Mixed-Use w/ High-rise Planned near Mall of Georgia (Buford, Doraville: cul-de-sac, apartments)

[jsvh]

Mix of retail, offices, apartments planned for Mall of Georgia... | www.ajc.com

Plans submitted to the county last week call for 217,170 square feet of retail, 91,200 square feet of office space and a 134,460-square-foot hotel with 250 rooms. The development also would include 352 apartments and 40 condominiums.

[primaltech]

This is good, but only if they connect up more roads around there, and do that Sugarloaf Pkwy extension. The traffic is horrid.

[ATLTJL]

Yeah, that's what I was thinking.

This area really doesn't need anything that adds to the traffic. At least, not before they can add alternative routes or figure out some other traffic solutions. EVERY BIT of traffic is routed onto 20, and it's awful. That road needs some relief.

[jsvh]

Gwinnett approves big development near Mall of Georgia | www.ajc.com

[demonta4]

Originally Posted by jsvh

Gwinnett approves big development near Mall of Georgia | www.ajc.com

Of course. It's not like any of the people traveling to and from this area uses cars or anything.

[primaltech]

Almost every car coming and going from that mall area is dependent on Buford Dr, and that would be why the congestion around there is some of the worst I've ever experienced. Has nothing to do with no MARTA train from Doraville or whatever, because practically no one who goes to that mall would ever use that, or could. Because they mostly live in sprawled out subdivisions in unincorporated areas proximate to the mall, or out further. Transportation will always be primarily vehicle-driven out there.

IMO what Gwinnett County really needs, is a vastly improved, interconnecting grid of new roads.

Really the whole metro needs that, to address the traffic problems. Not more lanes, not more highways, not more wide arterials. More options. Just a ton more 2-lane and 4-lane basic roads (and streets, when at urban/city scale), that criss-cross and go in every direction. Connecting the relatively dense nodes with other main arterial roads which in turn connect to different highway exits, and then you can get some actual traffic flow relief at all scales. The traffic problems are largely caused by these choke points.

For instance, Mall of Georgia Blvd, ends in a frickin' cul-de-sac:
https://www.google.com/maps/@34.0588.../data=!3m1!1e3

That should go to a new road, with a new highway exit. Then Buford Dr would just be one way to get in and out of the MoG.

[arjay57]

I guess these developers didn't get the memo about needing mass transit before you haul off and build some huge mixed use project.

[DJDeadParrot]

This could alleviate at least some of the MoG traffic, particularly from the exurbs out towards Braselton and Jefferson. Just not for a couple of years.

Yeah, Gwinnett will get its new I-85 interchange (eventually) | www.ajc.com

Not only that, but, if you've gone out that way on I-85 in the past couple of weeks, you've seen where there's actual work being done to extend the HOT lanes.

[ATLTJL]

The biggest problem is there is no way to get to MOG from the southwest, aside from using 20.

If Woodward Mill actually connected to that road that connects to Financial Center Way, there would be an alternative route...but it becomes a trail by the Gwinnett Heritage Center. They could also offer connectivity with some kind of spur off of Plunkett Road.

The problem is there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY to access the west side of 20 near MOG without being forced onto 20 itself. The arterial road behind it exists, but it doesn't go anywhere.

For this reason, I avoid Mall of Georgia completely. It's simply too much trouble.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

The biggest problem is there is no way to get to MOG from the southwest, aside from using 20.

If Woodward Mill actually connected to that road that connects to Financial Center Way, there would be an alternative route...but it becomes a trail by the Gwinnett Heritage Center. They could also offer connectivity with some kind of spur off of Plunkett Road.

The problem is there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY to access the west side of 20 near MOG without being forced onto 20 itself. The arterial road behind it exists, but it doesn't go anywhere.

For this reason, I avoid Mall of Georgia completely. It's simply too much trouble.

Disconnected, car-centric, suburban sprawl at it's finest.