FULTON COUNTY, GA (CBS ATLANTA) -
On July 31 most of you will have the opportunity to vote on a transportation sales tax, known as T-SPLOST. It would add a penny in sales tax to everything you buy.
The money would pay for some $6 billion worth of projects in the 10 counties surrounding Atlanta. It would include everything from roads and bridges to public transportation.
"Our staff live and die by Tara Boulevard. That's how traffic flows," Clayton County Transportation Director Jeff Metarko said.
Metarko said the county is constantly looking for ways to ease congestion along the heavily traveled Tara Boulevard.
"You're pushing over 100,000 vehicles through those intersections. There's only so much we can do," Metarko said.
Metarko hopes voters will approve the transportation referendum next month. The penny sales tax would provide the county with millions of dollars to fund transportation improvements within their region.
"It positions us for opportunities to grow and expand our economic horizons and also provides our citizens transportation mobility that they desperately need," Metarko said.
The largest project in the area costing more than $102 million is the conversion of Tara Boulevard from its current configuration to what's called a 'Super Arterial' from I-75 to Battle Creek Road. There would be on and off ramps added to Tara Boulevard to let traffic move without having to stop at intersections.
"It's very similar to Peachtree Industrial Boulevard which you find on the North side of Atlanta. The idea is for the through traffic volume they will stay on the road, but they won't have any traffic signals," Metarko said.
Another project designed to relieve congestion is the widening of Fayetteville Road from McDonough Road to Tara Boulevard. Transportation officials believe this project worth $8.1 million will reduce traffic delays by nearly a 50 percent during rush hour.
Other Clayton County projects include the widening of Conley road from I-285 to Jonesboro Road and perhaps the most talked about project is the return of local bus service. $100 million would be allocated to operate the service for 10 years.
"What we need is money and when we need it is now," Metarko said.
Copyright 2012 WGCL-TV (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.
