Decatur Transportation Projects Timelines
Decatur Metro | May 9, 2012At Monday’s City Commission meeting, Mayor Floyd explained that with all the outstanding transportation projects on the city’s docket, he had asked Deputy City Manager Hugh Saxon to put together a single list of all the projects and their timelines for the commissioners’ convenience. Mr. Saxon then took the commission through the entire list of outstanding transportation projects.
Well, I thought you all might also be interested in such a list too. Mr. Saxon was good enough to provide me with the full document, so the bullets below are a composite of Mr. Saxon’s list and comments made during the meeting.
- Scott Blvd Sidewalks – City needed to acquire three easements. Took 6 months. Project should be bid out in June 2012.
- Oakhurst Streetscape Improvements – Right-of-way acquisitions phase – need 10 easements, have 2 thus far. Anticipate right of way complete by November, bidding in April 2013.
- Phase V (Church Street/E. Trinity) Streetscape Improvements – 18 easements, anticipate right of way complete by January 2013, bidding May 2013. Have asked Trinity Triangle owners to allow land for parking and staging for project improvements.
- Railroad crossings at McDonough/Candler – Project has been “twinned” with the DeKalb 157 Signal project and will be bid and managed by GDOT. Right-of-way acquisition phase (by DeKalb County). Expect NTP for bidding in June 2013.
- N. McDonough Streetscape – Preliminary planning phase. Environmental review underway. Concept report approved. Anticipate right-of-way process starting in January 2013 and completed by December 2013. Anticipate bidding in February 2014.
- Clairemont/Commerce/Church Street Ped/Safety Improvements – Early planning phase. Coordinating with GDOT District for possible road diet on SR 155. Preparing environmental review. Anticipate submission of scoping study to ARC in August 2012, Concept Report to GDOT in October 2012. Anticipate bidding in Fall 2015.
Please note the timelines – they go on forever. A lot of this “delay” is due to updated federal/state requirements for easement rights – even for temporary ones where the construction might disturb that spot only briefly. That update has added months to the process and really slowed things down…
Clairemont/Commerce/Church Street Ped/Safety Improvements – 2015 for bidding? Wow.
4+ more years before those corner blights are fixed. Thats a bummer..
I agree, and I like your name. Can’t figure out why there is a parking lot in the middle of our DT square.
I understand that a lot of the timeline on projects like this is out of the City’s control, i.e., GDOT procedures apparently take years. But why such a lag between completing ROW acquisition and bidding out the project? If they expect to have ROW completed on the Oakhurst project by November ’12, why is it not going to be bid out until April ’13? Would it be possible to get things under way sooner, and possibly get the project done before Oakhurst festival season? (BBQ/Blues in late August and Oakhurst Arts & Music Fest in early Oct) Plus, that project was designed in spring or summer of 2007, we’ve been waiting a LONG time for it already.
There is probably a reason for that schedule, and knowing what it is would make it easier to be patient.
I believe the ROWs need to be acquired before the final plan can be submitted for approval by whomever. That’s what accounts for the gap.
Does it have to go back to GDOT again?
Don’t know for sure. Maybe Peggy or Hugh can chime in.
But thinking about it, it would make sense that they would hold off submitting final plans until all the ROWs were acquired. Don’t you think?
Actually, I doubt if the process as a whole makes any sense at all. It is probably the result of various regulations and policies cobbled together over years by various jurisdictions and agencies. But since this particular project languished at GDOT for YEARS, I really hope it doesn’t have to loop back there. As designed, it’s going to have substantial traffic-calming effects on the East Lake/Oakview intersection. Things were bad when it got dreamed up five years ago, and the situation has continued to grow worse as traffic volume has increased and the proportion of through traffic has also grown. And now there is lots of school traffic with Fifth Ave re-opened. That is a good thing, but it’ll be a lot safer when the streetscape improvements have been implemented.
I guess I’m saying that if the project package included specifics about ROWs/easements that are required (and I can’t imagine it didn’t), and it was approved, then no, it does not make sense to me to have to jump through yet another round of approval. I imagine it’s just red tape, and I know that is a reality in public works, and I like to think our City staff know how to work within the system to minimize delays as much as possible. I’m just having an episode of frustration and aggravation because this particular project is dear to my heart and we’ve been waiting 5 years already, and it won’t surprise me if the construction schedule winds up being maximally disruptive to the community in terms of the impact on festivals and events — despite the City’s best efforts — especially the BBQ fest, which raises a lot of money each year, every dime of which is funneled back into the Decatur community. I know all of these projects take years, and people all over town are impatient to see various plans come to fruition. This just happens to be the one I’m gnashing my teeth over today (and whenever I see somebody running the 4-way stop in the village, or speeding on Oakview, both of which happen regularly).
GDOT does what GDOT does. They’re accountable to nobody.
I have been amazed by their absolute power and lack of accountability over the years. The only other entities that seem to rival them are the railroads, the White House Office of Management and Budget, and maybe the CIA.
Ironically, the present governance structure was established in the 1970s to alleviate political influence.
“possible road diet on SR 155″ ?? What does that mean? Is it something like Slim Fast Lane?
+1
I hope SR 155 at Candler St. goes on a diet too.
Isn’t SR 155 Clairmont Rd? If so I don’t think it intersects Candler.
SR 155 comes south on Clairemont, turns left on Commerce, follows Commerce to the railroad underpass, turns right on College, then left on S Candler.
What streetscape improvements are being made at Church and East Trinity? There’s often a lot of traffic at that intersection. Are they adding dedicated turn lanes?
Streetscape refers to sidewalk improvements and medians, street trees, etc., like has been done elsewhere in the downtown area. Some traffic changes also would be included. The area in question is Trinity from McDonough to the railroad and Church from Trinity to the railroad.
Really looking forward to completion of those Scott sidewalks. Those of us who live on the Emory side of Scott sometimes feel cut off and intimidated when crossing or walking up and down Scott. Addition of the sidewalks should also be good for students when Westchester reopens (sooner rather than later I hope!), though I do wish there were other traffic calming measures around the Clairmont/Scott intersection. It’s a beast.
+1,000
Amen.
The intersection is fine, its the drivers that are beastly. Wouldn’t it be really fun to have a great big Rotary there instead of traffic lights?
Nothing keeps democracy in business like red tape. We Southsiders have waited forEVER for improvements at the crossings of McDonough and Candler. Don’t have time to comb the archives on DM at the moment but I feel like it was at least 4 years ago when we saw initial schematics for changes to those intersections. Those intersections are one of the biggest eyesores on Decatur’s push for walkability and biking. It’s just such a shame. So very disappointing. And every time a vehicle attempts to take a left at either intersection, a wreck is waiting to happen.
Mr. Baskett did ask if the Candler left turn-lane could be fast tracked and completed prior to the rest of the project. Mr. Saxon didn’t know the answer but said he would check.
Just curious how long it took to get approval and create the bike lane and more pedestrian friendly intersection at Clairemont and Michigan.