Part of a 3-part presentation given at a session of the 2013 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, DC. Examines the lessons learned from the implementation of the GA Transportation Investment Act.

1. Georgia’s Transportation
Investment Act
Lessons Learned
TRB Annual Meeting
January 2013

2. Agenda
• What is the TIA?
• Education
• Transparency & Accountability
• Challenges
• Politics
• Conclusions
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

3. Why Does GA Need Money?
• One of lowest motor fuel tax in nation
• One of lowest per capita spending on
transportation
• 2009 Statewide Strategic
Transportation Plan
– $72 billion needed to fix burning issues,
facilitate economic growth, and
transform our transportation network
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

4. Transportation Funding in GA
• Federal Funds
– Subject to congressional district balancing for equitable
distribution
• State Motor Fuel
– Limited by law to highways and bridges
– Subject to congressional district balancing for equitable
distribution
– LMIG is 10-20% of Motor Fuel Collections (FY13= $110M)
• 10% match if tax passed, 30% match if it did not
• General Fund
– Transit, airports, rail, etc.
• Local Funds (SPLOST, General fund, etc)
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

5. Transportation Investment
Act (TSPLOST)
• 12 Special Tax Districts based on RC boundaries
• Each District can levy 1% sales tax for 10 years
(≈8%)
• Exemptions: off road fuel, ATL jet fuel, motor fuel,
Manf. Energy, transit fuel, >$5,000 car
• Individual Counties cannot opt out
• Money raised in District stays in District
• Money is not subject to congressional balancing
• Project Criteria established by Local Roundtable
• Local Roundtables ultimately select projects
• Vote will be Primary election of July 31, 2012
• Funds start flowing in 1st quarter of 2013 Planning Organization
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan

6. Different Pots
75% Regional 25% (15%) Local
 75% of the Region’s  25% (15%)of the Region’s
proceeds proceeds
 Will be used to fund all  Formula based on proportion
projects on the final project of population and centerline
list approved by the road miles
roundtable and ultimately  Discretionary transportation
the citizens of the region money to be used for
 GDOT will be responsible projects like resurfacing
for project delivery
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

7. Ideas Behind the Bill
• Allowed voters to implement tax,
spent in their region, on projects
selected locally
• Carrot and Stick
– Penalties (incentives) in Law acted as a
stick to encourage passage
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

8. The vote…
• If the Voters do not
approve the referendum
then…
– All local governments
must match their state
funds at a rate of 30%,
wait 24 months to start
process over
• If the Voters do approve
the referendum
– All local governments
must match their state
funds at a rate of 10%, can
use 25% local
discretionary as the match
– Citizen’s Review Panel
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

9. County by County Vote
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

10. Two Phases
• Selecting Projects
– Regional Transportation Roundtable
– Local Elected Officials
– Public Meetings
– Champions
• Referendum Education
– Public Education
– Overcoming Myths
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

11. Follow-up Interviews
• State DOT Board Members
• Regional Commissions
• Chambers of Commerce
• MPOs
• News Articles
• Local Officials
• Business Community
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

12. Project Selection
• Elected Officials vs. Planners
• Significant Time Commitment
• Fairness to all local governments
– Donor Communities & Direct/Indirect Benefits
• Focus on regional needs/connectivity
• Local control by local elected officials
– Too much input from DOT?
– Sub-regions provide accountability
• Champion to carry the message
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

13. Public Education
• Communicating ‘value for the money’
– Local SPLOSTs have traditionally done
well with identified project lists
• Is ‘tax’ a four-letter word?
– Taxed Enough Already
• Federal and State cubacks
• Job creation did not resonate well
– Did ARRA have anything to do with this?
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

14. Public Education
• Law was hard to understand, led to
misinformation
• Metro Atlanta vs. Rest of Georgia
– Debate on all matters in Georgia
• Just getting the word out, voters were
confused, uninformed
– Struggle to look beyond local boundaries
• Proactive Involvement of Planners
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

15. Transparency and
Accountability
• Law mandated transparency and
accountability
– Ability to overcome historical DOT
mistrust
– Opponents cited past trust issues with
DOT
• Lots of information available
– Project lists, estimated revenue, etc.
– Not all information matched
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

16. Responding to Myths
• Conspiracy theories and trust
• Bad information kept spreading
– Editorials, blogs, etc.
– Hands off vs. Respond
• Educating the public about
transportation funding (sources,
match rates, accounting, YOE, etc.)
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

17. Challenges to Overcome
• Idea of a new tax was a bigger issue
than working in regions
– Local elected officials found a way to
work together
• Skepticism over DOT accountability
and transparency
• Change the discussion
– How transportation should be funded vs.
current sources
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

18. Politics of it All
• Different political campaign strategies work
in different areas of the state
– Diverse/overlapping media markets
– Is an “all of the above” approach right
• Politics are local, different issues in regions
• Unlikely Ally’s: Tea Party, Sierra Club, NAACP
– Traditional Media and Social Media helped their
message spread
• Getting the business community involved
• Was it poor timing economically?
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

19. Conclusions
• Local officials will work together
– Regional Need vs. Local Wants
– All roads are local – HOG paving list
• New activist groups identified
– Bring them to the table for long range
transportation planning discussions
• The public does not understand
transportation funding
– More transparent and accountable process
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

20. Conclusions
• Get the facts out there
– Respond to myths and falsehoods
• Directly or indirectly (social media works great)
• Upfront, proactive communication with traditional
media
– One go-to source for facts
• Include all of the information in all formats and
methods
• Changing the DOT Institution
– Times have changed; trust, accountability,
transparency
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

21. Conclusions
• Gave people the opportunity to know
what the tax was for
– Did the voters exercise that opportunity?
– Was it explained well?
• Misconception of penalty, failed to get
attention of local governments/voters
– How is transportation funded
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

22. AJC Poll – Dec. 9, 2012
• Strong distrust of all areas of government
• Feel money is wasted
• 2/3 + would pay a new fee/tax to reduce
congestion, if a program is well designed
• Who should control the money?
– No clear preference (local, regional, state)
– By a thin edge people preferred small groups of
counties voluntarily working together
– Want federal involvement least of all
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

23. AJC Poll – Dec. 9, 2012
• Strong suburban support for transit
– 64% would pay a new fee/tax to create
well designed public transit options to
benefit the region
• 79% said regional connections are
strong
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

24. Wrapping it All Up
• Commitment
• Recognized Funding Need
• Trust
• Transparency
• Accountability
• Public Education (Elected Officials)
• Needs vs. Wants
• Institutional Changes
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization

25. Questions?
Corey Hull, AICP
Valdosta-Lowndes MPO
Southern Georgia Regional Commission
chull@sgrc.us
229-333-5277
www.sgrc.us/transportation
Valdosta – Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organization