As the executive director of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, Catherine L. Ross relies on her broad experience in land-use planning and transportation to help the state combat air pollution and traffic congestion in the Atlanta area.
Ross, who began working for the authority earlier this year, is a professor of urban planning at Georgia Tech University, and also has extensive experience as a transportation planner and consultant for numerous local, state, and federal agencies. She has also served as senior policy adviser at the National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board, and vice provost for Academic Affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology.
GRTA was formed by state lawmakers in early 1999 to help finance and coordinate transportation projects in metropolitan Atlanta in an effort to cut back air pollution and traffic snarls.
The authority has the power to issue $2 billion of debt, half of which will carry the state's general obligation pledge. However, authority board members say bond financing is not likely before late 2000 or 2001.
GRTA has complete oversight of all the transportation projects in its jurisdiction - even though this could result in local governments being forced to raise taxes or issue bonds.
GRTA board approval is required for major highway projects and developments that affect the metro Atlanta region. Although local governments can override a GRTA veto of a development project with a three-fourths majority, governments that do not cooperate with GRTA face a cutoff of many state and federal funds, including money for road-building.
The 15 GRTA board members also represent the Governor's Development Council, and are responsible for planning statewide land use.
