New Ad Highlights Commuter Headaches

The announcer on a new TV ad campaign says that Atlanta commuters spend 260 hours per year in traffic — “It’s like working another full-time job for a month and a half — without pay,” the voice says.

The new ad, which was to begin airing today, is an effort of the Metro Atlanta Voter Education Network to educate voters about traffic issues leading up to the July 31 vote on the Regional Transportation Referendum, which would establish a one-penny sales tax to pay for road projects.

Voters in 10 Metro Atlanta counties will decide where or not to approve the tax to fund 157 transportation projects across the region. Fifteen percent of the money raised are to go to local projects like sidewalks, repaving and traffic signals.

MAVEN, which unveiled the ad campaign at a Thursday press conference at the North Fulton CID office in nearby Alpharetta, says it doesn’t have a position on the vote.

“Metro Atlanta commuters know how much time they personally waste sitting in traffic, but we want to make sure the entire region realizes the cumulative effect of years of failing to invest in an adequate transportation system,” Bob Voyles, chair of the MAVEN Board of Directors, said at the press conference. “We believe this is the kind of information voters will want to know before making a decision on how to vote on the July 31 Regional Transportation Referendum.”

The ad, which is part of a campaign that includes radio spots, is titled “Calculated Approach,” and was produced by R&R Partners, which has worked for ESPN and Sports Illustrated and is credited with the “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” campaign.