ATLANTA MAYOR ANDRE DICKENS

Atlanta City Council passes resolution to study the creation of a single transportation-focused department

On Monday, March 6, 2017, the Atlanta City Council passed a Resolution authored by Councilmember Andre Dickens requesting that the Commissioner of Public Works/Deputy Chief Operating Officer (Deputy COO) conduct a feasibility study regarding creating a single transportation-focused department, an Atlanta Department of Transportation (DOT) within the City of Atlanta that will design, operate, manage and maintain the City of Atlanta’s transportation system and transit projects and infrastructure.

“After decades of traffic, mobility and connectivity being some of Atlanta’s top issues, I thought an Atlanta DOT would be a comprehensive way in which to provide a coordinated approach to making a difference in how we all move around the city we love,” said Dickens. “Currently, the City's transportation needs are not clearly consolidated under any single Department of the City.”

The City seeks to explore and evaluate best practices and successful organizational models, resource allocations, reporting structures, and scope of responsibility to most effectively and efficiently leverage and enhance its resources and focus its efforts around transportation coordination, improvements, funding, planning, design, development, construction, and improvements in the City of Atlanta and in support of Regional Transportation improvement efforts.

The Public Works Commissioner/Deputy COO shall at a minimum consider as part of the feasibility study:

• The need for a single transportation-focused department

• The organizational structure

• The scope and responsibility

• Funding resources

• Best practices as compared to other municipalities of similar size, the cost associated with creating a single transportation-focused department.

• The pros and cons of having a single transit-focused department that would be responsible for all of the City's transportation system and transit projects and improvements.

• The funding for a proposed single transportation-focused department.

The Public Works Commissioner/Deputy COO shall provide the results of the feasibility study to the Transportation Committee no later than June 30, 2017.