Hwy 74

[RDM]

Reading the paper about a light at BSC made me curious about two intersections on Hwy74. By the way I hope a light is added. The two are located at south Kedron drive and Wisdom road. Both are used as U-turns for north bound traffic to go south but both are not "off-set" so you can not see on coming traffic. There is an off set crossing located between the north and south entrance of Kedron and would make it much safer for both S/N bound drivers if used for U-turns. Maybe there's no accidents (doubtfull) or PTC is unable to make these "no u-turns allowed" but any thoughts on making some changes to these locations?

[Don Haddix]

I am going to forward this one to engineering. They have regular contact with GDOT, so can put together a more complete answer, which I will post.

[Don Haddix]

Here is the reply:
City staff will be meeting with CSX Railroad personnel on October 3 rd to discuss acquisition of a small portion of needed Right-of-Way(ROW) to install a light at the Wisdom Rd intersection. Once the ROW is acquired, the installation can proceed since the construction contract has already been awarded.

The City has just had a traffic consultant perform a warrant analysis for the South Kedron Intersection. The report came back indicating a traffic light is not required. Warrants must be in place before the City can apply to the State DOT for a permit. The study is being reviewed to ensure City staff agrees with the results of the study.

Discussions with GDOT can be interesting at times.

[RDM]

Don't get me wrong I want to keep everyone's safety in mind but another light when we have the parkway, georgian parkway, kedron north and 54 to deal with add another one within three miles of each other? For what? Close them send traffic to alternate locations what's the point of four lanes if your stopping every half mile for a light. What happened to a "planned" community. Yes been here since the seventies and no i'm not that old (a joke really I grew up here not a transplant). This was simple. No U-Turns at these locations force traffic north to an appropriate location for it and close the north bound turn lane from the south. I give. Simple solutions can be obtained with minimum thought but grander plans wins everytime.

[Don Haddix]

If I am reading you correctly what the result of closing Wisdom would be is cutting off access to such as the Peachtree City Elementary and all the residents along Wisdom, Riley Parkway, Flat Creek and even portions of Peachtree Parkway. Not practical.

Forced south, those people would have to go to Aberdeen Parkway. Those off of Wisdom would have to go Aberdeen to Northlake to Flat Creek to Riley Parkway to Wisdom. Aberdeen and Flat Creek already have a lot of traffic. This would add to it extremely.

And no, Peachtree Parkway is not a good alternative. There are backups on it during rush hour and even during non rush hour it has more traffic on it than wanted.

As for no U-Turns, that would dump people into residential and commercial areas to do turn arounds there. Then right back onto the intersection.

Doing such would actually create more traffic issues than we have now.

I agree we have problems. Every intersection on 74 throughout the County is classified red, meaning over used.

I am a transplant who has lived here 21 years. So I am fully aware of the changes from a city of 13,600 until now. From 74 north being 2 lanes ending at road barriers by a forest of trees now a forest of homes and commercial to 54 being two lanes winding into Coweta with a handful of small shops the only buildings along 54 in West Village.

Much of our traffic woes come from Coweta and south of PTC toward Meriweather County. Coweta wants to become Gwinett South.

Well over ten years ago I supported the effort to build another north/south highway in Coweta, which would have come near the west side of Tyrone. Tyrone, PTC and a lot of Coweta opposed it. Said if not built traffic would remain low. We are now paying for that thinking.

We need that highway over there more than ever now. Such a highway would instantly pull thousands of trips out of PTC and off of 74 in general. There is where the number one focus of an overall plan for traffic needs to be.

As for the Kedron intersection, I am not a clear on what the total impact of not having a light there would be. Sorry for not being clearer.

As added information, the intersection of 54/74, as things are now, will one day be a split grade intersection. That will help with traffic but it is something sure not in character with our Village Concept, which has been increasingly abandoned the last few years.

