State transportation department looking at ‘fiscal cliff’ » Local News »

Georgia’s transportation efforts haven’t been affected much by the federal shutdown. But the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) faces a “fiscal cliff” in 2015 if Congress doesn’t act within the next year, says Commissioner Keith Golden.

“On the highway side, the impact (from the shutdown) has been little to none,” he said.

Those moneys come largely from the federal highway trust fund, which has dedicated funding.

Golden did say there have been some minor issues with the Federal Transit Administration, which provides aid to local transit systems such as bus systems, light rail and subways.

“There have been some glitches, some payment issues,” he said.

Golden spoke Tuesday to the Rotary Club of Dalton, where he warned the agency does face a major funding issue in 2015 if Congress does not pass another transportation bill. Previous federal transportation bills have not expired for five or six years after their passage, but the current transportation bill, passed in 2012, expires on Sept. 30, 2014.

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