The Georgia Department of Transportation’s Transportation Investment Act (TIA) program recently reaches its half-way point.
The program is a 10-year, 1 percent sales tax to fund regional and local transportation improvements. It was approved by voters in three regions of the state in 2012.
So far, the program has completed 432 projects with another 75 under construction, and nearly $180 million has been redistributed to communities.
In the regions that approved the program, 94.1 percent of residents would recommend the program to other regions, and 92.4 percent said the program is a good thing, according to a Georgia Tech survey.
“The TIA program has had a major influence on the sustainability and safety of our state’s rural infrastructure and provides an incredible opportunity for communities and local representatives to choose how their own tax revenue is spent,” Kenneth Franks, TIA administrator, said. “Whether it’s completing an overpass that allows emergency personnel to respond without waiting 20 minutes for a train to pass, or creating access to real estate that will become an industrial park whose tax proceeds will provide over $400,000 to support local schools, TIA has helped communities attain the transportation projects they need to accomplish their goals regardless of broader nationwide funding concerns.”