Residents Don't Want Reversible Lanes at Historic Gateway

The Roswell historic district's main corridor along Atlanta Street is in desperate need of more pedestrian and cyclist friendly paths. Furthermore, its reversible lanes need to go.

Those were among the most prominent suggestions made Thursday evening, Mar. 3, by Roswell residents who attended a public information meeting about the Historic Gateway Project. The project is part of an effort to upgrade and improve Atlanta Street from the Riverside/Azalea intersection to Highway 120. This corridor, which runs 1.25 miles, is considered to be one of the main entrances into Roswell.

More than 100 people turned out for the meeting, which was the first of six that will be held by the city to allow residents an opportunity to chime in on how the corridor should be improved. This is a long-range, multimodal transportation undertaking that is estimated to cost roughly $15 million once completed.

Considering the project is in its early stages, the exact financing mechanisms that could be used have not been formalized, said Robert Dell Ross, the city’s project manager.

“We are looking at possible funding from the federal government, GDOT [Georgia Department of Transportation] and other sources,” Ross said. “There are 10 to 15 other sources that we can consider.”

The city has already spent about $1.9 million on consulting services provided by Parsons Brinckerhoff.

There was a collective sigh of relief when Jonathan Reid, a consultant project manager for the company, told the group that the reversible lanes would be taken out. Removing the reversible lanes means that the road will have to be widened, which raises concerns over preservation, Reid added.

Lisa Berry-Klausmeyer and her husband Bill Klausmeyer were among those who were happy to hear the reversible lanes would be done away with. They specifically chose Roswell to settle down in when they moved from Florida about two and a half years ago. They both agreed that the efforts the city is undertaking to improve Atlanta Street will boost the area’s appeal in attracting future residents and retaining current residents.

“We’re trying to understand the goals they want to achieve,” said Berry-Klausmeyer. “I was curious about how they are going to handle the reversible lanes. We’re relatively new here and I remember once coming up Atlanta Street and I thought we were going to have a head on collision,” she said, speaking of the reversible lanes. “It’s very dangerous.”

Also very dangerous is the Azalea/Riverside intersection, Reid said. In fact, the Atlanta Street corridor has one of the highest crash rates of any area in Roswell. Further aggravating the situation is the high level of congestion on the corridor, especially during peak hours. The corridor has regional significance because it is a major river crossing and alternate to SR 400.

Many of the residents in the historic district chose to live in the area because of its proximity to the Chattahoochee River. While the river is within walking district of many of their homes, some equate walking to it to taking your life into your own hands because of the lack of adequate pedestrian walkways.

Resident Janet Russell said she wondered if any of the ideas being discussed now would come to fruition. She has lived in the district for more than 20 years and has seen many proposals aimed at redevelopment.

Planners admit that the corridor has been the subject of many studies in the past. However, the difference between those and this undertaking is that the opinion of stakeholders, like property owners, will be an integral part of the final plan. Specifically, this is a concerted effort to get the public’s opinion before deciding how to move forward, Ross said.

Residents will have another chance to weigh in on the discussion in May and September. The goal is to have the plan ready to present to the city council and mayor by the end of 2013.

A community advisory group has been formed and residents are encouraged to learn who the members are so they can funnel their ideas through them. Residents are also encouraged to contact staff of Parsons Brinckerhoff and the city if they have questions or concerns. 

“People choose to live in a more urban environment for a reason,” Russell said. “You can’t separate transportation from economic development from quality of life.”

For additional information about the Historic Gateway project, visit www.roswellgov.com/historicgateway. If you would like to be added to the project mailing list, please email WigginsTolbert@pbworld.com.