Firefly Trail is a 7-mile trail that runs east to west from Old Winterville Road to the eastern county line; the full Firefly Tail spans 39 miles from Athens to Union Point. At 7 miles, it covers 46 percent of the entire width of ACC! Previous SPLOST dollars (2005, 2011) funded the construction of the first segment from the East Broad St. Trailhead to Old Winterville Road. For the sake of full transparency, this plan includes the reconstruction of the Dudley Park Murmur Trestle in a form that is reminiscent of the existing structure but with a longer lifespan and a width of 10-14 feet for multi-use purposes.

Bus for new Highway 29 route

Project #16: Highway 29 Corridor Transit Service – $940,000

Submitted by Athens for Everyone. It’s no question that w

e need to expand transit access to underserved communities. The US-29 Corridor which includes the Pinewoods Community is one of those greatly underserved communities. Because many of these residents don’t have access to vehicular mobility, bus service is crucial to their ability to make a living and live more comfortably. There are 283 families in the Pinewoods Community that would benefit from this bus route. Athens for Everyone is wholly committed to getting this on the final ballot, and we could use your help! Let us know if this is something that sparks your interest!

Sidewalk for Jefferson River Road from Dollar General to Vincent Drive

Project #21: Sidewalk Jefferson River Road – $1,445,000

Submitted by John P. Huie, citizen. This area of Athens is a diverse neighborhood without access to pedestrian infrastructure. The sidewalk would likely span down the east side of Jefferson River Road from Old Jefferson Road to Garnett Ridge Drive (4750 feet total). Currently, Jefferson River Road has bus stops and no sidewalks for people to wait on. There are constantly children and adults walking down this road in a manner that is unsafe without sidewalks. Great job to John Huie for getting out there and putting this project together!!

Road maintenance and repaving

Project #23: Pavement Rehabilitation Technology (Alternate) – $25,598,000

Submitted by Transportation and Public Works. ACC is behind in road maintenance and the repaving schedule. While the original proposal asked for $40 million in funding to catch up on the deficit roads along with getting roads on track with their life cycles, the alternate proposal only covers the deficit roads. My concern is that this is not worked into the general fund or tax policy by now. At a recent mayor and commission work session, a comment was made to continue the dependence on SPLOST funds to serve as our road maintenance dollars. This means the health of our roads depends on a vote and hundreds of hours of volunteered time every several years. The county needs to step up and find a sustainable solution so as not to take from money that could be going towards better forms of alternative transportation rather than patching up potholes in the roads that have been neglected by the budget for decades. On the plus side, complete streets are to be taken into account for repavement on roads wider than 28 feet.

Traffic control technology

Project #27: Transportation Technology Improvements Program – $1,427,000

Submitted by Transportation and Public Works. This request would expand the fiber optics system in our transportation infrastructure. It would also contribute to variable message boards for traffic notifications, detection cameras to regulate traffic lights, and an adaptive traffic control system that would adapt to the behavior of motorists.

Bike/Ped Master Plan (in progress) – Bike portion

Project #28: Bicycle Improvement Program (Alternate) $7,500,000

Submitted by Transportation and Public Works. This project would act as a bucket of money for projects regarding bike infrastructure. The $7,500,000 would cover an estimated 5 miles of bike lanes!

Soon you will be able to get more information from the official Bike/Ped Master Plan website, but for now you can read an overview here, on BikeAthens’ website.

Bike/Ped Master Plan (in progress) – Pedestrian portion

Project #29: Pedestrian Improvement Program (Alternate) – $11.250,000

Submitted by Transportation and Public Works. This project would act as a bucket of money for projects regarding pedestrian infrastructure. The $11,250,000 would cover between 7 and 18 miles of pedestrian infrastructure!

As mentioned above, soon you will be able to get more information from the official Bike/Ped Master Plan website, but for now you can read an overview here, on BikeAthens’ website.

