O c t o b e r 7 , 2 0 2 1 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 2 4 , N o . 4 0
Truck traffic on upward trend Metro Atlanta, North Georgia expected to see higher volume By DAVID PENDERED SaportaReport
BY TIFFANY MORGAN newsroom@appenmedia.com
NORTH METRO ATLANTA — State transportation officials are predicting a boon in truck traffic by 2050 in Metro Atlanta and North Georgia. Rail cargo also is likely to increase significantly, along with congestion at grade-level intersections of train tracks and roads. The I-85 corridor is the center of a big jump projected in facilities for manufacturing goods and agricultural production, and with them the need to move raw and finished goods. Counties on or near the highway, between South Carolina and Alabama, are forecast to rank in the top quartile for industrial growth. Social dynamics also make an imprint on freight movements in the region, including E-commerce and residential infill in longtime industrial areas. “We see that [E-commerce] as the new paradigm we’re looking at for trucks on our roadways,” said Jannine Miller, planning director at Georgia Department of Transportation. “More of the cargo that gets to households and businesses is flowing to destinations on freight vehicles, rather than in personal vehicles.” Northwest Atlanta is one place where tensions are growing between longtime industrial users and an influx of new
residents. For 70 years, the area has been the city’s designated rail yard and industrial complex, located between Buckhead and the Chattahoochee River. Atlanta City Councilman Dustin Hillis provided $12,000 from his office account to help pay for a city-led study to find
ways to reduce conflicts among users. “We’ll look for the best ways to get to those industrial areas without barreling 18-wheelers through residential neighborhoods,” Hillis said.
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Commissioners to consider bid for expansion of Hindu facility
SAMANTHA SHROYER/APPEN MEDIA
Truck traffic is expected to rise considerably in Forsyth County and all of North Georgia by 2050, Georgia DOT officials say.
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See TRUCK, Page 4
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FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. – Forsyth County commissioners are examining whether a faith-based facility on Kelly Mill Road west of Cumming should be allowed to expand operations as a gathering site for its worshippers. At a Sept. 16 commission meeting, officials heard from 10 nearby residents who spoke against the proposal, maintaining the Hindu Center of Atlanta has ignored safety codes and continues to disrupt the quality of life in the area with highintensity lighting. Patrons of the center argue they have worked to mitigate neighbors’ concerns, and their attorney claims proposed restrictions the county wants to place on the expansion violates the community’s First Amendment rights. The center is seeking a conditional use permit to construct a worship center and priest’s residence on the property. Neighbors said the high-intensity beam lighting from the center spills
See FACILITY, Page 4