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SERTA presents GTIB awards, hangar loan proposal and rural match assistance to senators
Summary
Janine Miller, executive director of SERTA and GTIB programs, told the Senate subcommittee that GTIB awards remain oversubscribed and that the House directed $7.5 million toward a proposed hangar‑loan program for general‑aviation airports.
Janine Miller, executive director of the State Road and Tollway Authority and SERTA programs, told the Senate subcommittee that the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) remains oversubscribed and that the House’s draft of the amended FY25 budget directs $7.5 million of GTIB‑related funds toward a hangar‑loan program for general‑aviation airports.
GTIB overview: Since GTIB launched in 2010, Miller said the bank has awarded about $216 million to 53 projects and that the program typically funds roughly half the applications it receives. She said applicants in Metro Atlanta are able to provide larger matches (about 72% of project costs) than applicants elsewhere in the state (about 42%), and she cited GTIB as an important tool for rural localities that cannot otherwise match federal or other grant funds.
Hangar loan and airport aid: Miller said the House included a direction that $7.5 million of GTIB‑related funds be used for a hangar loan program and that SERTA staff and GDOT will examine whether current program language requires adjustment to enable hangar loans. The SERTA director said hangars are often not federally eligible and that state funds used first for safety infrastructure can enable later hangar investment.
Rural match assistance: Miller said the SERTA board has a policy to allocate up to $2 million to help small rural applicants meet Transportation Alternatives program local match requirements. She said SERTA will award about $1.7 million this year to help rural communities cover the federal match for pedestrian and other small local projects.
Examples and outcomes: Miller highlighted five projects funded in the prior year, including a grant‑loan combo for Pike County that sped a paving project by six years and a $1.5 million grant to Bullock County for interstate access at an industrial area. She said GTIB applications this year total roughly $64 million while available appropriations are around $15–19 million plus loan repayments.
Ending: Miller said SERTA is coordinating with GDOT and other agencies to ensure state dollars provide leverage for local and rural projects and that staff will continue to evaluate program language to implement hangar financing if the Legislature approves the house recommendation.
