Gainesville-Hall MPO not worried about fed cut

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville/Hall County's metropolitan planners meeting at the Hall County Courthouse Annex Tuesday morning said they are not too concerned about federal legislation that would wipe out Metropolitan PLanning Organizations around the country.

They are not too worried because the proposed U.S. Senate measure offers a loop hole for The Gainesville Hall MPO. The local MPO is one of those that could be cut under the transportation reauthorization bill, aimed at cutting out waste, but chairman Mike Miller, mayor of Flowery Branch, said none of the Georgia MPO's are considered wasteful.

"There is an amendment that would get us in but it did not sound to me that it is favorable for passing," Miller said. "There is in the original legislation a process for us to continue operating with approval from the Governor."

That approval must also come from the Commissioner of the Georgia State Department of Transportation and the U.S. Secretary of Transportation.

According to its letter to bill sponsors U.S. Senators Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson of Georgia, The Georgia Association of MPOs states the measure 'would take away the voice of local governments from Albany, Athens, Brunswick, Dalton, Gainesville, Hinesville, Macon, Rome, Valdosta and Warner Robins'.

Those cities have urban populations that fall between 50,000 and 200,000 , but in its response Gainesville Hall's MPO states that 'our MPOs are technically proficient and are encouraged to work with the GDOT Commissioner, the Governor and the Secretary of Transportation to respond to the new certification requirements'.

Miller said MPOs play a vital role in identifying and shaping transportation needs.

"The growth in Hall County has been astronomical but the road improvements and additional roads have not been," Miller said. "We've got to have planning to get people around, otherwise, you have gridlock."

SAFER INTERSECTION

According to MPO Transportation manager Srikanth Yamala a traffic light may not be the solution for a hazardous intersection on Highway 365 North of Gainesville. Yamala said traffic has increased at Howard Road and 365 with the new Race Trak store and store consultants are working with the DOT.

"Once they have the final details they will go ahead and start fixing that particular intersection," Yamala said.

Relining the intersection could make it safer than a traffic light would, but Yamala adds that the best thing is slower speeds.

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