ATLANTA – State Representative Vernon Jones (D-Lithonia) today attended President Donald Trump’s event at the UPS freight hub in Hapeville, Georgia, during which President Trump announced his plans to introduce policies that seek to expedite transportation projects in Georgia.
“Georgia is the number one state in America to do business, and President Trump’s visit echoes that,” said Rep. Jones. “With the president’s record of job creation, economic growth, as well as infrastructure and transportation initiatives, it is abundantly clear to us that President Trump has Georgia on his mind.”
During the event, President Trump announced that the new National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) rule has been finalized. In 2017, the president first announced that NEPA regulations would be examined in order to accelerate the environmental review process that is required for infrastructure projects, such as the proposed expansion of Interstate 75 from Atlanta to Macon.
“The president’s action to improve NEPA regulations would benefit Georgia’s freight industry greatly,” added Rep. Jones. “I am hopeful that the new NEPA rules would expedite the Georgia Department of Transportation’s proposed I-75 Commercial Vehicle Lanes project.”
The Interstate 75 Commercial Vehicle Lanes project would widen the interstate from the metro Atlanta to Macon by constructing two barrier-separated commercial vehicle-only lanes northbound along I-75. The new lanes would reach from approximately the I-475/I-75 Interchange near Macon to the McDonough area outside of Atlanta. The project is currently in the Georgia Department of Transportation’s Major Mobility Investment Program (MMIP) projects, and it is currently in the project development phase.
Representative Vernon Jones represents the citizens of District 91, which includes portions of DeKalb and Rockdale counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and currently serves on the Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Human Relations & Aging and Transportation committees.
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