[This is a Letter to the Editor. For our policies on letters, and how to submit them, please see the bottom of this article]
I happily voted YES on the Cobb County MSPLOST.
There are a lot of reasons why this is a good idea to me – it’s a smart move for economic development in the county, helps reduce traffic on our congested roads, enhances our community’s wellbeing, provides a dedicated funding mechanism to increase federal matching funds, is in line with the County’s comprehensive plan, is specific to the mode that will best serve each community, provides county-wide accessible microtransit, moves funding for transportation from the County general fund to sales tax that includes millions of visitors, and provides access to affordable transportation, which I believe is a fundamental basic need just like shelter, food, water, healthcare, safety, and education.
But beyond those practical reasons, access to greater mobility and transportation, put simply, Connects Cobb. Transportation connects people – yes, real people – to jobs.
Transportation connects employers, both the big corporations we seek to attract and the small businesses owned by our neighbors, to employees.
Transportation connects people to the grocery store that’s “only a mile away” but feels a lot longer when you have to carry it all home yourself. Transportation connects people to hospitals, pharmacies, and healthcare appointments they can’t miss.
Transportation connects families to each other, including parents, children, grandchildren, cousins, uncles and aunties, and those whom I call family even though we share no common blood.
Transportation connects seniors to independence and access to the ability to age in place.
Transportation connects people of all levels of ability and disability.
Transportation connects students with access to education – and not just the yellow school buses that provide access to 100,000+ K-12 students in Cobb County every day – but students, young and old, attending college, trade school, night school, professional school, and every other chance to improve their lives and the lives of their family.
Transportation connects people with opportunity to pursue their passions, to experience culture and the arts, to see beyond themselves – both inside of Cobb County and beyond.
Transportation connects people with the city of Atlanta, the gateway and launching point to the world.
Transportation connects people like me and you to each other. Let’s do this together.
Walter Kolis
Smyrna Georgia
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Letters to the editor do not necessarily represent the views of the Cobb County Courier.
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