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Health & Fitness

T-Splost: Time Currently Wasted in Traffic Costs You More Than The Proposed 1% Sales Tax

T-SPLOST the highest tax increase in history? Think again. Additionally, traffic congestion costs the average commuter far more than T-SPLOST will.

The last weeks brought a lot of anti-tax politicians spouting about how T-Splost is allegedly the largest tax increase in history, which is obviously a stretch considering other sales taxes in the past such as SPLOST. So those claims are hardly fact-based. However, lately, there has been some fact-based conversation about how Atlanta metro residents already pay a "congestion" tax since we are among the top cities for amount of time spent in traffic. That equates to higher amount of money spent on gas.

Different articles quote anywhere from $500 to the high $900s extra money spent per commuter for sitting in traffic. A Texas Institute study pegged the amount at $924/yr. That money goes to oil companies who do not have interest in relieving congestion because it makes them more money. Instead, the approximately $100-$200 on average you spend a year in TSPLOST will fund road improvements that will lessen congestion.

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