Macon Magazine

August/September 2026 | maconmagazine.com 87 What role does our government play? And at what point do we accept monetary responsibility for transportation improvements? These are complex questions, particularly as housing costs and property taxes continue to rise. Retirees and homeowners living on fixed incomes understandably worry about affordability, while others believe the government should play a smaller role in connectivity improvements and that transportation users should bear more of the direct cost of the services they consume. As local governments struggle with aging infrastructure, limited budgets, and changing demographics, these questions will only become more common. TR AN SP ORTATION I S CHANGING The transportation marketplace itself has changed dramatically. There was a time when simply adding more travel lanes was considered the solution to congestion. Communities competed for highway expansions because more pavement was assumed to mean less traffic. Today, we understand the picture is more complicated. Transportation functions much like a marketplace. When congestion increases the "cost" of a trip, people seek alternatives that reduce that cost. Time functions much like money. Increasingly, those alternatives are not just different roads to travel. They include Uber, Lyft, bicycles, telework, home delivery, microtransit, and emerging autonomous vehicle technology. Many younger adults are delaying car ownership, while many older adults are looking for ways to remain mobile after they stop driving. If more residents choose not to own a vehicle, should transportation dollars "Why should my taxes fund sidewalks I don't use?" "Should users pay directly?" In recent years, there has been a shift toward viewing public services through the lens of individual benefit rather than collective investment. That tension is likely to shape conversations about schools, transportation, and local government for years to come. Which way should we shift? Should road improvements shift to the ideological framework applied to public education, where users pay directly? Where does collective investment end and individual benefit begin? There was a time in Macon-Bibb when our policy required that the people making requests had to fund the road improvements they sought, and Macon-Bibb simply oversaw the process. With the advent of Uber, Lyft, Waymo, and other transportation options, more people are choosing alternative means of transportation in order to avoid the cost burdens of owning a personal vehicle. Why should their taxes go to street improvements instead of sidewalk improvements? Transportation planners often use a quarter-mile radius for transit access, a half-mile radius for pedestrian access to destinations, and the concept of a "10-minute neighborhood" (roughly a half mile radius) as a benchmark for walkability. Should all sidewalk improvements be placed solely on those within these half mile areas? If so, does this contradict affordability concerns for retirees and those on fixed incomes? In neighborhoods where sidewalks are not present, should homeowners have to pay for sidewalks to be added? Some would suggest that they purchased a property knowing the conditions of the neighborhood — so why is it now the government's responsibility to address the issue? " E v e n r e s i d e n t s w h o n e v e r b o a r d a b u s b e n e f i t w h e n m o r e p e o p l e h av e a c c e s s to e m p l oy m e n t a n d e s s e n t i a l s e r v i c e s . " throughout the community. Public transit continued a trajectory of upward momentum as well. Fixed-route ridership increased from 574,019 passenger trips in 2023 to 676,821 trips in 2024, before reaching 726,841 trips in 2025. This increase demonstrates growing confidence in the system and increasing demand for reliable transportation options. Paratransit service remained steady at more than 42,600 trips annually, providing essential mobility for residents who have disabilities and others who rely on accessible transportation. Macon Transit Authority also launched its new microtransit service, upgraded 11 bus stops with new passenger shelters, began installing electric bus charging infrastructure to support a cleaner fleet, and transformed a vacant lot beside its Transfer Station into Spirit of Macon Park, meant to be a welcoming public space that improves bicycle and pedestrian connections while creating a stronger gateway into downtown. Together, these investments add up to more than isolated projects; they demonstrate a true commitment from Macon-Bibb to creating a transportation system that serves residents of all ages, abilities, and income levels. These accomplishments improve quality of life, but they also raise an increasingly important question for citizens. WHO PAYS FOR MOBILIT Y? For much of the last century, Americans generally accepted transportation as a public good. Roads, bridges, sidewalks, and public transit were viewed as shared investments that connected people to jobs, schools, healthcare, businesses, and one another. Connectivity and community was a clear value. Today, however, many of the same debates surrounding public education have begun to influence transportation policy. "Why should I pay for schools if I don't have children in them?" "Why should I pay for buses I don't ride?" "Should users simply pay for the infrastructure they benefit from?"

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