33 ways to make Peachtree world-class

Over several months in 2006-2007, the Peachtree Corridor Task Force examined every aspect of making Peachtree a street unlike any other in the world. As the eight sub-committees of the Task Force shaped their recommendations, they took into account how key problems and challenges might be overcome. The result is a pragmatic, achievable vision comprised of 33 recommended components.

Following are the recommendations for developing the Peachtree Corridor into a “destination street” for Atlanta:

General

1. Ensure all relevant investment projects are included in the Atlanta Regional Commission’s transportation plans.

2. Rename Peachtree Street, Peachtree Road, Whitehall, West Whitehall and Lee Streets to “Peachtree” to ensure one consistent name.

3. Continue to promote accurate forecasting of population and economic growth of the Corridor at the ARC.

4. Negotiate the removal of state route designations from all sections of the Corridor to allow more flexibility and local control of street design.

Planning/Design

The Planning/Design Subcommittee identified ways to make the Peachtree Corridor both aesthetically pleasing and conducive to pedestrian traffic. While some design aspects are specific to individual segments, the Subcommittee proposed improvements that can be consistently used throughout the entire corridor. These recommendations include:

5. Improve sidewalks to create a 10- to 15-foot wide pedestrian corridor on each side of the road.

6. Install attractive street furniture for seating and gathering that, along with planted landscape, will provide at least a 5-foot wide buffer the road between the sidewalk and street areas.

7. Install consistent, attractive lighting.

8. Put utilities underground, where possible.

9. Create new public plazas and open spaces with art every quarter mile, where possible, including signature public areas in the Downtown segment and the Southside Mixed Use segment.

10. Make improvements to the east and west at major intersections to provide a transition into the corridor streetscape.

Mobility

The Task Force wants to make it easy to get around the Corridor – whether it’s on foot, bike, car or public transportation. The Mobility Subcommittee came up with several recommendations to facilitate traffic flow. Recommendations include:

11. Build and operate a modern streetcar system operating primarily in mixed traffic in the right lane, with stops approximately every quarter mile.

12. Widen roads where necessary to improve vehicle mobility and facilitate the successful combination of mixed traffic with the streetcar.

13. Facilitate parking by a) identifying all public parking garages and lots along the Corridor using clear, recognizable signage and b) creating a Web site to inform travelers of public parking in the Corridor.

14. Improve key intersections, including traffic signals, in order to enhance the experience for pedestrians and for streetcar passengers, vehicles and bicycles.

15. Install new bicycle lanes in many segments.

Housing

One key aim of the Task Force is to develop a variety of housing along the Corridor, creating new choices for families, people of different ages and renters and owners. Recommendations from the Housing Subcommittee include the following:

16. Encourage Community Improvement Districts (CIDs), the City of Atlanta and other key stakeholders to develop a strategy for market-rate housing choices as well as affordable workforce housing options.

17. Promote housing choices – advocating for the use of existing and new city housing programs – to ensure affordability and variety along the Corridor.

18. Encourage consideration of changes to city’s Comprehensive Development Plan to possibly expand residential growth in certain areas.

Zoning

The Zoning Subcommittee proposed mechanisms to implement the vision of the other subcommittees, where appropriate, via zoning-related legislation. These recommendations include:

19. Do not change existing zoning classifications along the Corridor.

20. Create a special “zoning overlay,” as appropriate, to ensure consistent design standards.

21. Create a special administrative permit process to facilitate compliance with zoning overlay standards while encouraging cooperative flexibility.

22. Request that the city consider changing its Comprehensive Development Plan to align it with the Task Force Future Land Use Framework, thus allowing more residential development in certain areas.

Finance

Recommendations from the Finance Subcommittee include:

23. Create a special tax district to generate significant local funding from commercial and residential property owners within the Corridor area.

24. Create a parking tax to provide an annual source of operating funds for the streetcar and other annual expenses.

25. Advocate for significant contributions from the city of Atlanta and from state and federal funding sources.

26. Advocate for future funding from regional transportation funds, MARTA funds, and Tax Allocation District funds when appropriate.

27. Solicit private foundation support for signature projects.

28. Solicit developers and property owners for right-of-way contributions.

Phasing

Recommendations from the Phasing Subcommittee include:

29. Implement the majority of the investment plan, including the streetcar, for the Midtown, Downtown and Circulator segments 6 – three areas that have the infrastructure and density to support streetcar investment today.

30. Prepare the Buckhead Commercial segment for future streetcar investment as soon as it is feasible (ideally within Phase 1), given existing density that could support streetcars.

31. Phase in investment in the Buckhead Residential segment, Brookwood segment and Southside Mixed Use segment over the longer term to align with growth patterns over time and availability of funds.

Governance

Recommendations from the Governance Subcommittee include:

32. Create an appropriate public-private governance organization aligned with the final financing approach to establish focused oversight of dedicated funds and implementation of Corridor investments over time.

33. Expand the CIDs to better align with the overall Corridor and provide business advocacy representation for all segments.