Wednesday, May 30, 2001
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Wednesday, May 30, 2001 |
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Bike path project back on track? By DAVE
HAMRICK
A pedestrian/bike path may soon connect Fayetteville with Kiwanis Park along Redwine Road. County commissioners last week approved engineering studies to once again submit a funding package to the Atlanta Regional Commission to get the project underway. The joint Fayetteville/county project, originally planned for 1997, has been beset by funding problems and other delays. County public works director Lee Hearn said last week that ARC officials suddenly announced plans to put the project in their budget for the 2002 fiscal year, which starts July 1, but there was a catch. "To get construction funds we must have the concept plan and environmental assessment by June 31," he said. That's too soon for most consultants the county has talked to, he said, but Mallet and Associates has promised to make the deadline. Plans are eventually to run the path all the way down Redwine Road. The first phase goes from Grady Avenue to Horseshoe Circle. Commissioner Linda Wells voted against authorizing about $45,000 for the study, saying plans for the project, and for future phases, are too vague. Commission Chairman Greg Dunn said he believes the project is needed. "People ride bikes down there all the time and it's frightening the number of near-crashes that you can witness." The project is expected to cost about $315,000, with the county and Fayetteville sharing 20 percent and federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality funds covering the rest. The cost may be less, Hearn said, because Fayetteville officials have decided they don't want the bike path in portions of Fayetteville, opting for sidewalks instead.
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