Local

governments shouldn't worry about losing local

control to Gov. Roy Barnes' new transportation

super agency, Fayette icon Joel Cowan told The

Citizen Friday.

"You

won't see micro-management. Local governments

have home rule. They should not fear us,"

Cowan said after taking the helm of the new

Georgia Regional Transportation Authority.

Forty

years ago, Cowan looked at a patch of pines and

Georgia red clay and decided to create a

master-planned community. The result of his

vision is Peachtree City, which has drawn

national attention for its unique blend of

residences, industry and retail business, all

working in harmony.

Cowan

has followed a number of business and political

pursuits over the years, including involvement in

developing Phipps Plaza, business dealings in

China and managing the political campaign and

gubernatorial office of Joe Frank Harris.

Late

last week, he started work as chairman of GRTA,

which may be his toughest assignment to date.

GRTA

(or Greta, as it's called) was established by

this year's General Assembly as an agency to deal

with metropolitan Atlanta's transportation and

dirty air problems.

The

authority was the brainchild of the governor, who

gave it sufficient muscle to implement its

programs and also provided a funding mechanism of

$2 billion in bonds to get the programs moving.

Last

Wednesday, the agency had its first meeting. In

an interview from his home on the shore of Lake

Peachtree, Cowan told The Citizen Friday that the

meeting went extremely well.

"We're

rapidly getting to know each other," Cowan

said of the board's 15 members.

The

first item on the authority's agenda will be

reviewing the Atlanta Regional Commission's

far-reaching transportation plans and evaluating

how well ARC's plans fit into the regional

scheme.

The

Atlanta region has been cut off from federal

highway funds until a plan is implemented to

reduce automobile emissions and clean up the

region's dirty air.

Cowan

said the authority will try to focus on making

sure all future transportation plans fit into an

overall plan, instead of doing piecemeal

solutions, which is the characterization he gave

many of the efforts in the past few years.

As

for what Fayette and Coweta commuters can expect

to see in the next few years, Cowan said the

authority's first task may be increased high

occupancy vehicle lanes in Cobb and Gwinnett

counties. Eventually, those lanes could spread to

Interstate 85 south to Coweta County.

Eventually,

Cowan sees bus lanes being added to Atlanta's

freeways and said he hopes the person riding by

himself to work may decide to leave his car at

home.

"If

you're looking at cars in the HOV lanes and buses

in the bus lane passing you by, you might decide

it's better to do something than sitting in

traffic all day," he said.

Solving

Atlanta's transportation woes is an educational

process, Cowan said, adding that he believes

future entrepreneurs will want to create bus

routes to alleviate many of the traffic problems.

The

future for Fayette County commuters lies in

protecting the county's main arterial roads, such

as Ga. Highway 85, Ga. Highway 74 and Ga. Highway

314, he added.

"Tyrone

should be complimented for protecting Hwy. 74,

but they've got to stick it out," Cowan

said.

If

a person has had a bad day at work and then has

to drive down Hwy. 85 in Riverdale, the stress

level is going to increase and Fayette's leaders

should work to stop that from happening in the

county, he advised.

For

many years, transportation planners have pointed

to commuter rail as an option for getting people

off the roads. Cowan agrees with the concept, but

said the density in population has to be there

for it to be successful.

proposed Atlanta to Senoia line was dubbed one of

the most feasible lines, but Cowan said the

Senoia rail line will probably come as a result

of lines being built to either Macon or Columbus,

with Senoia tying into one of those lines.

While

leaders around the country are looking to see if

GRTA can be successful in such a car-happy state,

Cowan said the agency actually should have been

started eight or nine years ago to prevent the

problems the region is now facing because of its

dirty air.

If

the agency had been formed earlier, Cowan doubted

the huge sprawling Mall of Georgia in Gwinnett

County would have been built, because of the

traffic and environmental problems the mall is

going to spawn.

Other

transportation issues the authority will discuss

in its upcoming meetings include the building of

the northern arc of the proposed outer perimeter

highway.

"I

really think the question that's going to have to

be answered is: Are you better or worse off by

building the road," he said.

In

addition to concerns expressed by local

governments that GRTA has too much power and will

interfere with local transportation plans,

another early criticism of the authority is the

composition of its 15-member board, which Cowan

dismisses.

"It's

a cheap shot to say that we're not environmental

friendly. Many on the authority are well-versed

in environmental issues," he said.

The

first priority for the agency is now hiring an

executive director. Cowan is conducting a

national search and is waiting to let the new

executive director staff the agency.

GRTA

will meet monthly and is currently ironing out

the details of the meeting spot. The authority is

currently housed in the Equitable Building in

downtown Atlanta.

Looking

out on Lake Peachtree, Cowan said he realizes the

agency has a gargantuan task ahead of it. But, he

doesn't think it's impossible to achieve.

"We've

got to create a vision and we also have to

restore trust in the process," he said.

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