plan to beautify the downtown connector (Atlanta: 2013, construction, design)

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

They could write in the plan that it should only cost thirty cents- reality is a different story. I do this stuff for a living, and can tell you that $40-50 million wouldn't come close to doing what they've drawn.

that's why i was surprised at the $10 million number for doing the bridges. they must not be doing a whole lot to them, if that's supposed to pay for five bridges.

[bryantm3]

Originally Posted by filmsequal

I think it's good business sense that you want more of those 300,000 passerby motorists to slow down, take an exit, and spend more time in the city. I say screw the Federal Highway Standards of drabness that make this country so ugly. If motorists don't want to slow down a little then they should take i-285.

what standards are you talking about? fyi, if the highways don't meet the standards, the state doesn't get funding, so the project doesn't get done.

[filmsequal]

fyi, if the highways don't meet the standards, the state doesn't get funding, so the project doesn't get done.

That's part of the problem when you have a country based off of entitlements. The states are all entitled to federal funding, but on the flipside the residents suffer because they have to follow federal guidelines, and hence you end up with a bland and monotonous country.

That is why the interstates in Atlanta look the same as in Seattle as far as signage and stuff. This country is way too vast and large for this entitlement system to work.

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by filmsequal

That's part of the problem when you have a country based off of entitlements. The states are all entitled to federal funding, but on the flipside the residents suffer because they have to follow federal guidelines, and hence you end up with a bland and monotonous country.

That is why the interstates in Atlanta look the same as in Seattle as far as signage and stuff. This country is way too vast and large for this entitlement system to work.

Hmmm....yes....lets "mix it up a bit" and let every state have their own signage designs. They can change the colors, experiment with some snazzy fonts, maybe even decide whether they really even want to have signs at all- just let the drivers figure it all out on their own- now that would be fun!

While we're at it, lets allow the states to decide on lane widths, striping, etc- I'm sure some state would love to have pink lines that undulate back and forth!

Hell, let's go really crazy and have some states switch it up and have drivers driving on the left side of the road instead of the right! Now that would be fun.....

[RoslynHolcomb]

Personally I don't care what an interstate looks like, assuming it's not falling apart, of course. I just want the thing to be well lit AND well signed something the Atlanta metro fails at abysmally. I'm sure the bridges will be lovely, too bad no one can see them. And i definitely prefer uniformity over every man for himself, that would be a total mess.

[cqholt]

well signed something the Atlanta metro fails at abysmally.

The downtown connector has great signage. It displays the next 2-3 exits ahead and marks the lanes that are exit only.

[jsvh]

Originally Posted by FlyiMetro

I don't like the look of it, I don't want to pay for it.

You are not paying for it. Money is coming from the self-taxing Midtown and Downtown improvement districts and the DOT money is from what companies pay to list on the food/gas/hotel interstate exit signs.

[RoslynHolcomb]

Originally Posted by cqholt

The downtown connector has great signage. It displays the next 2-3 exits ahead and marks the lanes that are exit only.

Great, then maybe the money could be better spent in the countless other areas that have lousy lighting/signage.

[filmsequal]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

Hmmm....yes....lets "mix it up a bit" and let every state have their own signage designs. They can change the colors, experiment with some snazzy fonts, maybe even decide whether they really even want to have signs at all- just let the drivers figure it all out on their own- now that would be fun!

While we're at it, lets allow the states to decide on lane widths, striping, etc- I'm sure some state would love to have pink lines that undulate back and forth!

Hell, let's go really crazy and have some states switch it up and have drivers driving on the left side of the road instead of the right! Now that would be fun.....

Great ideas!

I would like to see big blinking arrows on all the exits, underneath which say which attractions the exit leads to:


------->
PIEMONT PARK

< -----
LENOX MALL

------>
FOX THEATER

Also I would lower the speed limit to 35mph.

Maybe have guide lights like they do in theaters along the side of the exit lane.

And and on major in-town roads light up the street signs! That's actually common! They did that in Tuscaloosa, AL downtown, it's pretty cool!


Another idea: for the lanes that merge onto I-75, have lit-up lane dividers colored in purple . And for the lanes that take you to i-85, have them in yellow. Then have the signs match the corresponding colors. That would be much easier. Even though the signage is fairly decent, I still think that it can be very hard to merge lanes if you are in the wrong lane! Especially when you are going 50-60mph through the connector. If the driver knows which color lane he should be in, he can stay in the same lane from South to North without having to read any signage at all! THen he can focus on the attractions.

[cwkimbro]

Peachtree Street bridge to get enhancements | www.ajc.com

Everything happens in bits and pieces once there is an overall plan in place...