Packed house attends PTC Town Hall meeting

Wed, 06/20/2007 - 10:52am
By: The Citizen

Transportation funding to be an issue

Peachtree City’s Town Hall meeting on growth, traffic and related issues drew an interested standing-room only crowd at City Hall Tuesday night.

Officials from the Atlanta Regional Commission presented detailed information about plans for I-85 and east-west connectivity in the region, but they also noted that the state has a current shortfall of $5 billion for current approved road projects, so funding will be an issue that must be solved.

Georgia Sen. Ronnie Chance noted that officials are “working diligently” on possible improvements for the Interstate 85 interchange at Ga. Highway 74. But the widening of Hwy. 74 from Ga. Highway 54 to I-85 isn’t programmed until 2025, according to representatives from the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Fayette County Commission Chairman Jack Smith said he wants to improve Fayette’s I-85 access by widening Palmetto-Tyrone road through Tyrone that would reach Fischer Road in unincorporated Coweta County , leading to the I-85 ramps on Collinsworth Road.

Smith said he has focused on that improvement over other suggestions because “it’s the cheapest, quickest” proposal. Other options have included building on-ramps for Ga. Highway 92, which is just north of the Hwy. 74 interchange.
Former Mayor Steve Brown said the Hwy. 92 interchange is important to help relieve tractor trailer traffic that is currently clogging the Hwy. 74 area near I-85.

ARC officials said there are plans to expand a commuter bus system to Peachtree City in the future.

Among the suggestions to improve east-west connectivity are implementation of a bus system that would stop in Newnan, Peachtree City, Fayetteville and McDonough. Also, there are suggestions to create truck-only lanes and HOV lanes on I-85 leading into Atlanta, with the lanes paid by user fees. There was also mention of a project to extend the proposed commuter rail planned from Atlanta to Lovejoy so it can reach from Lovejoy to Griffin.

But former Peachtree City Mayor Bob Lenox questioned the wisdom of spending funds on mass transit when so few people will use it. If the state doesn’t get a handle on traffic problems on I-85, commuters will need to have bathrooms in their cars, Lenox said.

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