The Project: The project proposes to lengthen and reconstruct the 14th Street Bridge to accommodate the new under pass for the northbound exit ramp. The new northbound exit ramp would depart from I-75/I-85 just south of the 14th Street Bridge. This project is a good example of public Involvement in a vocal community.
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Context Setting: Urban
Stakeholders: GDOT, Midtown residents/neighborhoods, the City of Atlanta, Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, Atlanta Regional Commission, and the Midtown Alliance.
The Process:
GDOT presented a plan to reconstruct the 14th Street Bridge to the Midtown community. The scale of the proposed design was of great concern to many of Midtown’s citizens, the City of Atlanta, and the Midtown Alliance. The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) has worked in concert with Midtown stakeholders to create an exciting plan for the 14th Street Bridge reconstruction that balances traffic, pedestrian safety, and good urban design. The new design calls for limiting the width of the bridge to six travel lanes with a landscaped median.
Lessons Learned: The current pedestrian environment along 14th Street Bridge does not meet the standards established by the Local Community Improvement district. Also, the 14th street has experienced high crash rates and extreme levels of congestion.
The City requested that GDOT work with the community through a committee process to try and come to consensus on the scale and design of the bridge. GDOT agreed to the formation of this committee, to be facilitated through the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA). This committee has been meeting and discussing the project for the last several months and has reached significant conclusions on the basic lane configuration and bridge width, contingent upon final approvals by the Federal Highway Administration.
GDOT Commissioner said they are anxious to show people what they have worked on for the past several months. The new design is believed to achieve the transportation objectives as well as answer many concerns about the impact of the pedestrian environment in Midtown. The revised plan incorporating Midtown public input includes landscaped medians, both on the bridge and off, planting seasonal flowers, ground covers, shrubbery, and trees.
Proposed 14th Street Bridge
For additional information about the 14th Street Bridge Project, visit the following internet Sources:
http://www.midtownalliance.org/TI_14and15.htm
http://tomcat2.dot.state.ga.us/PublicOutreach_ex/home/home.cfm
