Alpharetta Changes Its Main Street Plans to Keep $70 Million

Alpharetta had to design a new concept plan for Main Street that didn't cut travel lanes between Old Milton Parkway and Mayfield Road, or it risked losing $70 million in funding.

The city now asks its residents and business owners to take a look at another design concept for its Envision Main Street plan before City Council must make a decision at its Monday, April 22 meeting.

"While GDOT is open to the community input, they are generally in the business of improving the flow of traffic and lessening congestion, which seems contrary to the reduced lane scenario," the city's Envision Main Street Alpharetta website states.

Also, the public's single most frequent complaint was congestion.

"Congestion relief and lane reduction without other alternative routes simply cannot coexist," the website says.

It's uncertain if the city could ever afford to take on the cost if the $70 million in funding was pulled.

The city needs its residents help one more time, said Assistant City Administrator James Drinkard. Take a moment to visit the Envision Main Street Alpharetta website and view the updated plan images and related information. Then, email your comments to Community Development Director Richard McLeod, who will compile those comments into a document to be shared with City Council.

"It will take only a few minutes and is important to the process," Drinkard said.

The public input process is almost over as the city approaches its April 24 deadline to provide the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) with its own design of Main Street.

Some guiding principles of this proposed compromise plan include:

• Reducing speeds to increase safety and livability within the corridor.
• Providing optimal capacity and accessibility.
• Improving pedestrian safety, accessibility, and experience.
• Offering shared pedestrian/bicycle facilities where appropriate that minimize right of way acquisition and provide opportunities for bike riders that would not otherwise feel comfortable riding in or immediately adjacent to the vehicular traffic.
• Provide opportunities for increased commerce by offering additional on-street parking, places for outdoor dining, and an aesthetically pleasing boulevard feel.

The landscape median would only be used in the downtown section from Old Milton Parkway to Academy Street in the new plan. Specific breaks in the median to allow turning would be at key places such as Marietta Street. "North of Academy Street, the median would only be landscaped where it did not impede safe turning movements but would still provide the beautification and tree canopy that so many people requested," the website states.

See Also

Consultants Reveal Vision for Alpharetta's Main Street

Alpharetta Residents Want More Change to Main Street in Downtown