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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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Town Hall Meeting
Submitted by bladderq on Wed, 06/20/2007 - 3:56pm.

I find it interesting the mindset of the former mayor..
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.

It is this exact kinda thinking that got us to where we are now. Why does he think people won't use mass transit? Hundreds of thousands board trains all over the areas of NE, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco, DC and someone PLEASE take a look at what Portland, OR has accomplished.

On 1 hand if we build a road they will continue to use it but on the other, if we build a rail system...they won't. Let them use the p-tubes in their cars then.

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Good town hall meeting
Submitted by Jones on Wed, 06/20/2007 - 2:12pm.

The Citizen picked the best two presenters to video. Both Bob Lenox and Steve Brown were by far the best because they actually dealt with the issues.

The question and answer part could have been a lot better. It began to turn into the Harold Logsdon show and he clearly didn't know what he was talking about most of the time.

The TDK Extension was completely trashed by the presenters and the audience. Steve Brown's slides were great but there were too many of them for a five minute presentation.

The Coweta Commissioners came off looking like a bunch of idiots.

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