GDOT's first public meeting for the proposed express lanes has now occurred and plans for the highway project as well as property acquisition have now been released by the State.
Last week I walked the right of way along 285 with a Georgetown neighbor reviewing the Dunwoody GIS System determining the current width of the right of way, where it was wide and where it was generally abutting structures. The video above shows the scope of GDOT's plans but it is not the final project plans as it is missing details (like sound walls) and could also easily change before going final. Besides the actual express lanes, there will also be widening and reconstruction of local access roads (Cotillion and Savoy) as well as bridges and other structures.
The GDOT information meeting scheduled for Dunwoody is taking place on January 28th at St. Lukes Presbyterian Church, from 2 to 4 pm and again that same evening from 4:30 to 7:30 pm.
There are lots of questions being raised by residents, like what is the plan for sound barriers but GDOT is aware of those concerns, therefore they have made this Noise Barrier Fact Sheet. https://majormobilityga.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Noise-Barrier-Fact-Sheet_08.pdf
What is the final plan for the Georgetown Swim Tennis Club? Though the proposed property acquisition list, does not mention it, they are very close to the right of way.
I have deep concerns with the amount of traffic That I am guessing will be funneled through Dunwoody in order for our neighbors to the North to access the express lane entrance near Shallowford. I would like to see an additional entrance ramp onto the express lanes heading in both directions on Peachtree Industrial Blvd near Winters Chapel. If these two access points were included, half of Gwinnett County wouldn't be attempting to fight through Dunwoody to get on the lanes, instead, there would be an easy access point on PIB with many of the vehicles coming down Winters Chapel instead of cutting across Peeler to access those structures. Not having access on PIB to the express lanes, is very short-sighted.
It appears that Cotillion and Savoy will be made one way, the Chamblee Dunwoody bridge will be rebuilt with a dedicated turn around lane taking you from Cotillion to Savoy but it does not appear that either Shallowford nor North Peachtree will have a dedicated turn around lane under 285, therefore expect delays going though these chock points unless dedicated turn lanes are constructed at Shallowford and North Peachtree for the Savoy to Collillion traffic patern.
If you are unable to raise questions or concerns in person on the 28th, GDOT is also accepting comments on the project webpage.
You can also provide your comments by Tuesday, February 25, 2020, by using any of the following methods:
•Online at http://www.dot.ga.gov/AboutGDOT/PublicOutreach 1. Scroll to “I-285 Top End Express Lanes” in the lists of Upcoming Public Meetings or Recently Held Public Meetings (January 2020); 2.Click “View Info” 3.Click “ Comment” and follow the instructions to leave your comments.
•Online at https://majormobilityga.com/projects/topend/
•Mail in your comment card to Mr. Eric Duff, Georgia Department of Transportation, 600 WestPeachtree Street NW, 16th Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30308. Project displays and plans are available online at: https://majormobilityga.com/projects/topend/.
Hardcopies will also be available at the GDOT District 7 Office located at 5025 New Peachtree Road, Chamblee, GA 30341. Following the public comment period, a copy of all comments received will be available by request at the Atlanta address listed above.
13 comments:
John, will cotillion go one way, and Savoy the other to allow traffic from Chamblee Dunwoody back to N. Peachtree in that option?
Jess, that is what I have heard but final plans are still be developing therefore change is still possible.
John,
"I would like to see an additional entrance ramp onto the express lanes heading in both directions on Peachtree Industrial Blvd near Winters Chapel. If these two access points were included, half of Gwinnett County wouldn't be attempting to fight through Dunwoody to get on the lanes, instead, there would be an easy access point on PIB with many of the vehicles coming down Winters Chapel instead of cutting across Peeler to access those structures. Not having access on PIB to the express lanes, is very short-sighted."
I cannot support this idea, unless you have some traffic engineering data to support it.
