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Contest entrants imagine I-285’s future with a monorail, forests and more BY JOHN RUCH
Some of the idea were improbable fun, like turning the highway into a “lazy river” ride or a 64-mile Porsche test track. Others were within the realm of the possible, such as a monorail line similar to A ring of urban forest. A 64-mile-long river. The world’s versions proposed over the years by such officials as Sandy Springs longest zip line or biggest skate park. Monorails and bus Mayor Rusty Paul. The Stuckey’s store company weighed in with a lanes. concept for Georgia-grown produce sold in its stores at every exit. Those were just a few of the 50 ideas for the future of The contest comes as the Georgia Department of Transportation I-285 displayed Dec. 6 in a contest operated by Atlanta Beltis planning its own major change to I-285: adding “express lanes,” or Line founder Ryan Gravel. The contest was intended to be toll lanes, over the next 15 years, which could carry both private veplayful and far-out, Gravel said, but also a way of “trainhicles and mass transit buses. Gravel previously said the toll lanes ing people to think differently” about the massive Perimewere not an inspiration for the contest, but that he would prefer a ter highway’s social and cultural possibilities. After all, he “serious” transit plan. Regarding the content, GDOT spokesperson noted, the idea of a park/transit/trail loop on old Atlanta Scott Higley said, “GDOT welcomes all forms of public input and railroad beds was once pretty wacky, too. encourages community engagement,” but also thinks its toll lanes The submissions were displayed at Generator, Gravel’s plan is a good one. urban-planning nonprofit in Atlanta’s Poncey-Highland “The benefits of express lanes are proven – and not just for usneighborhood. He gathered a panel of influential locals to ers of the express lanes,” Higley said. “Motorists and transit riders serve as judges, including Atlanta BeltLine Inc. CEO Clyde on I-75 and I-575 have been experiencing the very real benefits of Higgs; City Planning Commissioner Tim Keane; Marian the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes for well over a year, enjoyLiou, founder of Brookhaven’s We Love BuHi and now an ing greatly reduced travel times and speed limits during rush hour Atlanta Regional Commission analyst; Rose Scott of WABE up by an average of 20 mph even in the general purpose lanes. ExNews; Thomas Wheatley of Atlanta Magazine; Bem Joiner press bus transit is currently in use in those and all express lanes as SPECIAL of the creative agency Atlanta Influences Everything; Tim A monorail was among the concept in the I-285 contest. it will be on the I-285 Express Lanes.” Schrager of Perennial Properties; and Bithia Ratnasamy, a Transit was a common theme of the contest, with gondolas and city project manager on affordable housing policy. dedicated bus lanes among the options. Liou later said her top pick was 8-year-old Scarlett Partrain’s “The Zipline” – winner in One proposal called for tolling all exit ramps and using the money to fund MARTA. “Is it the contest’s “Best Utopia” category – and its depiction of a giant version of the ride where legal? Maybe. It is contentious? Certainly,” mused that proposal. people slide down a cable. “Atlanta’s Forest Ring” envisioned the Perimeter’s lanes – narrowed thanks to the as“My favorite was the ‘Zipline,’ because I love seeing children rethinking infrastructure sumed precision driving of future autonomous vehicles — separated by grass and trees. and our built environment with joy and fun in mind. We need more of that,” Liou said. The “HydroLoop ATL” would place a multilane waterway along the Perimeter, including Gravel said he received 47 public submissions for the contest, and tossed in another that lazy river, speedboat lanes and a “recycling chute”; it also proposes a riverfront hotel in three himself to make an even 50. That matched one inspiration for the contest: 2019 is both Dunwoody and a year-round version of Sandy Springs’ Artsapalooza festival. the 20th anniversary of his Georgia Tech thesis paper that proposed the BeltLine and the 50th anniversary of I-285’s completion. johnruch@reporternewspapers.net
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