Beltline Southside Trail Moving Forward to Connect Eastside and Westside Trails (Atlanta: real estate, university)

[UrbanConquistador]

I'm a little confused. I thought transit on the Beltline's loop was supposed to run in a dedicated ROW and not mixed with traffic. All three options show the streetcars running in mixed traffic, both directions. Isn't this going to be a major bottle neck for transit? Between the short-fingered man boy's two big box developments, traffic is going to be pretty heavy over here!

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by UrbanConquistador

I'm a little confused. I thought transit on the Beltline's loop was supposed to run in a dedicated ROW and not mixed with traffic. All three options show the streetcars running in mixed traffic, both directions. Isn't this going to be a major bottle neck for transit? Between the short-fingered man boy's two big box developments, traffic is going to be pretty heavy over here!

That is the only existing bridge over I-20 on the SE BeltLine ROW.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by UrbanConquistador

I'm a little confused. I thought transit on the Beltline's loop was supposed to run in a dedicated ROW and not mixed with traffic. All three options show the streetcars running in mixed traffic, both directions. Isn't this going to be a major bottle neck for transit? Between the short-fingered man boy's two big box developments, traffic is going to be pretty heavy over here!

Yep. It is concern. There have been some in the neighborhood, including myself, that have been pushing to go even further and seriously evaluate closing the BKW freeway ramps and possibly closing the road to traffic all together to improve safety, reduce traffic, and improve transit service. Freeway ramps don't belong on the Beltline and there are exits a half mile in either direction on I-20.

[CCATL]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Yep. It is concern. There have been some in the neighborhood, including myself, that have been pushing to go even further and seriously evaluate closing the BKW freeway ramps and possibly closing the road to traffic all together to improve safety, reduce traffic, and improve transit service. Freeway ramps don't belong on the Beltline and there are exits a half mile in either direction on I-20.

I can imagine that would be a major concern for people living right on Glenwood though. The freeway ramps there are the only thing that will keep people off of Glenwood to get to Fuqua's Glenwood development.

[magnetar]

Originally Posted by UrbanConquistador

I thought transit on the Beltline's loop was supposed to run in a dedicated ROW

It does, for the vast majority of the route, but there are some places where the original railroad ROW isn't available to use for Beltline transit (crossing Hulsey Yard, and Bill Kennedy Way, which was built in the ROW, for example).

Closing the I-20 ramps on Bill Kennedy sounds nice but I think it's pretty likely that nearby developers, including Fuqua, could keep it from happening.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by magnetar

It does, for the vast majority of the route, but there are some places where the original railroad ROW isn't available to use for Beltline transit (crossing Hulsey Yard and Bill Kennedy Way, for example).

Interestingly enough, before the reconstruction of I-20 in the early 1990s, the original bridge in this ROW was strictly for rail traffic, with the road bridge later replacing it as a way to connect Glenwood and Memorial.

Closing the I-20 ramps on Bill Kennedy sounds nice but I think it's pretty likely that nearby developers, including Fuqua, could keep it from happening.

You'd probably get a ton of residents against their closure as well.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by magnetar

Closing the I-20 ramps on Bill Kennedy sounds nice but I think it's pretty likely that nearby developers, including Fuqua, could keep it from happening.

That, and the residents of Glenwood and adjacent streets. They'd be in permanent gridlock if the Bill Kennedy ramps are closed, and especially so if Bill Kennedy itself is closed to vehicle traffic.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by JPD

That, and the residents of Glenwood and adjacent streets. They'd be in permanent gridlock if the Bill Kennedy ramps are closed, and especially so if Bill Kennedy itself is closed to vehicle traffic.

I am one of those residents. And there are a lot of us that think this needs to be seriously considered.

The off ramps have only existed for a couple decades. BKW was a rail line before. Closing them will reduce overall traffic. It would have a similar effect to road diets and highway closures elsewhere.

Safety & providing other transportation options should take priority over these ramps anyways.

Convincing GDOT is really the main barrier. It will probably take all of these developments opening up and traffic backing up onto I-20 for them to realize on / off ramps every half mile in this area is a bad idea and they should close some to improve traffic flow. They are already considering a similar move on the downtown connector.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by jsvh

I am one of those residents. And there are a lot of us that think this needs to be seriously considered.

The off ramps have only existed for a couple decades. BKW was a rail line before. Closing them will reduce overall traffic. It would have a similar effect to road diets and highway closures elsewhere.

Safety & providing other transportation options should take priority over these ramps anyways.

Convincing GDOT is really the main barrier. It will probably take all of these developments opening up and traffic backing up onto I-20 for them to realize on / off ramps every half mile in this area is a bad idea and they should close some to improve traffic flow. They are already considering a similar move on the downtown connector.

I would support closing the ramps, but closing the street to all motor vehicle traffic would be a disaster for Glenwood, Moreland, Boulevard, and Memorial.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by JPD

I would support closing the ramps, but closing the street to all motor vehicle traffic would be a disaster for Glenwood, Moreland, Boulevard, and Memorial.

I think most of the benefit would be closing the ramps. It would make BKW more like Cherokee Ave over I-20.