We closed 2018 calling on the City to prioritize the Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST Complete Street projects that have stalled out after three years of public meetings and delays.

As taxpayers and voters, you and I authorized these projects, and we voted for Complete Streets - twice! Now it's time to mark your calendars for our last run at getting safe & complete streets built. Bring friends, family, and anyone who owes you money to these meetings and tell the City to prioritize safe & complete streets.

There's a lot to like in the Complete Streets Scenario presented at the Transportation Committee Work Session earlier this month. (You can review the presentation here.) Namely, full funding for Howell Mill Road, Cascade Road/Avenue (Phase 1), Monroe Drive AND Boulevard, and the removal of the reversible lane on DeKalb Avenue. But there are three important projects missing.

1. Campbellton Road: This project lacks funding needed to address the sidewalk network gaps and lack of safe crossings on this High-Injury Network corridor. This is the second busiest bus route in the MARTA system, which means there's a lot of pedestrian activity on this dangerous corridor. 

2. Cascade Road/Avenue (Phase 2), from Avon to Ralph David Abernathy Blvd: Like Campbellton Road, this stretch of corridor lacks funding to address sidewalk network gaps and safe crossings. Phase 1 is included in the Complete Streets Scenario, but without Phase 2 there's a safety gap right where it's needed the most - near an elementary school, grocery store, shopping center, and the BeltLine. Parents and teachers at the Tuskegee Airmen Global Academy elementary school conducted a sidewalk safety audit back in 2016, and recently hired more crossing guards to protect students, and requested additional police officers to curb speeding. 

3. DeKalb Avenue: The good news is that the reversible lane removal is funded in the Complete Streets Scenario, along with the design of the Complete Street project. But it does not currently include the safety improvement for people to bike and walk on DeKalb Avenue -- specifically, multi-use trail along the MARTA side. We want to ensure the Complete Streets elements for DeKalb Avenue are in the final prioritization list.

Round 1 of public meetings on the "Renew Atlanta and TSPLOST Prioritization & Rebaselining Initiative" start January 22nd. Round 2 begins February 26th.

With 8 meetings spread throughout the city, we hope you can find a date and location that work for you. Click the button below and tell us which meetings you plan to attend.

We know it's not easy to show up for a weeknight meeting, but that makes it all the more impactful when you do. You are welcome to bring children to these meetings. After all, safe and accessible streets are essential for their future! 

Please join us in calling on the City of Atlanta to stop delaying and start building these Complete Streets projects that provide safe mobility in 2019. Safe, complete streets are the backbone of a successful transportation network. Atlanta deserves better than what we are getting from our streets today. 

Sign up to attend the work session or public meeting nearest you!

From the Renew/TSPLOST website: 

Renew Atlanta and TSPLOST Prioritization & Rebaselining Initiative

Dear Stakeholder,

The Renew Atlanta/TSPLOST programs, launched in 2015 and 2016, were created to address the $1B+ infrastructure backlog facing the city. Though the programs have made much progress to date delivering key projects across Atlanta, we face significant challenges as we move forward to complete the full initial program scope. Simply put – the cost to deliver the full scope of the initial program considerably exceeds the funding available from the Renew Atlanta Bond and TSPLOST revenues.

Thus, we are working diligently to transparently prioritize and re-baseline the initial program lists to deliver the greatest impact to Atlanta’s above-ground infrastructure and transportation network with the available funds. Through this re-baselining, we are dedicated to engaging stakeholders to help inform the process.

Resources and Background