Transportation solutions elusive after tax stalls

ATLANTA - The proposed penny sales tax to fund billions in transportation projects in metro Atlanta has failed, and solutions to easing gridlock in the South's economic engine remain elusive.

A day after Tuesday's primary election, supporters are vowing to change the minds of voters who rejected the ballot issue by a 2-to-1 margin, as critics derided the plan as an unfair tax on the poor that doesn't really address sprawl and could not be entrusted to state government. Meanwhile, Atlanta's population - which swelled by more than 4 million people in the past four decades - continues to grow, fanning out further from the capital's core.

Observers say lawmakers will have to come up with an answer, and the fix will likely not be an easy one. The so-called TSPLOST failed in 9 of 12 regions in state.

Gov. Nathan Deal, who supported passage of the tax, reacted to Tuesday's returns by saying the state will "reprioritize" on transportation, reiterating his commitment to working on Georgia's transportation needs using existing resources.

"The voters of Georgia have spoken, and I will continue to do what I have done since I became governor: Work in consultation with state transportation leaders, legislators and local officials to establish our priority projects," Deal said. "There will be belt-tightening. It's certainly disappointing that we won't have the resources to accomplish all the projects needed to get Georgians moving quicker, but it does force state officials, including myself, to focus all our attention on our most pressing needs."

The governor noted that TSPLOST contained $600 million to rebuild the Georgia 400/I-285 interchange, located in the Atlanta region, one of the nine where the tax was rejected.

"We will face significant challenges in that corridor if that doesn't get fixed, particularly after the tolls come down and volume increases," Deal said. "We'll have a 'need to do' Transportation Improvement Program list, but not a 'want to do' list. In addition to tight state budgets, we're also facing a significant reduction in federal funds so tough choices await.

(AccessNorthGa.com's Ken Stanford contributed to this story.)