Stung by Referendum Loss, Key Transportation Planner Stresses Regionalism
Today the Atlanta Regional Commission hosted its annual “State of the Region” breakfast at the Georgia World Congress Center. The planning organization for metro Atlanta took the opportunity to discuss next steps after the resounding defeat of this summer’s regional transportation referendum.
Speaking before elected officials, policymakers, and business leaders, ARC board chair Tad Leithead told attendees not to lose faith in regionalism.
“We cannot solve the problems that we are facing individually as people, individually as cities, individually as counties or individually as the Atlanta Regional Commission unless all of us commit to work together as a region,” said Leithead.
Leithead said the ARC would continue to focus on building partnerships throughout the metro area. But he said leaders in the region would have to step up. He set out the first priority.
“I suggest that what we do now is for the thousand of us in this room and the people that we represent and the people that we can influence to work together to agree on a collective vision for our region.”
While light on specifics, Leithead said in developing that vision, leaders needed to throw out old ideas. He said the ARC would lead by changing its approach as well.
“We intend to let go of 55 or 60 years of theories that we’ve held in our head as a bureaucracy and empower our staff and empower our leadership and empower our board to open our minds to new theories and new opportunities for working together.”
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