Rockdale County Transportation Summit

Congressman Johnson, a senior member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, delivered he following speech at the Rockdale County Transportation Summit on  Wednesday, October 19, 2022 at the Costley Mill Event Center in Conyers, GA. 

Thank you, Rockdale County Chairman, Oz Nesbitt, Commissioners Sherri Washington and Doreen Williams, and Director of Transportation, Brian Kelley, for hosting this Annual Transportation Summit. It’s my distinct pleasure to speak with you all here today, including Conyers Mayor Vince Evans, Jonathan Orr from the Atlanta Regional Commission and the entire Rockdale County Transportation team. 

When asked to give remarks today, I was encouraged by the summit organizers to share my vision for transportation. Like the Biden Administration, I believe we need to elevate equity, sustainability, and affordability when it comes to transportation. What’s more, we should rethink our dependence on highways and cars and instead lean into different types of projects, from transit to walking and biking. For too long, this comprehensive vision has been an elusive dream that, in recent years, has not only become more pressing but also more achievable. 

When it comes to public transit, my vision in Georgia’s 4th district entails high-quality, affordable, and reliable trains that run from North Indian Creek Station just outside I-285 all the way to Stonecrest and back, and through to the South DeKalb Mall. Furthermore, given the impending construction of the Rivian electric vehicle plant, which will create major socio-and cultural impacts throughout the metro-Atlanta region, we need to prepare ourselves in advance by building a transit system that also services Rockdale County through a connection hub at Stonecrest Mall. Here in Rockdale County, it’s understandable that local residents are concerned about the impact of an EV plant on traffic and noise pollution, among other environmental effects, as more and more folks move to the region in search of jobs. In order to sustain a high quality of life in and around Rockdale County, we must prioritize transit, walkways and biking as alternative modes of movement. And the time for action is now.  

Transit projects, especially, provide long-standing benefits to communities, particularly communities of color and the ability of our state to combat climate change. That’s why I strongly encourage localities in and around my district to take advantage of recent federal funding, whether through the bipartisan infrastructure law, the Inflation Reduction Act, or the annual appropriations process, each of which provide numerous opportunities to advance public transit projects. Truth is, we cannot let the promise of affordable, accessible, and equitable transportation slip through our hands.

The questions we need to be asking are: why is there a burden for a rail project to prove its ridership that does not apply to any number of road projects that stretch across our state? And how can we build more walkways and trails so that we reduce our collective reliance on highways and oil? Right now, the state of Georgia is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to expand the I-20 and I-285 interchange – even though the state’s own studies show that the project will not improve congestion.  We must switch our focus from enabling the use of single passenger vehicles to promoting the use of transit, walking and biking.

Transit provides important benefits that are not always captured with an overly focused ridership study. For instance, public transit can provide a travel option for people who cannot afford to drive or who are unable to drive, and it supports economic development through mixed-use developments at and near transit stops. Transit also helps reduce congestion and therefore makes less critical the need for future roadway expansions. These are all issues of public concern, and they justify public expenditure in rail and transit. In this vein, I’m urging Rockdale’s DOT – and all of us -- to think more imaginatively about what's possible in the metro-Atlanta region. 

By investing in quality transit and rail, our constituents stand to benefit from reduced exposure to fossil fuels, which in turn mitigates the impact of asthma and other pollution-related ailments. Equally important, Rockdale residents, deserve the opportunity to access multimodal, high-quality transportation, which other communities in metro Atlanta and the South have long enjoyed, (so that food deserts and transit deserts become a relic of the past). To bring the heavy rail project to fruition, we must actively work to secure funding. What’s more, never has the federal investment in public transit been so tangible and real.

This year, I partnered with Sen. Jon Ossoff to urge the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to maximize resources and funding through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to boost public transit throughout Georgia, including Georgia’s Fourth District. Our goal has long been to expand public transit, making it easier for Georgians to get to the grocery store, their jobs, and the doctor’s office. Our basic assumption is that quality-of-life improves with increased mobility. And in Rockdale County specifically, I’ve advocated for and secured community project funding, otherwise known as earmarks, through the annual appropriations process to help develop and address the changing needs of Georgia residents. 

