Atlanta mayor advocates road maintenance, public transportation projects over new highways

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed called for more federal transportation assistance to be delivered directly to cities rather than channeled through state governments at a National Press Club Newsmaker on May 3.

Federal help should target maintenance of existing roadways and public transportation instead of outdated highway projects, he said. He advocates adding lanes or creating hot lanes rather than building more roads in urban areas.

More highways are a low priority for mayors, he added, quoting results from a survey of 176 cities sponsored by the United States Conference of Mayors.

In contrast, mayors seek maintenance and expansion of public transportation, according to the survey. It also shows that a majority of mayors would support an increase in the federal gas tax only if reforms gave higher priority to public transportation, walkways and bikeways.

Direct relationships between federal and city governments are needed, Reed said, because state legislatures have a rural bias favoring road and highway construction. He cited his own experience in the Georgia legislature, when he had to drive to rural areas to consult important committee chairs.

Reed cited the dominance of urban areas -- containing 86 percent of employment and 90 percent of wage income -- in the American economy.

The survey results contrast U.S. investment in infrastructure, at 2 percent of GDP, with rates in Europe and China that reach 5 and 9 percent, respectively.

Reed acknowledged the "deficit reduction conversation," but countered that transportation investment in cities leads directly and quickly to job creation.

"We do it better," he said, referring to cities.

The mayor advocated federal financing assistance to cities that would enable them to get lower interest loans. Financing would not increase the deficit, he asserted.

Underlining the economic situation facing cities, the Associated Press reported on May 3 that Reed announced a reduced city budget for Atlanta that would cut all salaries of more than $80,000, including his own, by 3 percent.