On March 17, 2015, Atlantans will vote on an infrastructure referendum (early voting has already started). If successful, the measure will allow the city to issue bonds for the purpose of funding a list of infrastructure fixes. The list of infrastructure projects is changing regularly. You can see the most current version here: http://www.infrastructuremap.orgEven if the measure is approved, the list will continue to change. There is no guarantee that all of the items now on the list will still be there when construction starts. Important to note: it’s not all transportation-related stuff on the list. Here’s a chart from the above link that shows the breakdown of the $250 million bond’s projects by transportation and facilities (such as a natatorium):I asked both Rebecca Serna, Executive Director of the Atlanta Bicycle Coalition, and Sally Flocks, President & CEO of PEDS (Atlanta’s pedestrian-safety advocacy group) for their thoughts on the project list. In regard to the question of how the current list will affect the safety of walking and cycling in Atlanta, here’s what they had to say:Rebecca Serna, Atlanta Bicycle Coalition:“The project list represents a big step forward for safety on Atlanta roads - for everyone, not just people on bikes, because streets that are safe enough to walk and bike have fewer motor vehicle crashes too. The big Complete Streets projects on the list, like DeKalb Avenue and MLK, are important indications of how highly the city prioritizes the safety of people on foot and bike, and could transform corridors that are currently big barriers to biking and walking. That said, we’d like to see some additions, such as Lee Street in SW Atlanta, and the expansion of the DeKalb Ave project to connect to the existing Decatur St bike lanes. Also, bridge projects like Courtland need to become Complete Streets - federal guidelines are very clear on that, and the city’s own Cycle Atlanta plan calls for a two-way protected bike lane on Courtland. Finally, there are several streets on the draft list for repaving that are in the city’s comprehensive transportation plan, Connect Atlanta, as bike connections. We expect these streets will also get bike lanes as city code requires it.”Sally Flocks, PEDS:“The list posted through the end of 2014 included a $40 million lump sum for sidewalk repairs and a $35 million lump sum for curb ramps.The proposed lump sum for sidewalk repairs has since vanished and the lump sum for curb ramps has been cut to $5 million. (The consent decree with the U.S. Justice Department the City had signed in 2009 had already obligated Atlanta to invest that much in curb ramps.)Funds for sidewalk repairs is not down to zero. Bond funding will pay for projects that include sidewalk repairs – but a large share of these will be in locations that are not high priority for pedestrians.A map of sidewalk conditions and road resurfacing projects shows that many road resurfacing projects are on streets where sidewalks are in good condition (or don’t exist) – and many areas where sidewalks are particularly mad are not slated for road resurfacing.The estimated backlog of broken sidewalks in the City is $152 million, which is 15% of the estimated $1 billion infrastructure backlog. Given that, a fair share of the $250 million bonds is $37.5 million.”My referendum stress: pros and cons and cons and more consThose are two very different reactions to the project list. Confused on how to vote? So am I. If you need help in weighing the benefits of the bond, there’s a great review of the pros & cons of it from Creative Loafing. CL scribe Thomas Wheatley’s reservations about the bond are very much aligned with my own. He writes: "taking out a credit card to resolve issues that the city should be tackling every year [isn’t] the proper way to maintain a city…In addition to requiring a sizable amount of cash be set aside for annual maintenance in the city budget, city officials, particularly Reed, need to push the state Legislature for other options, including parking taxes and increasing developer impact fees."I agree with all of that, and I’ll add this: the fact that we have a (hotel) tax that supplies a steady, annual stream of money for things like the Falcons stadium — yet we don’t have a similar revenue stream for annually and *sustainably* funding infrastructure projects — that’s a broken system.It does give me pause to think that, with a “yes” vote, I’m helping to support the bad decisions of a broken system. The city government needs to push hard for an increase in residents, which could help provide the level of tax revenue needed to make infrastructure repair a constant presence in yearly budgets.By voting “yes” am I preventing the city from feeling pressured to make that push? And am I saddling a future generation with payments on infrastructure that may or may not be meeting the needs of the future?While I gnash my teeth with stress over the bond, it’s helpful to get all this input from others. Thanks much to everyone who participated in my little survey! The results show overwhelming support. You can view the full survey data and responses here. Are you planning to vote “Yes” on the Renew Atlanta 2015 Infrastructure Bond?