Midtown Transportation Plan (Atlanta, Smyrna, Mableton: condo, houses, construction)

[fourthwarden]

Map of Preliminary Project Recommendations

Midtown has released their preliminary project selections. Take a look, vote, and leave a comment! There are some pretty nifty ones including, but not limited to:

• A ped/bike connection from Atlantic Station to Deering Rd (behind the Amtrak Station)
• 'North Midtown' infill MARTA station
• Northern BeltLine connection following the southern edge of the I-85 corridor
• North Ave road improvements for the Atlanta Streetcar

[primaltech]

I'm all for the new MARTA station, personally. I think it would be a great addition.

They'd probably have to demolish those old condos hidden back there on Inwood Cir. And that would be where they'd put the main station entrance, probably with TOD built on top of it. Also maybe the undeveloped Dewberry property on Peachtree @ Beverly could have a station access point on the corner.

To go along with it, should be development of that huge undeveloped forest plot NE of Inwood Cir, north of WSB TV. Make that a couple of transit-oriented 6-story apartment buildings, with a scenic view of Buckhead skyline.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I'm all for the new MARTA station, personally. I think it would be a great addition.

They'd probably have to demolish those old condos hidden back there on Inwood Cir. And that would be where they'd put the main station entrance, probably with TOD built on top of it. Also maybe the undeveloped Dewberry property on Peachtree @ Beverly could have a station access point on the corner.

To go along with it, should be development of that huge undeveloped forest plot NE of Inwood Cir, north of WSB TV. Make that a couple of transit-oriented 6-story apartment buildings, with a scenic view of Buckhead skyline.

I'm just worried that an infill station there would mess with the provisions for a Northwest MARTA line.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by fourthwarden

Map of Preliminary Project Recommendations

Midtown has released their preliminary project selections. Take a look, vote, and leave a comment! There are some pretty nifty ones including, but not limited to:

• A ped/bike connection from Atlantic Station to Deering Rd (behind the Amtrak Station)
• 'North Midtown' infill MARTA station
• Northern BeltLine connection following the southern edge of the I-85 corridor
• North Ave road improvements for the Atlanta Streetcar

I'm surprised at how many of the projects appear to add parking.

Originally Posted by primaltech

I'm all for the new MARTA station, personally. I think it would be a great addition.

They'd probably have to demolish those old condos hidden back there on Inwood Cir. And that would be where they'd put the main station entrance, probably with TOD built on top of it. Also maybe the undeveloped Dewberry property on Peachtree @ Beverly could have a station access point on the corner.

To go along with it, should be development of that huge undeveloped forest plot NE of Inwood Cir, north of WSB TV. Make that a couple of transit-oriented 6-story apartment buildings, with a scenic view of Buckhead skyline.

If there's going to be a MARTA station in that area, putting it at the end of Inwood seems silly. I'd use that lot on the corner of Peachtree and Beverly, and maybe take over the Exxon next to it. And then some condo buildings down at the end of Inwood sounds good.

[arjay57]

It looks good to me, although I can't tell from the map whether they will be fixing the potholes and smoothing out all the unevenness.

If not, that definitely needs to be included. Streets like Piedmont and Juniper are like driving down a dirt road.

[primaltech]

OK, so the actual station platforms would probably have to be built under the Peachtree Pointe buildings. While the track is still straight, before it curves. I guess those old condos back there could stay, or they could be replaced with something else. They just don't really seem to fit that area.

I guess the station could be built like Peachtree Center, with no bus loops, no real above ground building to it, just some sheltered escalator/entrance buildings. Definitely there would be one at Peachtree @ Beverly (along with hopefully a development there), and there could be another entrance at the back, if there was new TOD built back there.

I don't know if the station would mess up the provision for the NW line, but I don't know if I care, since that line will never be built, because of Brookwood Hills NIMBY's, for one.

[toll_booth]

Personally I'd rather see an infill near Peachtree and 5th. No idea how they'd get one in there without harming the existing buildings, however, particularly the Biltmore.

[fourthwarden]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

I'm surprised at how many of the projects appear to add parking.



If there's going to be a MARTA station in that area, putting it at the end of Inwood seems silly. I'd use that lot on the corner of Peachtree and Beverly, and maybe take over the Exxon next to it. And then some condo buildings down at the end of Inwood sounds good.

Are they adding parking, or shifting it? Juniper and Piedmont, for example, have curb-side parking, along with everything else, already. If the plan is to just move it, then you're not doing much harm. In fact, with things like buffered bike lanes, you might actually be improving things.

Originally Posted by arjay57

It looks good to me, although I can't tell from the map whether they will be fixing the potholes and smoothing out all the unevenness.

If not, that definitely needs to be included. Streets like Piedmont and Juniper are like driving down a dirt road.

I would imagine any street realignments / rebuilds would include maintenance and resurfacing.

[primaltech]

As for the other stuff here, I love it all. I would go even further, though.

16th St should continue between West Peachtree and Arts Center Way. With the MARTA bus loop connecting to it just like it does at 15th St. New traffic light with it, at 16th @ Arts Center. Also, 16th and Inman Circle should be straightened/connected into a proper 4-way intersection, with a new traffic light there at Peachtree Circle.

15th St should start at Mecaslin St in Home Park, then go all the way to Piedmont, as a striped 2-way. With a new bridge over the Connector, with HOV (future HOT) northbound and southbound ramps. Great way for transit buses (and Uber pools) to connect with MARTA Arts Center, particularly from I-75/Cobb. Braves shuttle could also use it.

11th, 12th, and 13th, should all run continuously as 2-way streets, between Williams and Piedmont. Fix that intersection of 12th and West Peachtree, and connect 13th between Crescent and Peachtree.

Love the extension of Williams St to Ponce, and getting rid of all the one-way street logic everywhere, as much as possible. More crosstown connecting routes and 2-way city grid logic is great, and addition of traffic lights. And I would fix/straighten up all the annoying slightly off intersections as much as possible, like Peachtree @ Pine. 'The Stitch' would also help, because streets like Alexander St and Currier St will connect with Peachtree. (Once the Civic Center is redeveloped, Currier will extend another block east.)

And as for Atlantic Station, the cycle track connection is cool, but I really think Market St or Fowler St should tunnel under the railroad tracks and connect up with Loring Dr @ Deering, with a 4-way traffic light intersection. Which would coincide with the development of the 'Pinnacle' lot at AS.

Because then you could link Atlantic Station with Peachtree St Amtrak (or future commuter rail station there), and pedestrian connect AS with Loring Heights and Brookwood. Also just to give car traffic another way to funnel in and out of that area, to relieve 17th somewhat.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Personally I'd rather see an infill near Peachtree and 5th. No idea how they'd get one in there without harming the existing buildings, however, particularly the Biltmore.

The North Ave Station is only less than 1,000 feet from 5th Street/the Biltmore.