[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6053784,"mediaKeyId","3353297-f7e7c0d95d94f5289c203bfe32499f20","parentId",3353297,"title","Senate committee approves five-year bus rapid transit pilot with camera enforcement in Atlanta","audioSeconds",1050,"startMs",2883000,"endMs",3933000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3353297-f7e7c0d95d94f5289c203bfe32499f20&start=2883&end=3933","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3353297-f7e7c0d95d94f5289c203bfe32499f20/thumbnail_2883000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6053784/Georgia/Senate-committee-approves-five-year-bus-rapid-transit-pilot-with-camera-enforcement-in-Atlanta","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053784-b8207c52b0309b6c14f582de4efb300b/orig.mp4?Expires=1770699309&Signature=GEncM3GzzBrvFCz3KrieE2mfJLqXJOA~td25M~TjHietMtpgzD1V6Ut5WFZH71SVyG2GINNvJd4602Bo90xDbhGRHWp59M7uVRY2rTuzQQ7vjm-KpXLkrJeuPdIq74e2Dwf3mgAbBJzJhnjLyJy30kxmLWNpcFQxncljJVC~svZeAp7VGkXySjSVl6W-hxfdpRAUi6h-MH~-aJlSWSUbTY3UPcbMe49XExOUjuGYUt1xymS81ZOoHw9~og0asmAESRPS0-9I8PrGmBRalTUSl8jTvus8RsnK4x1CFU6W3rRkfcHBt5LvPwYlF9gRn0AkFUI2wukYSq-fET9oAjvTIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","GA Senate Committee on Transportation","date","2025-03-26T00:00:00Z","article","The Senate Transportation Committee voted to advance House Bill 638 (LC394730S), a measure authorizing a bus rapid transit pilot in Atlanta that would establish bus-only lanes enforced by cameras to deter parked vehicles that block service.

Representative Silcox, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the measure is intended to let buses move without impediment and to make transit faster and more attractive. \"Bus rapid transit or BRT stands for bus rapid transit,\" she said. \"The idea of this is that these buses would be rapid because nothing would impede their lane.\" The sponsor said MARTA will carry out public education, begin with warnings, then issue citations after a six-month grace period, and use citation revenue only for MARTA public-safety initiatives.

Jennifer LaRosa, MARTA government-relations, described enforcement technology as short video captures of stopped or parked vehicles; she said there is a human review process \"very much to the red light camera process.\" The committee discussed camera operation, whether the footage would be subject to human review before notices are mailed and where cameras would be placed; a staff member confirmed some text addressing review appears in the draft and senators asked for a floor amendment to make review procedures explicit.

The bill provides that violations will not incur points on a driver's license, will not block tag renewal and will not result in arrest. Fines were described as modest and comparable to existing distracted-driving civil penalties; MARTA will offer a transit-safety class that can waive a first violation. The sponsor said the pilot includes a five-year sunset so the program would expire in 2030 unless renewed.

Committee members raised questions about ridership levels, lane utilization, enforcement, and whether the lanes would take existing vehicle capacity; MARTA said some sections repurpose existing lanes while others add capacity, and that the pilot route is under six miles round trip. Several senators voiced security and camera concerns and requested annual reporting on citation counts and use of funds.

The committee moved the bill on a motion by Senator McClure, seconded by Chairman Dixon, and approved the measure by a 7–2 recorded vote. The sponsor named Senator Still as the Senate floor carrier.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","03/26/2025 Senate Committee on Transportation","oneSentenceSummary","The Senate Transportation Committee approved House Bill 638 to authorize a bus rapid transit (BRT) pilot in Atlanta with camera enforcement for parked vehicles that block bus-only lanes; the measure includes initial warnings, fines, a five-year sunset and limits on driver license penalties.","taxTitle","Transportation, SENATE, Committees, Legislative, Georgia","taxId",17683,"location","Georgia","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6053788,"Senate committee clears omnibus road-naming bill with minor amendment",195,4245000,4440000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3353297-f7e7c0d95d94f5289c203bfe32499f20&start=4245&end=4440","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3353297-f7e7c0d95d94f5289c203bfe32499f20/thumbnail_4245000.jpg","/articles/6053788/Georgia/Senate-committee-clears-omnibus-road-naming-bill-with-minor-amendment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053788-4f3ea105b548ee8bdb504499902d884c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770699309&Signature=JSSgI3ih8u~8s61hJIzXw9AkYrfZ4mIzg3uo-HMltkmPtpiuxNGDM89XJK2L3NKofr2NrWhMQ-kaZrxzhkNEgGNO~NARZ8D1v0DAoiRpoFJwyLDuojNmwZoI~vbnw~RD2-nqfLAkffNU8o0dYPOT8tZZKdU3EFZAW4D4GHorYlHJvL5sZE7EIh-R0fQ7kgBsB5yncAkD4e~O2KRUtB0wUaGbBDyQXYsg0DNWEpgmRGI3CMQi~Jc-jZ1ukZaywiAIKpLZok45s2cN8nNlFxtGok1ef75Z9VG7Kjyo7tFl9LvBfJMtYYEwTkCbs-ux4M0VURWAMIDv5vSPIFOZzVxXHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Transportation Committee voted to approve an omnibus road-naming bill, H.R. 7, which bundles numerous road- and intersection-naming Senate resolutions and house requests into a single measure for the Senate to consider.

