GDOT names new Transportation Investment Act administrator

Kelvin Mullins. (Photo courtesy of Georgia Department of Transportation)

Credit: Andria Brooks

Credit: Andria Brooks

Kelvin Mullins. (Photo courtesy of Georgia Department of Transportation)

Kelvin Mullins was recently named the Administrator of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s $1.8 billion Transportation Investment Act (TIA) program, which is bringing millions of dollars in investment to transportation projects in three self-taxing regions of the state.

Voters in the metro Atlanta region rejected a 1 percent transportation sales tax in July 2012. However, voters in three regional districts elsewhere approved it.

The regions are comprised of 46 counties and their respective cities in the Central Savannah River Area, Heart of Georgia - Altamaha region (in Southeast Georgia) and River Valley (West Georgia/Columbus) region. To date, those regions have collected $162 million, $73 million and $116 million respectively for transportation projects within their boundaries.

Mullins will replace Mike Dover, who was recently promoted to Deputy Commissioner of GDOT. Mullins has over 18 years of experience with the GDOT, and most recently served as the Regional Coordinator for TIA programs in the Heart of Georgia - Altamaha and River Valley Regions.

His new role will be to ensure that the projects voters approved are delivered on time and within budget. Three-fourths of the money goes toward projects that were selected by regional commission roundtables of local elected officials after receiving public input. A fourth of the money is distributed to local governments to be used at their discretion for transportation projects.