There are two earmark examples I can share, both of which impact Rockdale County, and both of which demonstrate that federal funding is available for cogent and compelling project requests. For fiscal year 2023, the community project funding request made by Rockdale County has been included in Appropriations Committee bills, which is key to further momentum in the budgetary process as FY23 negotiations continue. The project I’m referring to requests $300,000 for the Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration to strengthen Rockdale County’s Workforce Development Program. The goal is to allow the county to reach more potential employees, including nontraditional ones such as the formerly incarcerated, by better coordinating efforts to effectively and efficiently respond to businesses that are expanding within the region. Businesses that may, one day, include Rivian. 

Meanwhile, for the previous fiscal year 2022, I was able to secure $800,000 for the Fairview Road Multi-Use Trail that’s located in Newton County, and whose proposed path ended at the Rockdale County line. There is ample opportunity to tie together new multiuse trails that would benefit Rockdale County residents and bring communities together, such as by connecting the multi-use trail along SR 162, much of which rests in Rockdale County. These examples are demonstrative of how federal funding can help communities bridge the budget and invest dollars in a way that benefit constituents. Good! These types of projects that promote the use of alternative modes of transportation, such as walking, biking, or using local transit, are critical. Therefore, we must also continue to build infrastructure for these alternative modes of transportation so we can bridge the gap between local travel and big picture commuting options for the metro Atlanta region, such as rail.

As you may know, the annual appropriations process presents an opportunity every spring to access federal funding for diverse projects. In other words, the money is on the table, and we are here to help. I encourage Rockdale County to come to my office with possible projects. And even if we are to apply and find that a specific application does not succeed, let’s remain optimistic that we can collaborate to ensure the next application cycle is successful.

Now, I've dedicated my entire legislative career to advocating for my constituents, and while my platform is at the federal level, I understand (as a former county commissioner) that real change is always local. The Atlanta Regional Commission Board recently updated the Atlanta Region’s Plan to improve mobility and safety in metro-Atlanta. Some of the infrastructure projects that are slated in Rockdale County for the next decade include widening Sigman Road, extending Courtesy Parkway, and updating the I-20 East interchange improvements at SR 138/20 (Walnut Grove Road/McDonough Highway) to provide a safer and more efficient design. These projects aim to help keep pace with growth in Rockdale County and metro Atlanta. 

While these projects are necessary for a local agency like Rockdale County to keep up with population growth and ensuring the rehabilitation of antiquated infrastructure, we must also remember not to exclude big picture planning for the region. For example, $2.4 billion in Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) funds will be received by Georgia under the IIJA between FY22 and FY26, these funds are eligible for any public transit project. Let me repeat that: any public transit project. As a result of this flexibility and increased funding, GDOT has hundreds of millions of dollars available annually for public transit. Furthermore, the IIJA also created a new Carbon Reduction formula program that will provide Georgia with $210.9 million between FY22 and FY26. This new program was specifically created to reduce on-road highway sources of carbon emissions, which are warming our planet and threatening our health and economy. This is a great opportunity to take a look at how local transit could make a meaningful impact on the reduction of carbon emissions and provide alternative options for transportation to the traveling public.

Now, I’m heartened to hear that Rockdale DOT is currently preparing to perform a transit study to address the need for transit, and specifically, to determine the necessary traffic capacity to accommodate the Rivian plant and its many employees, who will move around the region. I believe ridership studies are important, but we should be mindful to not lose sight of a bigger end goal: Rail. Our approach to funding rail should be holistic, and ridership studies are a key component of that when they are conducted accurately. Rail ridership in Rockdale County will depend on many factors that may prove difficult to model at first, so we must be mindful of that. These factors include changes in zoning and development, the fluctuating price of gas, and the location of job centers and essential services, such as hospitals and schools. As our community evolves, so does transit ridership. The goal is to think ahead, to preempt and plan so that we build around key locations and affordable housing such that transit proves useful to those who need it most.

I am proud to serve as the representative of Georgia’s 4th district and deliver, under the leadership of President Biden, historic federal funds to our nation and state. Now, it’s up to us to determine how to further invest these dollars. Rest assured, I will be your partner in Congress, and I will work to secure federal funding to aid in the pursuit of a transit-oriented state. Remember, funding is available. Instead, it’s only a question of whether those who control the funds will choose to spend it on rail – and whether the local community will be vocal enough to get those who are in power to listen. The time to act is now. We need to stop relying on hopes and dreams and instead, use the democratic tools at our disposal to make more transit a reality.

Thank you for your time and the opportunity to speak today, and I look forward to answering questions.