Midtown Peachtree street (Atlanta, Franklin: condo, landscaping, construction)

[meadgrad]

anyone know what is happening here, it looks like we are losing a lane on each side to be replaced by tree bumpouts to add parallel parking...wonder how this plays into the proposed light rail line there, if at all.

[Vampgrrl]

They should just close Peachtree to traffic either all day or part of the day, and make it a pedestrian friendly street.

[gt6974a]

here's the link

...and the article:

Peachtree & West Peachtree Streets
in Cityscapes Transformation

The transformation of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue was Cityscapes' first triumph. Midtown stakeholders can now see similarly dramatic results along Atlanta’s signature Peachtree Street (from 3rd Street to 10th Street) and along West Peachtree Street (from North Avenue to 13th Street).

“These projects enhance the pedestrian zone with new, wider sidewalks—15 feet where possible—with a five-foot wide furniture zone at the curb, all of which means enhanced walkability,” said Sarah Yates, Senior Project Manager, Silverman Construction Management, the construction management team for the projects. “All crosswalk ramps are being brought up to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards, and to the extent possible, we are removing overhead lines from Peachtree and West Peachtree Streets.”

Scheduled for completion in fall 2006, the Peachtree and West Peachtree projects include concrete pavers, new street trees, landscaping, improved pedestrian crosswalks, pedestrian lighting as well as decorative street lighting, and on-street parking on West Peachtree Street. The streetscape transformation is expected to enhance retail opportunities along both corridors. “By making the streets more pedestrian-friendly, people will want to walk, stop and shop in Midtown,” Yates said. “The on-street parking on West Peachtree, for example, will encourage people to pull in, park, and shop.”

With a construction value of $5.7 million, the Peachtree/West Peachtree projects are being funded by the Midtown Improvement District in cooperation with the City of Atlanta, the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Livable Centers Initiative.

[gt6974a]

guess they missed the completion deadline???

[cocopuffy]

I thought they already finished most of that...when I first moved here they finished the landscape and paving already...as well as the parallel parking on West Peachtree. I think they did everything except for getting rid of the overhead wires.

[gt6974a]

Originally Posted by cocopuffy

I thought they already finished most of that...when I first moved here they finished the landscape and paving already...as well as the parallel parking on West Peachtree. I think they did everything except for getting rid of the overhead wires.

just by reading it, seems like you're right WPT is done but not PT

[goozer]

Originally Posted by Vampgrrl

They should just close Peachtree to traffic either all day or part of the day, and make it a pedestrian friendly street.

I like this idea. And it seems like the only feasible way to go if Shirley Franklin is serious about planning to have a streetcar that will run up and down peachtree. I don't know how you could possibly incorporate a streetcar without doing away with the car lanes.

[cocopuffy]

Don't get me started about that street car business and its Condo Tax...I plan to be at that meeting on Jan 8th.
I would like a bike lane on Peachtree though. THAT I can get behind. If they had it I would ride my bike to work most days.

[meadgrad]

Originally Posted by gt6974a

here's the link

...and the article:

Peachtree & West Peachtree Streets
in Cityscapes Transformation

The transformation of 10th Street and Piedmont Avenue was Cityscapes' first triumph. Midtown stakeholders can now see similarly dramatic results along Atlanta’s signature Peachtree Street (from 3rd Street to 10th Street) and along West Peachtree Street (from North Avenue to 13th Street).

“These projects enhance the pedestrian zone with new, wider sidewalks—15 feet where possible—with a five-foot wide furniture zone at the curb, all of which means enhanced walkability,” said Sarah Yates, Senior Project Manager, Silverman Construction Management, the construction management team for the projects. “All crosswalk ramps are being brought up to ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards, and to the extent possible, we are removing overhead lines from Peachtree and West Peachtree Streets.”

Scheduled for completion in fall 2006, the Peachtree and West Peachtree projects include concrete pavers, new street trees, landscaping, improved pedestrian crosswalks, pedestrian lighting as well as decorative street lighting, and on-street parking on West Peachtree Street. The streetscape transformation is expected to enhance retail opportunities along both corridors. “By making the streets more pedestrian-friendly, people will want to walk, stop and shop in Midtown,” Yates said. “The on-street parking on West Peachtree, for example, will encourage people to pull in, park, and shop.”

With a construction value of $5.7 million, the Peachtree/West Peachtree projects are being funded by the Midtown Improvement District in cooperation with the City of Atlanta, the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Livable Centers Initiative.

thanks!

*it wont let me post anything shorter than 10 characters...so im typing this*

[atlantagreg30127]

Originally Posted by goozer

I like this idea. And it seems like the only feasible way to go if Shirley Franklin is serious about planning to have a streetcar that will run up and down peachtree. I don't know how you could possibly incorporate a streetcar without doing away with the car lanes.

The street cars would run in one car lane going in each direction, leaving only one lane that's dedicated to cars going in each direction. Cars could/would share the light rail lane with the rail.

And yeah, even though I support a rail type thing, it's gonna be chaos considering Atlanta drivers and their habits. In places like San Francisco, people are used to sharing lanes and it's second nature to drive correctly when around a trolley. When they started using light rail in L.A., there are a lot more accidents involving collisions with cars and the trains - exactly what I expect to happen here.

I'm all for shutting down Peachtree to car traffic, but in reality it will never happen. Peachtree is considered the "backbone" of Atlanta and they'd never agree to making it rail/walk/bike only in a car-oriented city like this.