The Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT) Budget Hearing, which happened on Tuesday, May 19, revealed an important uncertainty beneath the surface of visible infrastructure progress:
How will the City sustain transportation project delivery long-term?
Throughout the hearing, ATLDOT highlighted resurfacing, sidewalks, ADA upgrades, traffic calming, bike lanes, and Complete Streets improvements happening across Atlanta, but several major themes emerged around staffing, project delivery, maintenance, and long-term operational capacity.
FY 2027 ATLDOT Budget Hearing on May 19, 2026
Staffing, Maintenance, and Long-Term Capacity
One of the clearest themes from the hearing was the question of long-term operational capacity.
ATLDOT shared that the department currently has approximately 26 project managers, of whom only 10 are in-house staff. The remaining delivery capacity is supported through consultants and Project Management Teams (PMT).
Councilmembers and department leadership also discussed shifting positions from ATLDOT’s General Fund allocation into capital project funding streams as part of accelerating project delivery.
But the conversation expanded beyond simply delivering projects. A larger question emerged around long-term maintenance and upkeep:
If positions are funded through temporary capital project programs, how will the City sustain maintenance and operational capacity once those capital funding streams sunset?
That concern connects directly to the broader challenge of maintaining Atlanta’s growing transportation network over time.
During the hearing, ATLDOT shared that the department recently executed a contract with a local company to clean protected bike lanes, including corridors like 10th Street, while unprotected bike lanes will continue being maintained through Public Works street sweeping schedules.
That update highlighted an important shift: as Atlanta builds more transportation infrastructure, the City may increasingly rely on ongoing maintenance contracts and operational systems to keep projects functioning safely after installation.
The question now is not only how projects get built, but how Atlanta plans to sustain the staffing, maintenance, and operational systems needed to maintain those investments long-term.
Moving Funds Between Projects
Toward the end of the hearing, Councilmember Jason Winston raised concerns about inflation, rising construction costs, and project delays.
Using Monroe Drive as an example, Winston noted that many transportation projects have been discussed for years while construction costs continue rising.
In response, ATLDOT leadership emphasized that the department is:
- redesigning project scopes,
- changing procurement methods,
- finding efficiencies,
- and reallocating savings internally between projects within the same funding portfolio.
West Paces Ferry was specifically mentioned as a project where savings were identified and redirected into additional safety improvements and nearby corridor work.
The exchange revealed that ATLDOT is managing projects as interconnected portfolios rather than isolated one-off investments.
The Bigger Question
As Propel ATL’s Where’s My Project? Campaign has highlighted, only about 13% of voter-promised sidewalk and safe streets projects have fully reached construction or completion. Residents across Atlanta continue asking when promised projects will move from planning and procurement into real improvements on the ground.
The budget hearing made clear that Atlanta can accelerate infrastructure delivery when urgency, funding mechanisms, staffing structures, and operational systems align. The challenge now is ensuring that same level of urgency extends beyond resurfacing schedules and World Cup timelines to the sidewalks, crossings, traffic calming, and safer streets projects residents voted for through Moving Atlanta Forward.
What gets built — and how fast it gets built — reflects the City’s priorities.
Take Action
Share your thoughts about the proposed budget with your Councilmember!
Consider asking:
- How will Atlanta sustain transportation delivery after temporary capital funding programs end?
- How will the City maintain new transportation infrastructure long-term?
- What investments are being made in permanent in-house staffing capacity?
- How will Atlanta ensure safer streets projects continue moving from planning to implementation?