Corridor improvement starter money: Lexington, Atlanta Highway, Prince Avenue

Project #33: Lexington Highway Corridor Improvements – $4,000,000 // Project #34 Atlanta Highway Corridor Improvements – $4,000,000 // Project #35 Prince Avenue Corridor Improvements – $4,000,000

These projects were submitted by Transportation and Public Works. There is a need for these corridor improvements at each location because bike and pedestrian usage is currently unsafe. People tend to drive fairly quickly down these streets, and we need these corridor improvements because bike/ped usage is currently unsafe. These buckets would allow for things such as concrete medians to act as stops for pedestrians when crossing the road, 5’ sidewalks, 10’ multi-use trails, and/or 5’ bike lanes. We trust that Transportation and Public Works would work to use the funds efficiently to allow for the safest and most impactful bike/ped options.

Projects Cut in the Final Round of Votes

The projects below made the initial list, but did not make it through the final round of voting. Because the Mayor and Commission have the final say, these projects and the others that didn’t make the first cut could still end up on the final TSPLOST project list to be voted upon in November.

Bus service expansion

Project #7: Transit Service Frequency & Expansion Vehicles (Alternate) – $2,472,000

Submitted by Butch McDuffie, Director of Athens Transit System. While Project #5 catches us up to the amount of vehicles that have not exceeded their lifespans, this would take us further to be able to increase the frequency of certain routes through the expansion of the number of vehicles we have. The routes in mind are Routes 1, 5, 7, 9, 25, 26. If this project makes it to the next round, we will see some buses coming twice an hour rathers than just once!

Pedestrian improvements for West Broad neighborhood

Project #13: West Broad Pedestrian Improvements – $6,027,000

Submitted by the Athens Land Trust. This project would (greatly) improve the pedestrian infrastructure for streets off of West Broad between Milledge Avenue and Hawthorne Avenue. If you’ve taken walks within this 0.5 square mile area, you’d know that we need sidewalk construction, pedestrian traffic lights, traffic management devices, and streetscape improvements. A4E hopes this makes it to the next round so we can see this through! “An increase in dedicated pedestrian infrastructure would allow community residents to easily access the necessary amenities, and instantly improve the quality of life for all West Broad residents.”

Bridge design for Macon Highway and Tallassee; replacement of Macon Highway bridge

Project #24: Bridge Replacement Project (Alternate) – $7,767,000

Submitted by Tranportation and Public Works. The Macon Highway and Tallassee bridges need to be renovated, and this request includes the redesign of both and the construction of one. The lifespan of a bridge is 50 years; Macon Highway Bridge is 67 years old and Tallasee Road Bridge is 76 years old. The Tallassee Road bridge needs to be widened to allow for safe transportation for those on bike and on foot. Drew from Transportation and Public Works is hoping to find other sources of funding for the Macon Highway Bridge after having a design complete. Keep your fingers crossed for this (if the project makes the final cut) so we can pay for both bridges to be revamped!

Continue previous SPLOST funding for Clayton Street project downtown

Project #30: Downtown Transportation Improvement Program (Alternate)  – $7,210,000

Submitted by Transportation and Public Works. This alternate proposal would take a stab at fixing the problems that Clayton Street parking spots now pose. We’ve all been there where we can’t see who is coming from our view while backing out. We’re not alone. There have been 237 crashes on Clayton Street in 5 years. This is higher than average, and it is a result of higher traffic, people jumping from lane to lane for parking spots, limitations on sights of drivers, and small lanes. This project would help drivers by widening the lanes, resurfacing some parts, adding better drainage, adjusting the placement of parking spots, and beautifying the street. We should also keep in mind that planes are already being set for this project, so it would be one of the earlier visible changes by TSPLOST dollars if passed to the final round.

Intersection improvements

Project #31: Roadway Improvement Program (Alternate) – $10,326,000

This project was submitted by Transportation and Public Works. This money would serve as a bucket to fund different projects around town. Examples of possible projects are as follows: a potential roundabout at Tallassee Road and Lavender Road, intersection improvement at South Lumpkin and West Lake Drive, intersection improvement at Cedar Shoals Drive and Whit Davis Road, and intersection improvement at College Station Road and River Road.

