ATLANTA (February 16, 2011) – Sen. John Albers (R-Roswell) has introduced Senate Bill 97 aimed at ending the Georgia 400 toll. In September, the DOT board and the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA) approved a 10-year extension for the toll that was set to expire this July.
“The extension was approved without any involvement from the people who drive through the toll every day. Voters originally approved the toll with the understanding that it would expire after it had paid off its debt, and had no say in extending the project for at least another 10 years,” said Albers. “With this legislation, we are establishing a process that would only allow tolls to be extended with the approval of SRTA and a joint resolution from the Georgia General Assembly. This is about preserving voter trust by ensuring that future decisions are made with community engagement and support.”
The bill prohibits any toll that is no longer paying off debt or interest from collecting a toll from drivers. SRTA is also required to review all operating tolls and create a schedule for paying off any interest as quickly as possible.
Sen. John Albers represents the 56th Senate District, which includes portions of North Fulton County. He may be reached at his office at 404.463.8055 or by email at john.albers@senate.ga.gov.
For Information Contact:
Natalie Strong, Director
Kallarin Richards, Deputy Director
Kallarin.richards@senate.ga.gov
404.656.0028