But with the state's economy in the doldrums, Transportation Commissioner Tom Coleman is holding out little hope of getting the money.

"It's going to be very difficult for a piece of legislation accompanied by funding to pass the Legislature," said Mr. Coleman, who represented the Savannah area in the General Assembly for 14 years. "I don't believe in the Tooth Fairy, and I don't believe in Santa Claus."

Along with the $60 million request for the Local Assistance Roads Program, the Department of Transportation is asking the Legislature to finance the program out of the state's general fund budget. Since 1990, the money has come from Georgia's motor-fuels tax, most of which is committed elsewhere.

The House passed a bill near the end of this year's legislative session accomplishing the funding switch. But the Senate refused to go along because it missed the deadline for House bills to be considered in the upper chamber.

Funding to move forward with a planned network of passenger-rail lines fared no better last winter.

The Senate inserted $12 million into this year's budget to launch commuter-rail service linking Atlanta and Macon, but the money was taken out during final negotiations on the spending plan.