GDOT's new director approved

Todd Long, the governor's pick for the newly created statewide transportation planner, was unanimously approved today.

In his comments, Long assured the House Transportation Committee "that while the director of planning has a close relationship with the governor, he would weigh the governor’s priorities alongside others, and that he was dedicated to serving all of Georgia’s transportation needs, not just urban, suburban or rural."

And:

He ... threw cold water on the notion that he’ll be able to solve congestion and throw new roads all over the state, especially in metro Atlanta. “Our goal cannot be to widen every road wide enough that your trip no matter where it is is going to be free flow 100 percent of the time,” he said. “There’s just not enough money to do that…You’ve got to provide options.”

By "all of Georgia's transportation needs," let's hope you mean this, and by "options," how about some of this, this, or this? You can take a lesson or two from D.C.