Representative Campbell presented the measure and said the omnibus includes multiple Senate resolutions (SR 265, SR 267, SR 284, SR 348, SR 371, SR 378, SR 413, SR 414, SR 439, SR 463, SR 454 and SR 359) and noted a specific inclusion related to Tyler Perry that drew committee attention. The representative said submissions included required no-conflict letters and affidavits and that items included in the sub were covered by those disclosures.

Leader Gooch offered a technical amendment to strike \"Burntstand Road\" from a line naming an intersection in honor of a trooper who died in the line of duty; the committee approved that amendment by voice vote. Vice Chair Dixon moved the bill, and Leader Gooch seconded; the committee adopted the omnibus by voice vote.

Representative Campbell said he would appreciate a Senate sponsor to carry the measure on the floor and accepted Leader Gooch's offer to carry the resolution in the Senate.

There were no other substantive changes recorded; the committee sent the bill forward to the Senate floor.","The committee approved an omnibus road-naming measure that packages multiple Senate resolutions and house road-naming requests into a single bill after an amendment to remove one listed road name.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6053793,"Senate committee advances bill to codify rideshare drivers as independent contractors, bar vicarious claims",1841,1512000,3353000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3353297-f7e7c0d95d94f5289c203bfe32499f20&start=1512&end=3353","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3353297-f7e7c0d95d94f5289c203bfe32499f20/thumbnail_1512000.jpg","/articles/6053793/Georgia/Senate-committee-advances-bill-to-codify-rideshare-drivers-as-independent-contractors-bar-vicarious-claims","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053793-d5c28ac168d41b0601b77d003beb2761/orig.mp4?Expires=1770699309&Signature=DlETEYEeVdC1sDMg46yiRbWCBnHWCmNQB1aSeL-j2P9UskkqHQrw8aVQG6yMHvnr7i8TteGm2sCGL5bTLGJ~62R3TWtrxRPIhfdjWALHgGCHqQdY6tLFM3vxp2jsWeSEyfH92kb9I0qxj7ZKbW3u0iY-m~4ez~kBa7fDV5LNNPklvc3e~iwzb-9LbpcmCllvyDhgo9pLuOX~wEoI1jP-mNNIGrpzvz9-z7ZB3gQOnYYeUK1HaV2TtTFGdduEvIo7ZeM1MH383HujJboKlV3k6nritt-26oHIMSSeRjQtQ0Qp7DasXPxiUBKpJfHgQKathiMgB7FuTWGizkQg4kHt9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Transportation Committee voted to advance LC394702S, a measure intended to place in state code a confirmation that rideshare drivers are independent contractors and to restrict vicarious liability claims against rideshare platforms.

Representative Leverett, who presented the bill, said the measure \"is not changing the substantive law concerning these rideshare service drivers. It's just confirming it in code.\" He described section 2 as the primary function of the bill and said the change is intended to put the rule in the code to give notice to potential plaintiffs and assist insurance underwriting.

Witnesses included Michelle Blackwell, who testified on behalf of Uber and said the company \"is obviously in support of this legislation because we just think that this just codifies current practices\" and that insurance costs can be affected by how the law is stated. Nick Giuliano of Impact Public Affairs said that \"when a driver is in an accident and they are logged on to a rideshare platform, Uber's insurance or Lyft's insurance that engages there\" and that the bill seeks to avoid time-consuming suits that are routinely dismissed on a motion to dismiss.

Les Schneider, representing the Georgia Atlanta Limousine Association and taxi companies, urged that taxi and limousine firms be treated the same as rideshare companies and said the industries differ on insurance and background-check regimes. The committee heard questions from multiple senators about potential effects on driver insurance costs, route direction and platform control, enforcement of background checks and the consequences for passengers seeking redress.

