Transcript Slide 1

Roswell Historic Gateway Project
Community Advisory Group Meeting #1
February 3rd at Roswell Landing
Welcome and Introductions
• Community Advisory Group – Tell us your name and your
interest in the project
• City of Roswell – Steve Acenbrak, Director of Roswell DOT
• City of Roswell – Rich Dippolito, City Council
• Project Consultant Team – Jonathan and Alice
People on the Project
Alice Wiggins
Jonathan Reid
Consultant Outreach Coordinator
Consultant Project Manager
20+ yrs leading public involvement Specializes in traffic operations,
in Georgia and California
modeling and innovative design
Will be “face” of public involvement
Day-to-day manager for
for duration of project
duration of project
Robert Dell-Ross
City Project Manager
City primary point of contact
Experience in Metro Atlanta
private and public sectors
transportation projects
Community Advisory Group (CAG)
• Primary role of the CAG is to:
– Provide consultation to the project team on key community issues
– Provide public forums and collateral materials that provide clear,
concise information to enable public to make informed decisions
– Stakeholder feedback
• Will convene at least quarterly and/or major project milestones
through duration of public process (first 18 months)
• Comprised of stakeholders along the project corridor
• Hereafter open to public
CAG Member Responsibilities
• Provide feedback to project team on project recommendations,
research, etc. - particularly as related to project milestones
• Forum for collaborative discussions on specific, project issues
• Link to wider constituencies (disseminate information presented
to friends & family, HOA’s, church groups, etc.
• Assist in connecting the program to increased economic
development opportunities
• Respectfully listen to comments, questions and issues provided
by all CAG members and project team
Outreach Coordinator Responsibilities
• Management of overall Outreach and Communications process
• Development and Implementation of the Community Outreach
and Communications Plan
• Regular calls/e-blasts to CAG/TAG members to encourage ongoing participation and remind of project meeting and logistics
• Update website on project activities including meeting
materials, summaries, notes/minutes and public comment logs
• Be available for smaller “one-on-one” presentations
Project Description
• Atlanta Street (SR 9) is an important transportation corridor
serving City of Roswell communities and businesses
• Traffic congestion and safety issues have been problematic on
the reversible lane section between
Marietta Hwy and Riverside/Azalea
• City Council has initiated project to
to plan and design improvements
on this section of Atlanta Street
• Atlanta Street from Hwy 120
thru and including Riverside/
Azalea intersection (approx
1.25 miles)
• Recommended logical
project termini is Hwy 120
intersection and Bridge over
Chattahoochee (extent of
reversible lane section)
1.25 miles
Project Study Area
Project History
• Many studies of Atlanta Street over past decades recommending
various improvements to address corridor deficiencies:
– Mid 90’s study recommended widening Chattahoochee Bridge and
constructing four-lane median-divided highway
– 2006 Transportation Master Plan / 2008 LCI Studies focused on
innovative solutions to reduce impacts
– 2008 study considered restriping 2 lanes plus center-turn lane
– 2009 Atlanta Street Cultural Resources Analysis identified
structures of historic value impacted by potential expansion
– 2009 study of “non-traditional” intersection improvements
Project Goals
• Primary goal: make multimodal transportation and safety
improvements along the corridor
• Secondary goal: improve operations and safety at Atlanta
Street at Riverside/Azalea intersection
• Provide extensive public involvement process to hear all
needs and concerns
• Provide a solution will best meets the needs of community
residents, businesses, and commuters who rely on quality
transportation services in this corridor
Context Sensitive Solutions
• Project will seek Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS) that integrate
and balance community, aesthetic, historic and environmental
values with transportation safety and efficiency goals
– Interdisciplinary teams working with stakeholders
– End product is collaborative, creative, and flexible solutions
– Meet access and mobility needs for all users while respecting and
enhancing community characteristics and natural environment
– Save money, shorten implementation, provides win-win outcomes
Project Process
• Series of citizen and public meetings designed to solicit
detailed input from the community
• With public input, develop/evaluate
alternatives, determine recommended
improvement alternative
• Detailed environmental review process
concluding with Public Hearing
• Prepare design plans for construction
NEPA Process
• The National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA)
established a national environmental policy focused on Federal
activities and desire for a sustainable environment balanced
