Wednesday, July 9, 2003
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Wednesday, July 9, 2003 |
Residents get a glimpse of transportation futureBy CAROLYN
CARY
In the near future, residents will be able to travel from Clayton to Coweta counties along a four-laned Ga. Highway 54. That's one of the proposals being circulated by the Atlanta Regional Commission in its latest transportation plan. The ARC hosted a public meeting last week in Fayetteville to get input for its proposed Mobility 2030 Regional Transportation Plan. Fayetteville was the last of 12 meetings the ARC and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority conducted to gauge resident's thoughts about the ambitious plan. The plan considers bicycling and walking paths, a plan to reduce reliance on the single-occupant vehicle, a plan for managing congestion by looking at the region's multi-modal transportation system and monitoring current conditions, and to improve connections among its communities. ARC Chief of Transportation Planning Jane Hayse outlined the Aspirations Plan, which is the first of the public meetings. Defining five challenges, Hayse said that the region will continue to experience rapid population and employment growth, and that as many as six hours daily occur at congested traffic areas. $40 billion has already been spent on transportation problems and serious roadway congestion is still forecast. A plan has been drawn to distribute traffic on a grid system of east-west and north-south multi-lane roadways. Fayette County would see Ga. Highway 54 four-laned from border to border as part of the grid system. The limited transit options for most citizens could be met with innovative services such as bus rapid transit used on present systems as well as new dedicated systems. While no bus systems are planned for the present in Fayette, planners do show an express route with stops in Fayetteville and Peachtree City that would run to the airport in the next few years. Hayse also said that a new HOV goal would be to develop a regional HOV network supporting expanded regional transit services. It was also recommended that a barrier separate the lane from the general purpose lanes, and the development of high quality access to this system at selected locations around the region. ARC Coordinator, Transportation Public Involvement Judith Dovers led a discussion of the 20 Fayette Countians in attendance. Their questions and suggested solutions were all recorded. A compilation of the 12 counties will be made and in October ARC representatives will again visit each one, with a list of positive plans. At that time, a suggested sum of money will be attached to each plan. Each county will then have an opportunity to select those they feel are pertinent to their area. To view related maps or for more information: www.atlantaregional.com/transportationair/2030rtp.html.
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