We do have a major problem on our hands with traffic. But GDOT controls 74, not us. We can ask, discuss and so forth. But we cannot decide for them.

Not the answers you want. I am trying to be realistic here.

[RDM]

I know there's no a simple solution and more factors have to be considered. I'm just a frustrated citizen that's tired of more development and more request to build that's increasing an already stretched infastructure. Thanks for responding and your service to the community.

[Don Haddix]

I know there's no a simple solution and more factors have to be considered. I'm just a frustrated citizen that's tired of more development and more request to build that's increasing an already stretched infastructure. Thanks for responding and your service to the community.
Undestood and appreciated.

We have to get a balance back to PTC. Try to recover some resemblance of a Village.

Thank you for your comment.

[RDM]

Sorry can't let that one go. Big brick walls on 74 south looks like a village. I don't think so. So where are we going back to the village look

[Don Haddix]

Sorry can't let that one go. Big brick walls on 74 south looks like a village. I don't think so. So where are we going back to the village look
It is a problem.

I had suggested a covering of vines or some such foliage since there is not room for trees, to the City Planner. He did research and found a good system that would hide the sound walls behind plants.

Paying for it is an issue. But once in, some day, hopefully on the GDOT dime, with some additional types of landscaping in front, will give a far more natural look.

[RDM]

Don't mean to beat a dead horse but "someday" on someone elses dime to change the look of a concrete wall (willing to make a beat when graffiti is on them?). And what would it take to plant evergreens on 74 to hide the CSX transfer rail line? When will PTC become pro-active instead of re-active? Wilshire buffer? Wieland development and density issue? The development behind Wal-Mart has slowed if not stopped. Three homes being built and what about the land across from McIntosh high school the land cleared to sit empty. Can't it at least be mowed? Why did PTC allow them to clear it in the first place. Yes the hotel/motel didn't work thank goodness since it's across from a school. What a great place to skip school. Are any of the townhomes across from McIntosh occupied? Just wondering. Yeap on my soap box but what a density issue. How many people could move in and go to McIntosh and push out those on the parkway north? Talk about dropping property value. Just some thoughts and I'm sure there are issues I've not considered and thanks in advance for the reply on these issue.

[Don Haddix]

Don't mean to beat a dead horse but "someday" on someone elses dime to change the look of a concrete wall (willing to make a beat when graffiti is on them?).
This is a multiple answer issue.


PTC should have been more involved with GDOT to get the right kind of wall, since that was not a debatable issue there would be one, and the right kind of plantings to screen it. Didn't happen because the feeling was it was a GDOT, not PTC, project. Big mistake.
PTC should also have been involved in getting a proper width golf cart path in front of the wall, not a sidewalk.
It is on State property. We cannot simple do what we want.
PTC does not have the money to do this on our own. Unless you want a tax increase to cover this and other projects for which grant monies have been withdrawn. Talking millions here.

And what would it take to plant evergreens on 74 to hide the CSX transfer rail line?[/quote]
Now you are talking CSX and State properties, lack of past conversations to do this right and a lot of money when everyone is cutting back budgets. When will PTC become pro-active instead of re-active? Maybe in the next Council on these kinds of issues. Plus, there is not the best relationships between some at State and PTC. An issue that will require a lot of work to repair in the future.
Wilshire buffer?Doug and I are doing what we can. I have challenges in now. But we have two on Council who are more determined to move forward with building than they are concerned with buffers, one who is trying to find a compromise and two who do not see a need for the new retail area at all while demanding proper buffers.
Wieland development and density issue? Again, two who oppose, two who support and one trying to negotiate something out of the deal to allow it.