with essential needs of present and future generations
• Mandate for Federal agencies to consider the potential
environmental consequences of their proposals, document the
analysis, and make information available to the public for
comment prior to implementation
Issues Identification
• Determine how aspects of project impact
stakeholders and other constituency groups
• Consider residential and business impacts
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equity, mobility, commute times, lane usage
accessibility for all modes
Transit accessibility and schedules
land-use, construction mitigation, signage, noise, lighting
planned/potential new development, sustainability
• Develop list of community and regional benefits that the
project will seek to generate
Project Purpose and Need
Purpose and Need will focus on multi-modal, economic
development, safety and congestion improvements
• Multi-modal needs in the corridor
– Connect pedestrian/bicycle connectivity between river and square
– Improve transit access and reliability
• Reversible lanes present safety/congestion problems
– Corridor is among highest crash-rate facilities in City
– Corridor has local/regional significance, high level of congestion
Project Purpose and Need
• Corridor is sits in area rich in environmental
and historic resources
– Protect and promote these resources
• Atlanta Street has a vital business district
– Needs quality transportation service, access
and connectivity to enhance and further
encourage economic development
• Purpose and Need will be refined through
the early public process
Community Survey
• December attitude survey of City transportation problems and
specifically the reversible lanes (not circumvent public process)
– Support for safer, more attractive Atlanta Street to improve traffic
movement and business opportunities
– Traffic congestion bad, difficult to travel on alternate modes
– Support adding lanes to improve safety and ease traffic congestion
– Majority believe adding 1 or 2 lanes good use of tax dollars
– Strongest arguments against improvements: concern for other,
non-specified City issues on which funding should be allocated
Historic Gateway Project Website
• Project page on City website: http://www.roswellgov.com/
• Project schedule of events, meetings, alternatives, documents,
presentations, FAQ’s
• Forum for project input
• Updated at project
milestones
Project Milestones – Phase I
• Public involvement and planning
– Greatest interaction between the project team and community
– Project purpose and need is refined, alternatives considered and
evaluated and a recommendation is made for a preferred
alternative
– Initial coordination begins with the resource agencies in order to
understand their concerns and requirements
Project Milestones – Phase II
• Environmental Review Process
– Ensures NEPA compliance
– Detailed technical environmental studies will be completed and
Environmental Assessment (EA) prepared
– Greater coordination with the resource agencies in order to meet
the local, state and federal requirements for the project
– Public Hearing will be held
– Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) issued for selected
alternative
Project Milestones – Phase III
• Preliminary Plans
– Preliminary plans for the selected alternative will be prepared
– Determination of right-of-way impacts and acquisitions
– Identify changes in utilities, roadway, earthwork, access, and
signalization improvement requirements
– Development of preliminary plans for cost estimation
– Final design plans will be prepared in a later project and any
right-of-way acquisitions will be made once construction
funding is established
Public Meeting Schedule (Preliminary)
• Meeting #1: March 1st at 555 Atlanta Street (SE of Square)
– Will focus on citizen concerns/issues, project Purpose and Need
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Meeting #2 – May 2011
Meeting #3 – September 2011
Meeting #4 – December 2011
Public Information Open House – May 2012
Public Hearing – September 2012 *
* Subject to environmental process
CAG Schedule
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2011
February 3
April 5
August 23
November 8
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2012
February 21
April 24
September 13
November 8 (if needed)
Technical Advisory Committee (TAG)
• Primary role of the TAG is to:
– Assess all of the technical aspects of the project
– To be available to the CAG’s for consult
• Will convene quarterly and/or at major project milestones
throughout the duration of the project
• Comprised of agency representatives with technical expertise
relative to project, including MARTA, Parks & Rec, Utilities,
Chattahoochee Preserve, GDOT, Cobb County, ARC, Law
Enforcement Agencies, City Departments, etc
Contacts
Ms. Alice Wiggins, Outreach Consultant
E-mail: [email protected]; phone: 404-364-2665
Mr. Robert Dell-Ross, City Project Manger
E-mail: [email protected]; phone: 770-594.6292
Mr. Jonathan Reid, Consultant Project Manager
E-mail: [email protected]; phone: 404-364-5225
Question and Answers