Governor proposes $60 million for GTIB as local governments request four times available funding

Janine Miller, GDOT director of planning and executive director of the State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA), told the Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee that the governor's amended budget recommends a $60 million state general‑fund appropriation for the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB).

"The 60,000,000, if we were to have the success in the future we've had in the in the past, that leverage of $2.16,000,000 to $110,000,000,0.0 project value, we would be, able to unleash about $300,000,000 worth of projects for that state investment," Miller said, describing past leverage and the potential for larger local investments from a state infusion.

Why it matters: GTIB provides low‑interest loans and grants to local governments for transportation projects that local budgets or other programs cannot fully cover. Miller said demand for the program exceeds available funds in most years, and that local governments use it to advance projects tied to state network connections and economic development.

Demand and program details

Miller said GTIB receives significantly more applications than it can fund. For FY25 she said the program received about $62 million in grant/loan applications, including roughly $39 million in loan requests. She told the committee that local governments apply both for grants and loans and that the program typically reinvests principal repayments in new awards.

Miller described GTIB as a competitive source of low‑interest financing for local projects and said GTIB loan terms generally track existing public financing benchmarks: five‑year loans around 2.7 percent and 20‑year loans about 3.35 percent, according to information she provided to the committee. She also said GTIB can be used as a local match for the Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG) program when jurisdictions need matching funds.

Questions from lawmakers

Representative Jeremy (last name not specified), a committee member who asked about project vetting, was told that applications are reviewed for eligibility and that the program partners with the Georgia Interfaith? (JIFA) — referred to in the meeting as JIFA — for financial vetting. Miller said the GTIB program has a history of repayments and that she was not aware of loan defaults.

Examples of funded projects and strategic priorities

Miller highlighted recent awards that aimed to address congestion and workforce connectivity. She cited a Locust Grove connector project that received an 80 percent state award for a targeted relief to State Route 42, a corridor she said carries about 25,000 cars per day. She also described a paving project in Peach County intended to provide a paved connection to a mega‑site and future workforce housing.

What was not decided

The committee did not vote on GTIB funding during the hearing; Miller's remarks and the governor's recommendation were offered as context for the appropriations process. Committee members requested follow‑up information on the total amount requested versus the amount eligible and funded in recent cycles.

Ending

Miller said she will return with additional detail on application volumes and the vetting results. She emphasized GTIB's role in leveraging state dollars to secure larger local infrastructure investments.