(The following story by Eric Stirgus appeared on The Atlanta Journal-Constitution website on March 23.)
ATLANTA — A bill that could have derailed a proposed commuter rail line between Atlanta and Lovejoy has stalled in the Georgia Legislature.
The bill’s author, state Rep. John Lunsford (R-McDonough), said last week he decided not to push the legislation because it could be legally challenged on the claim that one jurisdiction should not be able to hinder another’s ability to spend its own funds.
State officials want to spend $106 million to create a commuter rail that would make several stops between downtown Atlanta and Lovejoy.
Clayton officials have agreed to pay an estimated $4 million in annual operating and maintenance expenses once federal funding runs out in three years. The long-term plans include a stop in Hampton and Macon as the final destination.
In the past year, several Henry County leaders have been among the plan’s most vocal critics, prompting Lunsford, chairman of Henry’s delegation to the state Legislature, to propose the measure.
Lunsford still thinks voters should decide the matter, despite his decision not to pursue his legislation.
“I still believe the voters should be involved in a process when you are incurring long-term debts,” he said.
Clayton County Commission Chairman Eldrin Bell, one of the most ardent supporters of commuter rail, was out of town and unavailable for comment, county officials said.
Commuter rail supporters say the project is a necessary alternative to the increasingly-heavy traffic on local roads and highways, will help economic development on Atlanta’s Southside, and will reduce air pollution.
Critics say commuter rail will not be patronized, that talk of Atlantans taking commuter rail to shop on the Southside is far-fetched and that the rail line should run along I-75, not on railroad tracks near U.S. 19/41.
State transportation officials are in discussions with Norfolk Southern concerning whether at least another $5 million is needed for track improvements before any work can begin to create the line.