Why does part of Freedom Parkway have a roof? (Atlanta: neighborhood, live in)

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by chiatldal

A better Question why is Freedom Park and the huge freeway intersection are still there.

Which freeway intersection/interchange are you referring to exactly? Are you referring to the interchange to Freedom Parkway on the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector or are you referring to the intersection/interchange where Freedom Parkway branches off in an east leg towards North Highland Avenue and Moreland Avenue at the Carter Center complex?

The interchange to Freedom Parkway on the I-75/I-85 Downtown Connector was originally built in the early-mid 1960's as an interchange to a future freeway between Downtown Atlanta and Stone Mountain that was never built because of the Intown East Atlanta freeway revolts of the late 1960's and '70's.

The area where the Carter Center now sits and where Freedom Parkway forks in two branches (north and east) was cleared for a future interchange between the aforementioned never-built east-west Downtown Atlanta-Stone Mountain Freeway and a never-built north-south freeway that was proposed to connect I-675 on the Southside with present-day GA 400 on the Northside.

Freedom Parkway was built in the early-mid '90's and opened up in 1995 as part of a compromise deal between the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Carter Center (who wanted a freeway connection between Downtown, I-75/I-85 and the Carter Center) and the neighborhoods lining the road (who wanted the area where the road now lies to become green space).

The Freedom Parkway roadway and corridor are only about 21 years old and probably are not going anywhere anytime soon seeing as though the roadway is officially a state-maintained roadway (signed Georgia State Route 10) that the State of Georgia views as being a crucial connector road between Downtown Atlanta, the I-75/I-85 Connector, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center complex, the Jimmy Carter Center complex and the Emory University area.

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Or why the speed limit is 35 mph.

Although I've never seen it enforced, probably because there's nowhere for a cruiser to pull over without blocking traffic.

(Though rarely enforced as you pointed out) The 35 mph speed limit (along with an at-grade intersection at Boulevard) is part of the compromise deal (between GDOT/Carter Center and the neighborhoods adjoining the Freedom Parkway corridor) for the Freedom Parkway roadway to be a parkway corridor with a surface road speed limit lined by green space instead of a conventional urban freeway with an urban freeway speed limit (50-55 mph).

[JPD]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Or why the speed limit is 35 mph.

Although I've never seen it enforced, probably because there's nowhere for a cruiser to pull over without blocking traffic.

Freedom Parkway is entirely within a city park. Parks always have lower speed limits.

[TheTravelinMan]

I don't know why there is always so much shade being thrown on Freedom Pkwy here in this forum. I think its a very pleasant urban parkway that is an asset to the city, not a liability.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by TheTravelinMan

I don't know why there is always so much shade being thrown on Freedom Pkwy here in this forum. I think its a very pleasant urban parkway that is an asset to the city, not a liability.

Probably because of the large amount of destruction caused by the State Highway Department in Copenhill and Inman Park for the I-485/Stone Mountain Freeway right-of-way, which eventually became Freedom Parkway/Freedom Park.

[primaltech]

I hate to say it, and I know I'll catch flak for this, but I wish the original plans had happened, to connect Freedom to the Stone Mountain Freeway. Roughly right along US78/ Scott Blvd.

For totally selfish reasons. Just because it's an indirect pain in the butt to get to Decatur and North Decatur (w/ my fav spot Community Q), from Vinings and the west side.

(Or, alternatively, I wish they'd do heavy rail out to Cumberland, then loop the Green line through North Decatur and Emory.)

[ATLTJL]

I think a big part of Atlanta's problem are these half-baked unfinished road projects.

If you're going to do it, do it to completion or don't do it at all. Ronald Regana Parkway is basically a highway from nowhere to nowhere, would be nice if they would make it go from I-85 to 78.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I hate to say it, and I know I'll catch flak for this, but I wish the original plans had happened, to connect Freedom to the Stone Mountain Freeway. Roughly right along US78/ Scott Blvd.

For totally selfish reasons. Just because it's an indirect pain in the butt to get to Decatur and North Decatur (w/ my fav spot Community Q), from Vinings and the west side.

How dare you.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I think a big part of Atlanta's problem are these half-baked unfinished road projects.

If you're going to do it, do it to completion or don't do it at all. Ronald Regana Parkway is basically a highway from nowhere to nowhere, would be nice if they would make it go from I-85 to 78.

GA SHD/GDOT basically was doing that until the projects got killed due to community opposition. It's pretty difficult to plan for a forced cancellation.

[sedimenjerry]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I think a big part of Atlanta's problem are these half-baked unfinished road projects.

If you're going to do it, do it to completion or don't do it at all. Ronald Regana Parkway is basically a highway from nowhere to nowhere, would be nice if they would make it go from I-85 to 78.

There were plans that kept coming up (should be called fantasies really). I think both extensions are officially dead. There's just too much development in the way now.

RRPKWY as it is now is actually very nice. Gets a lot of use and takes cars off the narrow and curvy local roads but since it's not connected to anything really, it's never congested.
When they do close it down for the annual run, local traffic runs amok.

[TheTravelinMan]

Originally Posted by Gulch

Probably because of the large amount of destruction caused by the State Highway Department in Copenhill and Inman Park for the I-485/Stone Mountain Freeway right-of-way, which eventually became Freedom Parkway/Freedom Park.

Freedom Pkwy is *maybe* 40 yards wide.