Think about it: instead of fighting traffic (and the challenges of parking) every day to get to work at Emory, the CDC, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, or the VA, by 2022 you could simply take MARTA to the Lindbergh Station and then transfer to a light rail train serving all of these organizations.
How? By voting "yes" for the regional transportation referendum on July 31.
This will be an unprecedented opportunity to make a real difference in reducing the stresses of a commute as well as automobile dependency and congestion.
The 1 percent sales tax will generate $7.22 billion in the 10-county metro Atlanta region over a 10-year period and be dedicated to specific transportation projects and improvements approved last October by elected officials representing the metro region. From this revenue, the Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative is slated to receive $700 million to fund construction of the rail line and an additional $25 million for a new bridge and associated road improvements at Clifton and Haygood roads.
With more than 30,000 employees living and working in the Clifton Corridor and an estimated additional 48,000 cars passing through this area each day, a transit alternative to reduce automobile congestion and dependency is critical to the economic vitality of the area and quality of life for those who work, visit and live in the Clifton Corridor.
On April 18, during "Wonderful Wednesday" festivities on Asbury Circle, Emory's Office of Sustainability Initiatives, in partnership with the Student Government Association and the Office of Governmental and Community Affairs, will sponsor a booth with information and forms on voter registration, absentee ballots and educational materials on the transportation projects that would be funded. Please drop by and learn how the referendum will positively impact the Clifton Corridor if approved by voters. And then, go vote on July 31!
The deadline for registering to vote for the July 31 primary is July 2. For more information on voter registration, obtaining absentee ballots and polling locations, please visit the following websites: www.sos.ga.gov/elections or www.dekalbvotes.com. For additional information on the transportation referendum and projects list, as well as how it would impact metro Atlanta, visit transformmetroatlanta.com or contact me at betty.willis@emory.edu.