If you live or work in the City of Atlanta – and that means 721,630 of you, according to 2010 Census data – get ready for some construction. In a St. Patrick’s Day special election, Atlanta voters overwhelmingly, more than 80%, approved a $250 Million infrastructure bond initiative. According to Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed, it is “the single most significant infrastructure investment in modern times”. Reed’s statement did not clarify what “modern times” mean, or whether he included inflation in his accounting, but the initiative will undoubtedly have an impact.
According to Reed, Atlanta will begin to clear a backlog of more than $900 million infrastructure projects that could’ve grown to $1.5 billion, or possibly $2 billion. There is a whole suite of projects that are to be covered. The one project that may be generating the most buzz, particularly those attempting to drive down Peachtree or Piedmont at certain times, is the long-awaited “synchronizing of traffic lights.”
Whether the traffic light synchronization will turn out to be the panacea that many drivers hope for remains to be seen but the traffic light portion of the budget is expected to comprise the largest share of spending at 16% of the overall expenditures, nearly $41 million. The spending for lights will include synchronization, replacing lights, equipment and communication systems.
Lights will also be linked to the Atlanta Traffic Control Center. The lights portion of spending will be done in three rounds. Round 1 of the projects includes upgrades on 10th street, 14th street, DeKalb Avenue, Howell Mill Road, Martin Luther King Boulevard, Monroe Drive, Northside Drive, Peachtree Street and Piedmont Avenue. In fact, more than 80 roads and intersections are listed as on track for Round 1, including “Citywide Signal System upgrades.” As of now, the breakdown of details for that particular project is limited to the description – “Replacement of traffic signal LED’s, cabinet, controller monitor, signal wiring, communications, & timing at the intersection.” Total project cost and start date are still undetermined.
Another of the items on the list for improvement are Atlanta’s bridges. Bridge spending is third-most, behind the traffic lights and “Complete Streets.” This term apparently signifies the difference from “Roadways” in that “Complete Streets” means making streets usable for everyone, such as pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders, versus the asphalt and concrete and signs that compose “Roadways.” The first bridges up for work are on Childress Drive, slated to be a total replacement, “Citywide Bridge Improvements” – “bridge and structural improvements including construction of new structures and/or structural component modifications” – and a retro-fit of the more than 95 year old pedestrian bridge on Nelson Street, between Elliot Street and Spring Street, by the former Norfolk Southern building.
Parks and Recreation is expected to compose $18 million of the total spending. There are a host of recreation centers and parks slated for Round 1 spending but the jewel of the parks spending will be the construction of a new natatorium in the Historic Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. The pool and community facility will be accessible via the Atlanta Streetcar and “other public transit,” presumably the bus. Currently, the former MLK Jr. Natatorium sits empty and closed three years ago. Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall was a lifeguard at the old pool and told WABE in March that the pool is necessary despite its high price tag., “You’ve got folks not making a whole lot who deserve to have a place to go, just like everyone else does,” he said. “And I think that’s fair. From time to time you have to do types of spending to kind of support ensuring that everyone has equal access.”
The list of all the projects was developed after years of research but the city council is still meeting with constituents and determining the final list. To keep tab on all the projects and their completion, see the Renew Atlanta website here: http://renewatlantabond.com/projects/
