The Peachtree Road Transformation Project is getting a rework in response to community comments and traffic forecasts. A press statement from Buckhead Community Improvement District (CID) said additional analysis and vetting of alternatives was needed before it was brought back before the public. The process is expected to take until the end of the year.
Buckhead CID, Peachtree Task Force and Georgia Department of Transportation held meetings earlier this year to introduce the concept of dedicated left turn lanes to improve safety and operations along the corridor. Currently, the stretch of Peachtree Road from Maple Drive in Buckhead to Deering Road just north of I-85 in Midtown is under review by Georgia DOT and by consultants hired by the Buckhead CID, to determine if a new street design can be developed that would better address the safety and issues and respond to the needs of residents, businesses, motorists and pedestrians today and in the future.
“After hearing from our community, our goal is to gather additional information that will help us shape the best transportation facility we can,” said Jim Durrett, executive director of the Buckhead CID. “We had hoped to hold our next public open house in July to share the latest proposed plans for the corridor; however, both Georgia DOT and the Buckhead CID have decided to take additional time to respond to concerns expressed by residents living in neighborhoods adjacent to Peachtree Road.”
“From the Buckhead CID’s perspective, our first and foremost priority is addressing existing and future automobile traffic,” said David Allman, chairman of the board, Buckhead CID. “If the experts don’t believe that we can make an overall improvement in terms of mobility and safety, then it’s a non-starter as far as we are concerned.”
“We realize that virtually everybody dislikes what was previously done on West Paces Ferry,” said Allman, referring to the lane restriping by the City of Atlanta between East Andrews Drive and Peachtree Road. “The public should be assured that this is absolutely not being considered for Peachtree. In fact, we have already proposed to redo the road striping on that stretch of West Paces Ferry, which would be covered by Buckhead CID funds.”
“Our first priority is to optimize the capacity of Peachtree for safer and more reliable movement of automobiles. However, if we can accomplish this goal and still make Peachtree Road a better place to navigate on foot or on a bicycle, we absolutely should try to do both. It’s important for citizens to remember that the Buckhead CID and GDOT will continue to be transparent on all study findings and design recommendations,” said Durrett.
The Buckhead CID and Georgia DOT will continue to provide progress updates on the project to the public, and once the analysis is complete, another public meeting date will be announced to give residents and business leaders an opportunity to review the data and proposed plans, as well as to provide feedback. For more information, visit www.buckheadcid.com.
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