Also remember many believe Wieland is pushing forward for rezoning now because they fear the next Council will not be 3-2 but 2-3 to 0-5 in their favor. But that is an issue the voters will have decide.
The development behind Wal-Mart has slowed if not stopped.Agree. Policies and so forth have taken a wrong turn. Allowing ground to be distrupted long before any construction is to take place use to be prohibited. I want to return to that policy but currently that approach is not the rule at City Hall. Doug and I are in the minority, so we cannot change it.
Three homes being built and what about the land across from McIntosh high school the land cleared to sit empty. Can't it at least be mowed? The issue has been brought forward and went nowhere. Sorry, until more share Doug and my views things are as they are.
Why did PTC allow them to clear it in the first place. Because of change of policy to not being able to clear anything until actually going to build to one of making property more appealing for sale by pre-clearing it or being able to clear a total development to be built in phases, then it going under, instead of clearing in phases as well.
Yes the hotel/motel didn't work thank goodness since it's across from a school. What a great place to skip school.Some on Council say it failed due to my efforts killing the Fairfield Inn, which was by the same developer. But I have to give full credit here. Doug's efforts opened the door for my actions. So a team kill on that one.

But remember the Hilton, with the extra floor, is still a go at Lexington.
Are any of the townhomes across from McIntosh occupied? Just wondering.Some, many empty and in foreclosure. Some just walked away from units.
Yeap on my soap box but what a density issue. I agree. And the Wieland 89 acres proposal is the highest density ever sought in PTC. Over 60% of the homes are attached.
How many people could move in and go to McIntosh and push out those on the parkway north?I cannot answer that one. BOE would be the right source there.
Talk about dropping property value. Just some thoughts and I'm sure there are issues I've not considered and thanks in advance for the reply on these issue.Many issues on the table. Many that would not be such button pushers if our Comprehensive Plan and Village Concept were being adhered to.

[ptcga2]

What are the odds of a railroad quiet zone in PTC so that the CSX trains do not make so much noise blaring their horns in the middle of the night while crossing through town. Apparently this would take some alterations to the CSX railroad crossing in town. Anyone who lives relatively close to the tracks knows how much of a nuisance it is, and many of us are awakened at night by the loud noises of passing trains.

[Don Haddix]

What are the odds of a railroad quiet zone in PTC so that the CSX trains do not make so much noise blaring their horns in the middle of the night while crossing through town. Apparently this would take some alterations to the CSX railroad crossing in town. Anyone who lives relatively close to the tracks knows how much of a nuisance it is, and many of us are awakened at night by the loud noises of passing trains.
This is far from being a new issue.

It was tried years ago and failed.

Heavy signalization and gates would be required. Expensive. Plus, if I remember correctly, a lower speed by the trains, which costs them time and thus money.

I never liked the idea of building any homes close to the RR. No way to avoid noise issues.

I live across from City Hall and can hear them. Usually faintly, so no problem, but with the right atmospherics, pretty clearly.

And I have had accommodations, in the past, near RR. Didn't like it one bit.

This falls under Federal Law. I can tell you it is near impossible to override a decision by a RR.

Currently, some contacts and such are in work with CSX. How far they will get, I have reservations, due to their power.

But, on top of all of this, those side rails are for Kia. The more cars they make, the more the sides will be used, and thus the more noise will be generated. Plus more side for Kia are planned once Kia is up and running, which we have no control over.

[ptcga2]

I have heard of other communities that have successfully become railroad quiet zones. One past failed attempt should not mean we cannot succeed. I do not live all that close to the railroad either, but the fact that I can hear it so clearly inside our home and so often in the middle of the night is disturbing. It must be even worse for those living by the RR.
And if more trains are planned in coming years with Kia, we should double our efforts. Surely proximity to RR must have an effect on property values in PTC.

Before moving here, my previous community in NY State was within a few miles of an airport -- not that big of an airport, either. Somehow, citizens' efforts got the federal government to pay for installing noise-proof windows in all the homes within earshot of the airport. Surely we can get the government to get CSX to stop blowing those horns through PTC at 2am.

[Don Haddix]

I will have to personally dig into it more. Maybe between Staff, me and some other I might be able to bring into the effort we may get somewhere.