We had several interesting presentations this afternoon in the Transportation Committee. Two were on funding strategies that have taken place in Georgia. Representative Kevin Tanner, the chairman of the Transportation Committee in the Georgia House of Representatives, went into detail on the funding of a comprehensive transportation system. Of particular importance was HB 170, legislation that went into effect on July 1, 2015. This will generate over $900 million in new annual funding. It includes excise tax on fuels, truck fees, and a $5 hotel/motel fee. Representative Tanner said he receives the most complaints on the hotel fee. His advice was that it is important “To do it together.”
John Robert Smith of Transportation for America gave an overview of transportation funding strategies of other states. He had visited a number of communities in Minnesota this past fall and talked about what he learned from those visits. For more information, go to www.T4America.org