Politics are behind where Georgia builds new roads, according to a majority of local officials surveyed in a state audit critical of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s planning division for failing to effectively review major infrastructure projects before they’re selected for construction.
GDOT “lacks initial selection criteria” the audit said, and “projects are scored after” GDOT has already decided to build them. The audit says GDOT’s analysis criteria “are not well aligned” with the agency’s goals.
The audit highlights GDOT’s plan to install truck-only lanes on Interstate-75 between Atlanta and Macon at a cost of $2 billion, about a fifth of the funds provided by a transportation law state legislators approved in 2015.
A 2008 analysis of the truck-only lanes project showed it “appeared to have preliminary merit,” but the audit called that “insufficient justification for a major investment.” A 2016 analysis of the project estimated it would reduce traffic delays, but that was after the truck-only lanes were already set to be built.
Jay Roberts, GDOT planning director, said if the 2016 analysis hadn’t shown the project would reduce traffic the agency would have killed it.
“The report validated what we already knew,” he said.
The audit calls for GDOT to conduct more “cost-benefit” analysis of potential projects, but Roberts said that approach could be restrictive.
“Is it a tool that we may look at using in the future? Yes. I think it’s probably something that we’re going to look at,” he said.
Roberts said GDOT has to look beyond the numbers to safety, security and the state’s broader economy as guides for where to build. In the case of the truck-only lanes, Roberts pointed to the expansion in the Savannah port and associated truck traffic as reason enough to build.
According to the audit, about 60 percent of local officials say political influence is a “moderate or major factor” in determining which projects GDOT picks.
“Whether political influence is real or perceived, the perception is likely to persist if scoring exceptions and weak procedural controls remain,” the audit said.
“What may be important to one person may not be important to another person. It’s all in the eyes of the beholder,” Roberts said.
State lawmakers representing areas close to the proposed I-75 truck-only lanes told the Macon Telegraph they have questions about the project that have yet to be answered.
“I sure wish we would wait a little while now that the toll lanes [north of McDonough] are finished to see if that helps relieve some congestion,” said Rep. Allen Peake.
