We all understand that metro Atlanta has one of the nation’s most lengthy commutes. In 2007 our average commute was 40 minutes or one hour and 20 minutes roundtrip each day.

At $4 gallon, it is really expensive, too. We have an excellent interstate highway system (developed for our national defense in the 1960s), but no mass transportation outside the main city. The MARTA system is good, but it has not come close to all the areas where the population has grown. Even Governor Perdue has shown his support for mass transit recently.

The idea of mass transit is to provide a cost-effective and very “green” or ecologically friendly way to move large numbers of people. Rather than one car transporting one person at 20 miles per gallon, and polluting the air with smog, you can have a train moving 500 people that uses the electricity that is already generated by power plants, and not producing additional smog within the city. It is clean, green and less costly to each passenger than the cost of you driving your car (which would include gas, oil, maintenance, and insurance, not to mention aggravation in traffic).

Now mass transit is not without initially high start-up costs. But, when properly planned and fed by buses and the state roads, it will generate high revenue and reduce the payoff time to the taxpayer. The result will be cleaner air, quieter and less congested roads, and far less unproductive commuting times.

Just think that instead of one hour and 20 minutes wasted each day driving a car or stuck in traffic, you could read the newspaper, a favorite book, or catch up on lost sleep.

There have been a number of studies concerning mass transit in the metropolitan area (which includes Fayette, Spalding and Henry counties). The most recent and one of the best was from the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. It concluded that the “ridership is there” to support seven light rail lines connecting Atlanta, Macon, Athens, Gainesville, Canton, Bremen, Senoia, and Madison.

Those of us in Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Griffin, Hampton and Locust Grove could easily take these trains to work.

Of course, much work needs to be done to ensure they run on a useful schedule that will allow thousands to use them every day.

We also have “Park and Ride” programs where you drive to the nearest staging place and then take a 40-passenger air conditioned bus to the airport, or to downtown Atlanta, or to a MARTA station.

Whatever the cost would be, it is cheaper to build these systems today. Next year they will cost more, and the following year they will be even higher. The need is now and the time is now.

But once again the Georgia state legislature has failed to provide funding. They still love their roads and traffic. As long as we continue to re-elect those who have failed to provide the leadership and energy to make mass transit a reality, we will continue to be stuck in ever increasing road congestion and time-wasting commutes.

In our District 73 we have an 86-year-old incumbent who says he supports light rail, yet even with 18 years seniority in the legislature, he doesn’t accomplish it. He can’t or won’t do what is needed to ensure that mass transit is kept on the agenda and delivered.

As someone who has seen and used mass transit systems from New York City to London, I know a good system when I see it. I will work together with our other state representatives and the various committees to make good things happen from our government, and make mass transit a reality rather than another lost opportunity. We have the opportunity on our July 15 Republican Primary to choose new leadership on this and other issues.

Rick Williams

Candidate for State Representative District 73

www.captainrickwilliams.com

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