Last month I made an appeal to contact Governor Perdue in support of the Lovejoy-Atlanta Commuter Rail Initiative. Many of you did. The Govenor's office is the last hurdle in the Commuter Rail becoming reality. I've published the Governor's response to my appeal, below. Unfortunately the response reveals either a misunderstanding, or worse, a misrepresentation of the facts. The assertion that rail usage is 10 - 12 years away is simply untrue. Railcar rolling stock takes two years to deliver as it is built to order. Local GDOT office has confirmed that if rolling stock were ordered today the existing rail corridor from Lovejoy to Atlanta could be ready in time for the delivery. That's two years, not ten or twelve. The money allocated for the commuter rail cannot be spent on anything but the rail and will be forfeited if not used. Therefore the "current budget situation" has no bearing on spending Federal dollars allocated to a logical solution to efficient transportation. Fiscal responsibility would dictate that the total investment of 350 million dollars required to complete the long overdue Atlanta-Macon route would not be better spent in building only nine miles of the HOV lanes the Rapid Buses will run on.

Once again, I invite you to send a message to Gov. Perdue if you feel so inclined. The Governor's response follows:

Dear Mr. Sisco:

Thank you for your message regarding a proposed commuter rail system for
Georgia. As we all know, efficient transportation has long been one of
the keys to quality of life and a robust economy in our state.

To that end, in September 2003 I announced the "Georgia Gets Going"
transportation bond package, totaling $424 million, to provide an infusion
of capital to some important projects that will increase mobility where
this is most needed. This investment underlines the state's duty to
support the implementation of a regional transit system in the Atlanta
region. These are regionally significant, cost-effective transportation
projects. County and state authorities are working together to eliminate
traffic bottlenecks and offer commuters additional choices for their
commute.

Rail options are a consideration in Georgia's bond program. $4 million
has been earmarked to secure $29 million in federal funding for a future
Atlanta-to-Macon commuter rail line. $4.2 million will also be spent for
the acquisition and rehabilitation of a short-line railroad, designed to
preserve service to industry in Lowndes, Cook and Berrien Counties.
However, previously-considered commuter rail plans may be fiscally
inadvisable at the present time, given Georgia's current budget situation.
If we were to build a heavy rail system now, the first rider would board
it 10 or 12 years from now. While it may well be considered at a later
date, I do not believe we can afford to wait that long for traffic
solutions. Our priority must be to look for the biggest return on our
investment.

A network of express bus routes will be established, with train-style
stations along 13 of Atlanta's busiest roads. Over the next few years,
express bus service will grow to 25 routes to major activity centers,
including downtown and midtown Atlanta, Hartsfield-Jackson International
Airport, MARTA stations and shopping malls. This bus system would be far
less expensive than expanding MARTA rail, which presently can only serve
Fulton and DeKalb Counties.

I firmly believe that if we concentrate our efforts on achieving the
common-sense solutions now and planning additional cost-effective projects
for the near future, we will be able to make improvements that will
benefit people in a reasonable period of time. I want to caution you,
however, that we will not be able to rely on quick fixes for Georgia's
long-term transportation needs. These problems have developed over time,
and it will require energy, difficult decisions and considerable patience
before we as a state can implement a comprehensive plan that will serve
the needs of our citizenry as a whole.

Thank you again for letting me know of your interest in this issue, and I
hope you will continue to participate in future discussions as we progress
toward our common goal.


Sincerely,
Sonny Perdue