GEORGIA - Georgia’s population is projected to grow from 10.7 million people in 2010 to around 15.6 million people in 2040 – an increase of about 45%.

This will require the expansion of our transportation system to accommodate these additional users. Significant financial investment is required to both maintain and expand our transportation system.

The state’s requirement is the Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan (known as SSTP); while the federal requirement is the Statewide Transportation Plan, or SWTP.

The SWTP/SSTP is a way to help transportation leaders decide where funding should be allocated for the various parts of Georgia’s transportation system. The document lays out the current status of the different transportation assets within the system and evaluates overall investment needs.

The updated final plan, expected to be completed in fall 2020, will provide a comprehensive look at all transportation issues facing Georgia now and through the year 2050.

The different transportation modes highlighted in the SWTP/SSTP are:

• Highways and Bridges
• Transit
• Rail
• Airports
• Ports/Waterways
• Bicycle and Pedestrian Networks

Over a 25-year time frame, the 2040 SWTP/2015 SSTP recommended $65 billion in highway and transit transportation projected funding across seven core investment programs. The largest amount, approximately $27 billion, was directed toward pavement improvement projects for the state’s roadways.

Following that, the plan recommended spending approximately $17 billion on roadway capacity projects, $6 billion for improvements to existing bridges, $6 billion for projects that improve safety and $6 billion for transit expansion.

Lastly, the plan recommended approximately $4 billion for roadway operations projects and $1 billion for bicycle and pedestrian projects on the statewide system. Funding recommendations reflected GDOT’s goals across each program to achieve desired performance objectives within the anticipated federal and state revenue projections.