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[aboutmetro]

Georgia will receive $932 Million for highway transportation and $144 Million for public transit. FHWA and FTA are actively providing guidance to Georgia DOT and transit systems on stimulus federal requirements. The State Transportation Board will announce the priority project categories (i.e. maintenance, safety, new capacity, etc.) and the "shovel-ready" projects across the state that will be constructed with stimulus funding provided directly to Georgia DOT.

Thirty percent (30%) of Georgia’s highway stimulus funds must be sub-allocated to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in the state, who will determine projects to be funded from their allocations.

Most of the projects to be funded with transit stimulus funds will be selected by the state’s transit system operators; however, Georgia DOT will take the lead for transit projects outside Georgia’s urbanized areas.

Use this forum to discuss Stimulus projects around the state, what are the hits and misses of proposed projects, or link discussions from other areas of the UP. According to the DOT, many counties and cities are missing deadlines to get their project lists in. Is yours one of those?

A big part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is an attempt at transparency. A link to Georgia's website.  Of course, the Governor's push to reorganize the GDOT has the whole department in turmoil and many fear Georgia won't be able to take full advantage of Federal Stimulus funds.

Below are charts demonstrating how funds will be laid out.

[aboutmetro]

aboutmetro, on Mar 15 2009, 09:41 AM, said:

Georgia will receive $932 Million for highway transportation and $144 Million for public transit. FHWA and FTA are actively providing guidance to Georgia DOT and transit systems on stimulus federal requirements. The State Transportation Board will announce the priority project categories (i.e. maintenance, safety, new capacity, etc.) and the "shovel-ready" projects across the state that will be constructed with stimulus funding provided directly to Georgia DOT.

Thirty percent (30%) of Georgia’s highway stimulus funds must be sub-allocated to Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) in the state, who will determine projects to be funded from their allocations.

Columbus 'shovel ready' projects. ARRA Projects have to be ready to go in 180 days.
Link to Columbus forum post.

These are the projects Columbus submitted to the DOT for 'Shovel Ready' projects -

Eastern Connector Phases I & II (Macon Road to Buena Vista Road) – Construct 4 lane Divided Road - Projected Cost – $30,000,000.00 (Federal Funds). Technology Park is being built in three phases. This will be the third phase. The first phase has been built with 250 jobs already established. The build out could take fifteen (15) years with an estimated 2000 jobs that would be available. $35,000,000

Moon Road Phases II & III – Wilber Road to Whittlesey Boulevard, Widen from 2 to 3 lanes & Whittlesey Boulevard to Veterans Parkway, Widen from 2 to 4 lanes– This project will help to alleviate congestion along this main arterial. – Construction expected to create 30 to 35 additional jobs. $9,000,000

Meritas Mills Flood Abatement Project-Enclosure of open channel that is part of the combined sewer system from River Road to 35th Street. $3,500,000

Stormwater Pipe Rehabilitation-Rehabilitation of existing priority one storm sewer pipes that have reached their useful life and have or are near collapse thus endangering adjoining public and private property. $18,000,000

Forest Road Bridges-Repair/Replacement-Repair/Replacement of two existing bridges that have load restrictions due to structural deficiencies. Forrest Road is an arterial road with a traffic count in excess of 12,000 vehicles per day. This is a major route for school buses. $5,000,000

Composting Project (equipment costs) - Would allow City to implement composting operation near existing landfill $1,000,000

METRA Buses (four) - Replacement of four buses as scheduled $1,000,000

Intelligent Transportation System-Implementation of an ITS to include a Traffic Coordination Center and connecting Traffic Signal Systems or other Traffic Control Devices to the Center for monitoring or adjustments. $7,000,000

14th Street Bridge/Riverwalk - Rehab of existing bridge into a pedestrian facility, while completing two missing sections of the Riverwalk to complete this project $10,000,000

Resurfacing/Rehabilitation of Streets- Resurfacing or rehabilitation of existing streets that have been identified as part of the pavement management program $10,000,000

What's not in -

The Commuter rail (aka Trolley) - Columbus' opportunity to move to the next level.  (Post in Columbus forum).  Columbus, GA metro area will grow by a minimum of 20,000 (most projections put it at 30 - 50,000) in the next 3 years from Ft Benning expansion along.... passing up plans for light rail with that kind of population boom is foolhardy at best and a gross mismanagement of planning duties at worst.

[aboutmetro]

Troup/Lagrange just announced its Stimulus planning. They were one of the few areas that aren't in MPO's that got a list in to GDOT. It's impressive that Troup and Lagrange worked together even though they didn't have to, but why Hogansville and West Point (home to one of the state's biggest economic development and several thousand new jobs in the next two years) were left out is a mystery.

It's time for the county and the cities to work more closely on all sorts of planning, but especially transportation. In fact, with Kia and BRAC happening as discussed in another article, maybe Troup should be working with Muscogee and even maybe Lee County in AL. There's going to be alot of commuting between these areas... maybe even a light rail...?
The list includes $25.3 million for the 6.1-mile South Loop project between Roanoke Road and Whitesville Road. The other 18 projects on the list are:

— $2,632,000 for phase two of the LaGrange bypass from New Franklin Road to Mooty Bridge Road.

— $1.25 million for a traffic signal and other upgrades at the intersection of South Davis Road and Upper Big Springs Road. County Commission Chairman Ricky Wolfe has been trying to get that work done for years.

“It took a total meltdown of the U.S. economy to get a light,” Wolfe said Friday at a commissioners’ work session.

— $306,000 for a two-foot widening of Gabbettville Road from Kia Boulevard to U.S. 29.

The other local requests are for 52.4 miles of resurfacing on South State Line, Upper Glass Bridge, West Point, Upper Big Springs, Stovall, Shoemaker, Hammett, Rock Mills, Pyne, Waugh, Ware’s Cross, Lower Glass Bridge, Hines and Willowood roads. More resurfacing will be done through the county’s special-purpose local-option sales tax and the state’s Local Assistance Resurfacing Program.

Link to Lagrange News article.

Edited by aboutmetro, 15 March 2009 - 08:31 AM.

[aboutmetro]

This link is to a list of planning organizations in Georgia.

[aboutmetro]

Link to ARRA funded project lists on GDOT website.  From what I hear, DOT did a terrible job getting the word out to all of the various jurisdictions for them to get in their lists.  All communications went to Elected officials which in many counties are part-time positions and sometimes only getting written communications once a month.

Edited by aboutmetro, 18 March 2009 - 12:23 PM.

[aboutmetro]

Columbus' whitewater rafting project is hoping to apply for ARRA money from NOAA. They're hoping to get between $10 and 20 million.  Proponents would say it would generate between $7 and $10 in revenue annually.  It's anticipated that the revenue projection is very conservative because of the other attractions, restaurants and bars in Columbus that will give rafters other entertainment options that they don't get in rural and remote locations.The project will also restore environmental habitats forrare and endangered species and promote fish migration. It is expected to benefit shoal bass, shoal spider lilies and mussels.

Image:



The full Ledger-Enquirer article is attached:


 ChattWWRafting.pdf   18.75K   40 downloads

Edited by aboutmetro, 24 March 2009 - 06:30 AM.