Whitehall/South Milledge Roundabout

Project #32: Whitehall Road at South Milledge Avenue Project – $2,405,000

This project was submitted by Transportation and Public Works. Many who travel between Oconee County and Athens-Clarke County have expressed frustration around the traffic that backs up at Whitehall Road and South Milledge. This project will fund a roundabout to be created to ease the flow of traffic.

Matching funds for transportation projects

Project #36: Transportation Improvements Matching Funds – $3,000,000

This project was submitted by Transportation and Public Works. These $3 Million could stretch to become about $15 Million if this project request makes it to the ballot. Similar to the Airports Matching Funds, it’s important for our county to make investments like these that maximize our returns. If we don’t include all of the repavement money in the final proposal, the county could use these matching funds to catch up on the delays of road maintenance.

TSPLOST Citizens Advisory Committee

• • • Nancy Denson’s appointees:
      • Bill Bland
      • Dr. Holly Ward
    • District 1: Sharon Dickerson’s appointees:
      • Dr. Fred Harrison, Jr
      • Kaori Sakamoto
    • District 2: Harry Sims:
      • Willie Bolton
      • Homer Wilson
    • District 3: Melissa Link:
      • Ashley Na
      • Dr. Jennifer Rice
    • District 4: Allison Wright:
      • Dr. Alice Kinman, Chair
      • Brian Molloy
    • District 5: Jared Bailey:
      • Lauren Blais, Vice Chair
      • Elliott Caldwell
    • District 6: Jerry NeSmith:
      • Denise Ricks
      • Madeline VanDyck
    • District 7: Diane Bell:
      • Corbett Chandler
      • Tommy Jackson
    • District 8: Andy Herod:
      • Buck Bacon
      • Sue Plaksin
    • District 9: Kelly Girtz:
      • Mildred Beck
      • Anna “Tres” Small
    • District 10: Mike Hamby:
      • John Jeffreys
      • Aaron Redman

Ashley Na, June 15, 2017

Lauren Blais contributed to this story.

[youtube https://youtu.be/S1y759-sSSU%20&w=600]

(The complete video is available at: http://athensclarkecounty.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2 )

Athens for Everyone fully endorses this program becoming permanent. A4E believes that services are valuable to residents, especially when they are free and that an exchange of currency is in no way necessary for it to be “valuable”.

Unfortunately, Commissioner Harry Sims has put forward a Commission Defined Option (CDO, which is an alternative option created by a commissioner that can be passed instead of the original proposal) that changed the program from being permanent to being a trial program that would have to be renewed. Sims’ CDO also changed the language from “free” to “fees waived”. Commissioner Kelly Girtz has put forward a CDO that keeps the program permanent and also uses the word “free”. Athens for Everyone supports Commissioner Girtz’s CDO.

“I think it is dangerous for our elected leaders to act like providing services for free is a bad thing”, said Athens for Everyone President Tim Denson, “to assume that residents can’t recognize something as being valuable unless money has been taken from them. What’s next? Our school buses? Our sidewalks?”

The voting meeting will occur on Tuesday, August 2 at 7pm at City Hall. The public is invited to attend and will be given time to speak.

In April, the ACC Commission approved allowing all students under 17 years of age to ride Athens Transit buses free for the summer of 2016. Athens for Everyone fully supported this idea and advocated for it, along with others including Commissioner Harry Sims, to be put in place permanently.

Athens for Everyone is very excited to see an agenda item coming before the Mayor & Commission that will, “request that the Mayor and Commission approve a Youth Ridership program that allows all local youth, ages 5 -17, to ride Athens Transit’s fixed-route services (The Bus) free of charge year round.” The estimated cost in lost revenue would be $40,000.

“(a)  request that the Mayor and Commission approve a Youth Ridership program that allows all local youth, ages 5 -17, to ride Athens Transit’s fixed-route services (The Bus) free of charge year round.

The Mayor & Commission will discuss it at the July 19 Agenda Setting Session and, hopefully, vote for it at the August 2 Voting Session. Athens for Everyone will be organizing a push to make this happen, stay tuned (become a [free] Member of Athens for Everyone so you don’t miss a thing)!

