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Atlanta Region’s Plan provides 25-year road map to move our region forward The Atlanta region is one of the largest, already crowded thoroughAnother key project will most dynamic metropolitan areas in the fares. remake a one-mile stretch country. What will it take to ensure that The Atlanta Region’s Plan of Roswell Road just north we remain competitive in the coming deincludes a number of imof the Chattahoochee Rivcades, with a high quality of life? portant transportation projer. The existing reversible The Atlanta Regional Commission ects that are planned in and lane system will be removed (ARC) and its community partners have around the Sandy Springs, in favor of a median-dividbeen working for more than a year to adBuckhead, Dunwoody and ed, four-lane roadway with a dress this question. The result is the AtlanBrookhaven areas. multi-use path on both sides ta Region’s Plan, a long-range blueprint In what will be one of of the thoroughfare. An adthat incorporates all of ARC’s planning the biggest road projects in ditional northbound turn areas – transportation, community develstate history, the Georgia lane will be built at the Ga. JOHN opment, water resources, aging and health Department of Transporta120 intersection. ORR services, and workforce development. tion will soon begin reconConstruction on the The 25-year plan focuses on three key struction of the interchange $22.9 million project, exGUEST COLUMN areas: providing world-class infrastrucat Ga. 400 and I-285. The pected to begin by 2024, was ture, building a competitive economy enhancements will improve identified through ARC’s and ensuring the region is comprised of safety and traffic flow in highly acclaimed Livable healthy, livable communities. this highly congested area. Flyover ramps Centers Initiative program. These are ambitious goals, to be sure – will eliminate unsafe and inefficient leftMeanwhile, MARTA is planning an even more so when you consider that we’ll hand merges, and new collector-distribuextension of the Red Line along Ga. 400. be adding 2.5 million people by 2040, tor lanes will separate through traffic from An initial phase would extend the line the equivalent of metro Charlotte. But we vehicles that are entering and exiting via north to Holcomb Bridge Road with stamust aim high if we are to ensure our furamps on both I-285 and Ga. 400. tions at Northridge and Holcomb Bridge ture success. roads. A second phase This means foswould extend to tering vibrant, walkWindward Parkway able communities in Alpharetta. Unless and improved housadditional funding is ing options, including secured, construction the ability for older will not begin on the adults to age in place. first phase until the It means developing a latter years of the 25highly educated and year plan. skilled workforce that It’s important to is able to meet the note that there’s no needs of 21st centuway we can build our ry employers. And it way out of congesmeans making caretion. Traffic is an inevfully targeted investitable part of a healthy, ments to maintain growing economy. and expand our transThat doesn’t mean portation system. there’s nothing we can The Atlanta Redo to improve mogion’s Plan includes GDOT bility – only that the $86 billion in translong-term solution The planned reconstruction of the I-285 and Ga. 400 interchange portation spending must include a robust, will be one of the biggest road projects in the state’s history. through 2040. About truly regional transit two-thirds is needed network to give comto maintain our existmuters new ways of ing system. Of the rest, the plan commits: Looking a bit further down the road, bypassing the gridlock. $10 billion to widen roads and improve the state DOT plans to build managed These are just some of the highlights of highway interchanges by 2020; $6.5 biltoll lanes along the Ga. 400 and I-285 our new long-range plan. To learn more, lion to build a network of managed toll “top end” perimeter corridors. The Ga. I encourage you to visit www.atlantarelanes, promising a reliable, free-flowing 400 project will build two managed lanes gionsplan.com. ride to commuters willing to carpool, ride in each direction (four total) between Please let us know what you think. a bus or pay a toll; and $12 billion for I-285 and Holcomb Bridge Road, and ARC is accepting public comment about transit expansion projects. one managed lane in each direction (two the plan through Jan. 15. You can send We all know that the north Atlantotal) between Holcomb Bridge and Mcus an email at opinion@atlantaregional. ta communities of Sandy Springs, BuckFarland Parkway in Forsyth County. The com and take an online survey at atlantarhead, Dunwoody and Brookhaven are configuration for the I-285 project is still egionsplan.metroquest.com. home to some of the region’s worst traffic. being evaluated. New businesses, apartment towers and These projects are programmed for John Orr is the manager of the Atlanta other development flocking to the area the latter portion of the 25-year plan, at a Regional Commission’s transportation and promise to bring even more vehicles to combined cost of $2.4 billion. mobility division.
JAN. 8 – JAN 21, 2016 | www.ReporterNewspapers.net