Atlanta Public Transit Overhaul Takes Major Steps Forward On Crossover Day
On Crossover Day at the state capitol, both the House and Senate passed bills to provide state funding for regional transit
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Georgia’s House and Senate each took steps toward overhauling metro-Atlanta’s transit system Wednesday during Crossover Day.
Both the state House and Senate passed their own versions of bills to provide for state funding for regional transit. The House bill passed 162 to 13 while the Senate Bill passed 51 to 4.
Crossover Day is the final day bills have to pass one body of the legislature in order to be considered later in the session. Bills that don’t pass effectively die for the remainder of the session
The House’s version of the bill would generate funds by creating a new 1 percent sales tax on goods and services at Atlanta’s and Savannah’s airports. It would also add a 50-cent fee per ride on Ubers, Lyfts and taxis.
House Speaker David Ralston said passing the bill was a significant moment for the region.
“We’re going to have better coordination, greater efficiencies and the ability to plan in a more thorough way a transit system going forward,” Ralston said.
The Senate’s version allows the 13 counties in the region to create a 1 percent special purpose sales tax for transit if they don’t currently have one.
The Senate also passed a bill to brand the region wide system “The ATL” by 2023.
Both bills would create one unifying body to govern the system.
In addition to transit, the House passed a bill that would require lobbyist to abide by the General Assembly’s sexual harassment policy.
One of the many bills passed in the Senate included creating a uniform election system across the state.
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