Max Cleland: “As we vote today on the Transportation Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2001, I want to draw the attention of my…”

“As we vote today on the Transportation Appropriations bill for fiscal year 2001, I want to draw the attention of my colleagues to a remarkable achievement in the Atlanta region of my home state of Georgia. But first let me thank Chairman Shelby and our Ranking Member, Senator Lautenberg, for their assistance on my state's transportation priorities in this bill. The bill provides assistance for a number of alternative transportation projects, from water taxies to eliminating high-hazard grade crossings on the proposed Atlanta to Macon commuter rail line. We have direction to the Federal Railway Administration and funding to extend the agency's high-speed rail transportation plan from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Macon, Georgia. We have important funding to make up for a shortfall in funding to complete a regional transit study for metropolitan Atlanta, so that this fast growing region--whose motorists drive the longest distance of any metro area--can plan for a region-wide system of seamless intermodal transportation.”