Residents Sound Off on TSPLOST

A strong majority of Northeast and East Cobb residents attending a town-hall meeting Tuesday about next year's Atlanta regional transportation SPLOST referendum said they oppose the penny sales tax. 

Many told state lawmakers at the hearing, moderated by state Sen. Judson Hill (R-East Cobb), that they doubt the nearly $1.2 billion collected for Cobb projects over 10 years would benefit them. (See attached PDFs for a list and map).

They were especially scornful of the proposed $856 million that would connect the Arts Center MARTA station in Midtown Atlanta with the Cumberland area, the first phase of a projected long-term Northwest Corridor transit plan that would reach Acworth. 

The only road project on the current recommendation list that's in East Cobb is a new connector between Windy Hill Road and Terrell Mill Road along Interstate 75, and some citizens questioned the need for that $26 million expense.

But other citizens expressed support for the TSPLOST, which would collect an estimated $6.14 billion for projects across a 10-county metro Atlanta area if voters approve it in July. 

One of those citizens was East Cobb Patch Local Voices blogger Mike Holzknecht, who reiterated concerns he made in a blog post over the weekend that Atlanta as a Southern regional transportation leader. 

The final deadline for projects that will be placed before voters is Oct. 15, and two more TSPLOST hearings are scheduled in Cobb on Thursday.

Here's The Marietta Daily Journal's story from Tuesday's meeting.