Politics & Government
Worthan Wants GRETA in TSPLOST
The chairman of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners is expected to introduce an amendment to the local Transportation Investment Act roundtable to restore funding for the bus system.
Today, Commission Chairman Tom Worthan is expected to introduce an amendment to the local Transportation Investment Act roundtable to restore funding for the GRETA bus system in the project list for the proposed Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.
Worthan said he feels comfortable that 11 out of the 21 members of the roundtable will vote in favor of the amendment.
“If we don’t get the funding restored, we’re going to lose our express bus service in Douglas County unless you want to raise taxes,” Worthan said during the commission's work session on Monday.
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The whole purpose of the TIA is to get cars off the street, Worthan said.
“Well, I’m just going to suggest to them how many cars will be on the street if we don’t pass this,” he said. “This isn’t just for Douglas County. This is for the nine other counties that use the express bus service.”
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In addition, Worthan said he thinks officials on the federal level will look poorly toward Douglas County or Atlanta for future transit funding if “the only successful transit program in the region is eliminated.”
The roundtable’s meeting started at 9 a.m. at the Atlanta Regional Commission's office in Atlanta. A final vote on the project list is expected on Oct. 15.