- Winter Chapel is dead stop at school bus time due to the tremendous student load over there,
- Peeler by the reservoir is a speedway unless Dunwoody Police is there to mitigate, and,
- Nearby residential streets become handy cut-thoughs because of WAZE-like apps that direct traffic into them.
I would be dismayed if you chose to advocate for this without any traffic engineering data to support it.
Of course these I-285 top end toll lanes are all part of Republican Governor Brian Kemp's, and his corrupt GOP cohorts in the Georgia legislature, Friedman-inspired libertarian anarcho-capitalist plan to do away with public use of the Georgia state highway system. The last good Republican to grace the White House, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, is surely turning in his grave over this obvious smite at his National System of Interstate and Defense Highways from 1956!
Does this mean that the new sidewalks on Cotillion are going to be delayed again?
Am I seeing correctly that the connection between PIB and Cotillion is being removed? How would a driver get from PIB to Georgetown shopping center? Seems they'd be forced through Peeler. If so, that's a big YIKES!
PIB/285 needs serious work (especially the evening off-ramp congestion), and this attempt ignores PIB completely. Having express flyovers will just make reworking the one-lane clover leaf off-ramps even more difficult in the future.
You're absolutely right about choke points between Cotillion and Savoy. It would get dramatically congested passing under 285 at Shallowford and N Peachtree.
Thanks for being a voice for Dunwoody, John.
Max, I haven't seen any traffic engineering for any aspect of this project and am dismayed that Peachtree Industrial is not slated to have an express lane entrance ramp. The State and Feds will build the express lanes, and it appears that all other neighborhood infrastructure and traffic costs will be borne by the locals. Without PIB the entrances at Shallowford and Flowers (i.e. Tilly Mill south of Home Depot runs in Flowers), I believe it will add to local congestion and therefore will be asking as to why it was not considered.
John S, you are correct that we want sidewalks or a multiuse path on Cotillion and have planned for those but with the 285 project taking over that area we waited as we didn't want to invest to just have it removed. That being said, now that we have it planned, the State might cover the construction costs?
Heath, I have enlarged the PIB / North Peachtree map and now see what you are saying but the drawing is very confusing as to being separate or shared lanes and this will need to be clarified. I agree that PIB needs to be able to exit at North Peachtree otherwise our local neighborhood traffic flows will be drastically changed.
I have taken the liberty to break apart the three sections of the project for easier downloading and review. The full document link is in the post.
Peachtree Industrial Flowers Dunwoody I-285_Topend_Concept_Layout.pdf
ChambleeDunwoody NPeachtree Dunwoody I-285_Topend_Concept_Layout.pdf
AshfordDunwoody I-285_Topend_Concept_Layout.pdf
Thanks John!
Since you mentioned Flowers Rd... As someone who passes under the RR tracks at Longmire Way (choke point) every single day on my way from Tilly Mill to Doraville MARTA, I can guarantee Flowers Rd cannot handle additional traffic. It's already congested with commercial trucks and petroleum tankers from the nearby industrial facilities.
Heath, another reason PIB should be explored.
Thanks John!
For those of us who are not parking at the Doraville MARTA station I think this would be *much* better. Instead of going under the RR tracks, it would be possible to take the new bridge over the freeway to the old GM plant. My recollection is that there is a plan to build a way to access the MARTA station from the GM plant side of the RR tracks. It would make biking, walking, and being dropped off much easier for those coming down Tilly Mill to the station.
I did not interpret that the connection from PIB southbound to 285W to Cotillion (the current N. Peachtree exit) is going away. I think would continue to exist, although on the drawing it is the bottom layer of the 3 layers just underneath the Carver Hills development.
There definitely need to be access point for the express at PIB. It seems like the current transition from PIB southbound to 285W should be modified keep current functionality but also let you get on westbound express lane. To do it right, they really need these express lanes to extend up PIB all the way to Holcomb Bridge or beyond. This would reduce a huge amount of southbound traffic in the morning (since probably 90% of those drivers are trying to get on 285W).
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