Georgia governor urges public transit use

Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue told 1,000 regional leaders that he'd like to see more riders on public transit in metro Atlanta.

Speaking before the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), Perdue said he was committed to investing in transit as a long-term solution to growth.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Perdue said Georgia drivers probably won't give up their cars completely, but he'd like to see more riding buses and trains in the future.

ARC, the official planning agency for the Atlanta area, presented forecasts for job and population growth in the next 25 years, and predicted that public transit ridership would increase 72 percent during the next 25 years.

U.S. Sen.-elect Johnny Isakson also spoke about transportation in Atlanta this week, announcing his support for a high-speed rail network across the Southeast that could link Atlanta to Washington.