The committee considered a motion to table the bill made by Chairman Moore (seconded by Senator Mallow); that motion to table failed on a 2–7 voice tally. Later, Chairman Beach moved the underlying measure and the committee recorded a 6–3 vote in favor of a motion to pass LC394702S. The sponsor and supporters said the bill is intended to reduce court delays by putting an explicit statement of the law in the code while preserving direct-liability exceptions in the draft for failures such as inadequate background checks or deliberate negligence.

The transcript records debate over whether taxis and limousines should be included; Representative Leverett said adding those sectors could jeopardize the bill's support and its chances of passage. The limousine and taxi group said they would offer an amendment to extend similar protections to referral arrangements; the sponsor declined to accept that amendment at committee. Several senators asked staff to draft a copy of the proposed amendment and to consider the issue outside the committee record.

The committee passed the measure without recorded amendments and asked the sponsor to secure a Senate floor carrier.","The Senate Transportation Committee voted to advance LC394702S, a bill that would restate in code that rideshare drivers are independent contractors and limit vicarious liability claims against platform companies such as Uber and Lyft; the measure passed after committee debate and public testimony from industry and taxi/limo representatives.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6053797,"Senate transportation panel approves bill letting Georgia DOT perform maintenance on military installations",130,1295000,1425000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3353297-f7e7c0d95d94f5289c203bfe32499f20&start=1295&end=1425","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3353297-f7e7c0d95d94f5289c203bfe32499f20/thumbnail_1295000.jpg","/articles/6053797/Georgia/Senate-transportation-panel-approves-bill-letting-Georgia-DOT-perform-maintenance-on-military-installations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6053797-4096889e620561bf5555a5eeea72a86f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770699309&Signature=EMA4DFfjVp1HZrm3lu3bbXyMkqfWFBlBzO~j9vy~vCuIJCdiAvik4XIBpUnL1Jsc-IPvFnNenhs4Bb3~88gw9Z8EEtKHNLPwJ6OSshKsmkbm2RDy~FHbyA1EH-WVyGLXjsSgP8d~tOah4y5vpenwxS40RQH4tUxo51C0EVEL7P~AwWvxLXodYhSGSIbU-QniOfdU6YjFtBMD3nZIx~5-KlNR9DisocHwdaC~NZD~qicX2dU5dIeE70C4BiIdclQiOMbzLCcgTWFGDmBq~u3IfHGPDryP4CKFrYeshkswgMfRTfNUE5g8JPgneDJSpyYFbvfbtVRH9ADh~vdS3KUeXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Transportation Committee voted to pass House Bill 224, which would allow the state of Georgia to enter an intergovernmental support agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense enabling the Georgia Department of Transportation to perform some maintenance and smaller projects on military installations.

Chairman Bonner, who presented the bill, said the measure \"does require legislation to allow the state of Georgia to enter into an intergovernmental support agreement with the Department of Defense that will allow the Georgia DOT to do work on our military installations.\" He said the change would not preclude installations from continuing federal contracting for larger projects and that installations would pay up front for work performed under the agreement.

The sponsor said the change is intended to speed repairs and maintenance at installations such as Fort Stewart and to allow the state to use Georgia vendors. He also said there is \"no cost to the state for this,\" and that the installations would pay before work begins.

Committee business recorded a written letter of support from Major General Norrie, commander of the Third Infantry Division, as noted by the presenter. There were no questions from the committee on the bill before a motion to pass was introduced by Chairman Anavitarte and seconded by Senator Mallow; the committee approved the measure by unanimous voice vote.

The committee did not attach any state funding to the authority granted in the bill and emphasized that larger or complex projects would continue under standard federal contracting practices. The bill was referred for further action and the sponsor indicated a Senate member would be asked to carry it on the chamber floor.

The committee record shows the motion carried and the bill will move forward; the transcript contains no committee-level amendments or conditions attached to passage.","The Senate Transportation Committee voted to pass House Bill 224, authorizing the state to enter an intergovernmental support agreement with the Department of Defense so the Georgia Department of Transportation can perform certain maintenance and smaller projects on military installations at no cost to the state.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate committee approves five-year bus rapid transit pilot with camera enforcement in Atlanta

Senate committee clears omnibus road-naming bill with minor amendment

Senate committee advances bill to codify rideshare drivers as independent contractors, bar vicarious claims

Senate transportation panel approves bill letting Georgia DOT perform maintenance on military installations