Officials: Cutting Atlanta commute will take vision, funding

Atlanta-area officials say a metro area that sprawls from Roswell in the north down to the city's southern edge means people often travel long distances to reach their workplace.

[...] state and local organizations and governments acknowledge that congestion remains a challenge, affecting everything from recruitment of new companies to quality of life for residents.

A state study committee formed during the 2014 legislative session to focus on Georgia's transportation needs estimated billions of dollars lost in gasoline and time because of congestion.

"Pressure is mounting from residents frustrated by congestion to the point where you're going to see a backlash against growth and development," said Sandy Springs Mayor Rusty Paul, whose community north of Atlanta is at the intersection of busy I-285 and Georgia 400.

A study committee last summer estimated that "the full universe of transportation needs" in Georgia, including large road projects in metro Atlanta and urban transit systems, would cost an additional $3.9 billion and $5.4 billion each year.

The agency is working with cities to encourage development around its existing rail stations and has completed a few construction projects with a better mix of funding sources, rather than just MARTA and federal dollars.