REMARKS FOR
THE HONORABLE MARY PETERS
SECRETARY OF TRANSPORTATION

ATLANTA CONGESTION REDUCTION GRANT ANNOUNCEMENT
ATLANTA, GA

NOVEMBER 25, 2008
10:30 AM

Thank you, Commissioner Evans, for that kind introduction. And thank you, Governor Perdue, for your strong commitment to improving Georgia’s transportation network.

It’s wonderful to be back in Atlanta, especially to announce improvements that will reduce commute times, enhance transit and help preserve the environment.

In November of last year, the Department of Transportation launched our Congestion Reduction Demonstration project—an initiative that challenged cities to come up with aggressive solutions to transportation challenges that incorporate new technologies and that would make a real difference for commuters and businesses.

The city of Atlanta and the state of Georgia answered that call, and today I am here to announce a 110 million dollar grant to help this region implement its bold plan to cut traffic and improve transit.

Atlanta and other cities across the nation submitted their proposals, and included in them innovative ways of tackling some of our nation’s most pressing transportation concerns.

America’s cities are struggling under the weight of higher population and greater demand on their roads and transit systems. Only by taking aggressive, forward-thinking approaches—like Atlanta has done—can urban areas hope to remain competitive in the century ahead.

Few leaders understand the value of keeping traffic moving like Governor Perdue, Commissioner Evans and those who were instrumental in developing Atlanta’s proposal.

State and local leaders put together an ambitious plan to tame traffic in the Atlanta area, to pump new money into the region’s transit services and to redefine the way people use I-85.

The 110 million dollars we are making available today will help convert existing High Occupancy Vehicle lanes to new, dynamically-priced High Occupancy Toll lanes.

Through innovative technology, the new HOT lanes will charge prices that vary based on the amount of traffic on the other lanes. The concept is a simple yet proven way to keep traffic moving and commutes reliable. Similar efforts in Minneapolis and Southern California are already improving commutes, cutting traffic and winning fierce fans out of former skeptics.

We help Atlanta make the transition to HOT lanes by funding the first phase of its plan to convert toll lanes on I-85 between Old Peachtree Road and I-285. We also contribute to the completion of a 49 mile network by implementing additional HOV-to-HOT lane conversions along I-85, I-75 and I-20.

Also included in our grant is 30 million dollars to help Atlanta purchase new buses and build and expand park-and-ride facilities. The bus service funded by today’s announcement will operate on the new express lanes, providing riders with faster commutes. And with gas costs fluctuating, anytime you can make it easier for people to use an efficient transit system, you are not just cutting traffic, you are saving families real money.

The goal is simple: make commutes reliable, not ridiculous. This grant does just that by making sure commuters won’t have to guess how long it will take to get Downtown from Dunwoody or to the airport from Avondale. And transit users can expect better, more frequent service, and guaranteed trip times.

We believe these steps are just the beginning of a larger transformation that must take place in how we manage and finance the transportation network in Georgia and the United States.

Time-of-day fees using innovative technologies are a far more effective, fair, sustainable and environmentally-friendly approach than what we have done for the last 50 years in this country.

Our economic vitality and prosperity as a nation are increasingly becoming dependent on our willingness to embrace new transportation strategies. Thanks to the tremendous political courage of this state’s leaders, Atlanta’s future is looking promising and prosperous.

Our partnership will do much more than make it easier for drivers to come into the city for work or to get to the Braves game on time. The money we are providing today will make commuting faster, transit better and small businesses more competitive… together, we’ll make traffic in Atlanta go with the wind.

Thank you, again, to the city of Atlanta for its strong approach to cutting traffic and improving transit.

Now, before we answer your questions, I’d like to hand the podium over to Governor Perdue.