Atlanta City Hall. Photo by Bbenrath, obtained via Wikimedia Commons

The city of Atlanta says it has about $1 billion in infrastructure projects on the books that aren’t funded.

As a solution, the city is planning to put a $250 million bond referendum on the ballot in March 2015.

City officials are holding public meetings to solicit input about what projects should be funded with the bond money.  Some of the suggested projects are $42 million worth of holdovers from Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, which metro area voters shot down in 2012.

The city notes that Atlanta voters supported it, however.

There will be a meeting at Drew Charter School on July 15 starting at 6 pm, according to Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong’s Office. The school is located at 301 East Lake Blvd. SE, 30317

Here is a summary of the various infrastructure needs, according to the city of Atlanta:

Bridge Replacement and Maintenance – $259 million

Approximately 9percent of the 164 bridges in the City’s inventory are considered to be in fair or poor overall condition. The average age of high priority bridges that need to be replaced is over 93 years old, with the oldest bridge being built in 1906.

Unpaved Roads and Street Resurfacing – $293 million

There are 87 unpaved street segments in the City’s current roadway inventory totaling 8.55 miles. Street resurfacing consists of either micro-surfacing with crack sealing or milling and overlaying roadways.

Traffic Signals, Signs and School Zone Flashers – $55.9 million

Upgrading traffic signals by replacing components that are obsolete and/or past life cycle is a high priority for the City. Signs also need to be upgraded to meet current MUTCD guidelines and industry standards. Additional school zone flashers will assist in reducing the speed of vehicles traveling in school zones.

Sidewalks, Curbing and ADA Ramps – $204 million

It is estimated that about 18percent of the sidewalk network and 10percent of the curbing can be categorized as deteriorated. Per agreement with the Department of Justice, the Department of Public Works (DPW) is required to install adequate curb ramps at sidewalk locations on streets resurfaced since January, 1992.

Street Lights – $34.6 million

There have been no significant improvements to the City’s street light inventory since 2008; however, the inventory of street lights continues to deteriorate due to age and knock downs.

Fire Stations – $40 million

The Office of Enterprise Assets Management has implemented aggressive programs to renovate, repair and/or replace Atlanta Fire and Rescue facilities. The Atlanta Fire and Rescue has the highest number of facilities that are in need of renovations and/or replacement.

Police Stations – $57.9 million

The Atlanta Police Department makes up 21percent of the City of Atlanta facility inventory in great need of repairs and/or replacement. The Office of Enterprise Assets Management has made significant improvements to the City’s Police Stations since 2011; however, there are a number of the lease locations that need repairs due to the age of the facilities.

Recreational Centers – $8.2 million

It is the mission of the Parks and Recreation Department to provide all citizens and visitors with the highest quality parks and facilities. There have been no significant improvements to the Parks and Recreation Facilities since 20010; however, there are a number of energy efficient and emergency preparedness renovations needing to be completed, to utilize the facilities as disaster recovery facilities.

Government Buildings $24.7 million

In 2013 the Office of Enterprise Assets completed site assessments of 62 core buildings in the City of Atlanta. It was noted a number of the facilities needed repairs and renovations, i.e., roof replacement, mechanical systems overhaul, and exterior waterproofing, to sustain the building for the remainder of the life cycle of the facility.

A city survey said that the $250 million bond will require $16 to $20 million in annual debt service and $65 million in increased annual spending on infrastructure maintenance.

People who can’t make it to meetings can vote on projects by clicking here.