UGA Transit was also approved for their grant proposal and will be receiving funding for 19 electric buses to be used, that will be a third of its fleet. Below is the description from Gov. Deal’s press release:

“Athens-Clarke County
Hybrid-Electric Buses
Replaces one-third (10 buses) of the Athens-Clarke diesel powered bus fleet with new hybrid-electric buses. The new buses will reduce long-term maintenance costs and decrease emissions.

University of Georgia
Electric Buses
Replaces one-third of the existing diesel bus fleet (19 buses) with new fully-electric buses, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and providing a quieter ride for transit users. The buses will also reduce maintenance costs, improving the cost-effectiveness of the system.”

Chatham Area Transit, Cobb County, Gwinnett County, Henry County, and MARTA were also given grants.

Transportation funding has been a hot topic lately at all levels of government. The Federal highway trust fund has been at low levels for a while now, and there was a major adjustment to our state gas tax just last year because Georgia’s highway fund is also running low. At present, private cars and trucks are certainly our most important and most costly method of transportation. There’s no doubt about that. What is in doubt is if this system is actually working for us in a cost-effective manner.

The US is one of the most car-dependent countries in the world. Americans drive almost 70 percent of the time for trips under one mile, while Europeans make 70 percent of their short trips by bicycle, foot, or public transportation. This takes a sharp toll on our roads that is not completely funded by our gasoline taxes. In fact, only 50-60% of the costs of highway construction and maintenance is funded by gasoline taxes and other user fees. The rest is funded by general taxation and borrowing, placing an undue burden on pedestrians, bikers, and bus riders. While public transportation also does not cover its costs entirely with fares (nor should it, in my view), there are a number of externalities making private cars an inefficient and costly transportation choice for society even if we could all afford to own one.

The first external factor that must be mentioned is climate change. According to the EPA, burning fossil fuels for transportation is the second largest contributor to climate change pollution. However, these emissions can be cut by 40 percent by switching to public transportation. This is because buses with at least 11 passengers emit fewer pounds of CO2 per passenger than does an average car with one driver alone. When full with passengers or when compared to 11 cars with one driver each, buses emit far less CO2. It is difficult to estimate the economic impacts of climate change, but one study has it at $1.2 trillion dollars a year globally and projects that figure to double by 2030. If our policymakers aren’t treating this as a crisis requiring a long-term vision and an immediate response, they don’t quite understand the scale of the problem.

Other externalities and opportunity costs of private vehicle use include noise pollution (reduces property values and hence property tax revenue), land use opportunity costs (land used for roads and parking lots do not generate property or sales tax), and finally the massive public health cost of car accidents. 32,675 people were killed in car accidents in 2014 and another 2.3 million people were injured! On the other hand, riding the bus is 60 times safer than driving a car and produces about half the total fatalities per passenger mile.  Due to these factors, private car use has a high social cost that is not often accounted for by urban planners, along with an already high direct monetary cost to all taxpayers whether they own a car or not.

With young people driving less anyway, I think it’s time we started to re-imagine the way we get around as a society. Finding the money for road repaving won’t always have to be difficult – it depends on the choices we make. If we choose to switch from private, gasoline-powered vehicles to walking, biking, and public transportation, we can reduce both CO2 emissions and our need for oil, while at the same time reducing social inequalities and making our communities safer, healthier, more financially-sound.

We need a long-term plan to move Athens forward on alternative transportation. We will need leadership to remove our society from the catch-22 it is presently in: cars and trucks perpetually damage the roads which makes them very expensive and alternatives seem out of reach. As long as we keep driving everywhere and fail to receive major additional infrastructure investment from our Federal government (such as proposed by Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders), our roads and highways will always be too expensive for states and local municipalities to maintain. We shouldn’t accept any longer the answer that there isn’t any money to pursue alternative transportation; what we’re asking for is actually cheaper. Of course, we can’t switch to a new system overnight, but in the long-term, we both need and deserve improved transportation alternatives. There is really no other choice.

Chris Dowd
April 4, 2016