Alright, I'll tentatively support the Northern Arc. (Atlanta, Lawrenceville: houses, live)

[therealpattman]

I have attached an image of how the Atlanta metro area would look with the Northern Arc and the fully controlled access GA 316. I think both of the road projects are essential in the development of the area especially with millions of new expected residents by 2025.

The Northern Arc is in blue
The GA 316 is in red

[Saintmarks]

Originally Posted by dpatt.marine1

I have attached an image of how the Atlanta metro area would look with the Northern Arc and the fully controlled access GA 316. I think both of the road projects are essential in the development of the area especially with millions of new expected residents by 2025.

The Northern Arc is in blue
The GA 316 is in red

Agreed wholeheartedly. Also take Ronald Reagan Parkway in Gwinnett, swing it up to Gwinnett Place, then Northpoint, then to Town Center. The Northern burbs desperately need more east/west access.

[bryantm3]

whatever. go ahead and destroy the rest of north georgia and turn it into a suburban hell hole. i never go out there anyway.

[MattCW]

The Northern Arc is nothing but a bandaid that doesn't treat the underlying cause. If Atlanta had a robust, high-capacity transit system, the Northern Arc wouldn't even be needed. Through-traffic wouldn't have so many local drivers "getting in their way" and so congestion would be effectively mitigated without pushing suburban expansion even further away from Atlanta.

[clexmond]

It's so unnecessary to build these for the purposes of supporting future inflow of population. We are already one of the least dense big cities in the country. Clearly there is plenty of space for future residents to move into existing, already built-up areas.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by clexmond

It's so unnecessary to build these for the purposes of supporting future inflow of population. We are already one of the least dense big cities in the country. Clearly there is plenty of space for future residents to move into existing, already built-up areas.

The thing is people down here like having a little elbow room. Folks don't want to give up their quality of life to be shoe-horned into some dense, built-up area.

[JoeP]

I thought this was long dead, but access from 75 to 85 and vice versa would be helpful, but wouldn't be helpful is access to more sprawl so making a very limited access toll road would not only help pay for it but discourage sprawl, but I don't see it happening.

[arjay57]

It has become part of the canon to criticize "sprawl" as undesirable, but it's the spreading out that has transformed Atlanta from a mid-sized burg of a few hundred thousand folks to the massive metropolis it is today. Of course it makes sense to see that suburban growth takes place in smart and sustainable ways, but we don't want to kill the goose that laid the golden egg.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by clexmond

It's so unnecessary to build these for the purposes of supporting future inflow of population. We are already one of the least dense big cities in the country. Clearly there is plenty of space for future residents to move into existing, already built-up areas.

But that sends land prices higher. An attraction of Atlanta is quality of life where you can have an affordable large home with a yard.

[MathmanMathman]

Originally Posted by MattCW

The Northern Arc is nothing but a bandaid that doesn't treat the underlying cause. If Atlanta had a robust, high-capacity transit system, the Northern Arc wouldn't even be needed. Through-traffic wouldn't have so many local drivers "getting in their way" and so congestion would be effectively mitigated without pushing suburban expansion even further away from Atlanta.

A lot of people don't want to ride mass transit. Northern development like this would take some stress and congestion off of Atlanta. And really, you could argue that mass transit is itself a band-aid.