As goes transportation, so goes the metro Atlanta economy.

Economic recovery, the precursor to job growth — long the engine of North Fulton’s cultural and financial vibrancy – is paramount to the Northside’s market resurgence as we emerge from the Great Recession.

With transportation again to take center stage when the 2010 Georgia legislative session convenes Monday, The Beacon has asked me to write a column on the key transportation issues and projects likely to affect North Fulton County residents.

As Georgia’s 6th Congressional District representative on the State Transportation Board, I want to provide regular updates and analyses of current and pending transportation projects that will affect the Northside. I’ll also share my perspective on the big picture for Georgia transit, in terms of how the statewide transportation strategy ultimately ties together.

North Fulton is the base of much of our state’s economy and home to many of its leaders. I hope these columns help develop a greater understanding of our transportation issues, what’s at stake if they are not addressed, and a broader consensus of how we ought to solve them. 

BRIDGES TO SOMEWHERE

I’ll begin with some good news that many of you may already know: Three new bridges are now in service in Roswell. The Westside Parkway/Old Roswell Road bridge over Foe Killer Creek, part of an $11.1 million project to improve mobility in the area of Westside and Mansell Road, opened last October and the project should be finished this spring; the $1.2 million Hembree Road bridge across Foe Killer opened Dec. 11; and the $4.5 million Grimes Bridge Road span across Big Creek opened a few days later, on Dec. 16. That’s nearly $17 million of improvements. And it reflects the more than $192 million committed to 6th District safety, bridge, maintenance and new capacity improvements in the past two years.

We need to be smarter in spending our money – your money. Revenues have never been scarcer and needs never greater. We need to look at every mobility option and make wise investments that will yield the greatest gain. Those are the topics I hope to address in this column.  And I hope Beacon readers, in response, will share their views and suggestions with me.      

Please e-mail comments, questions and suggestions to: brandonlbeach@aol.com