Athens looking for citizen feedback on latest transportation plan
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More than 1,400 Athens citizens participated in a recent survey to provide feedback on an updated transportation plan for the city.
Work on the plan was initiated in 2023 when the city received a $240,000 Safe Streets 4 All (SS4A) grant to update Athens’ transportation system in order to reduce crashes and and ensure more safety on Athens’ roads. The grant is provided by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
City planner Erin Tidwell reported that the City pursued this grant after achieving objectives in their 2015 plan. The City of Athens put up an additional $60,000 for the plan and hired Sain Associates to oversee the plan’s writing.
The City created a task force that included representatives from the City of Athens, local schools, civic organizations, first responders and emergency personnel. This group met frequently over the past year to discuss key areas for improvement in the city.
Sain Associates, the hired engineering consultants for the plan, worked with City staff and attended community events to ensure broad spread of the survey. Addtionally, Sain Associates utilized statistics, like crash data and information from the Census Bureau, to prepare the plan.
The draft plan highlighted areas of concern and devised countermeasures to counter such issues. The draft plan highlighted areas of safety concern and proposed solutions including:
- Oversized, doubled-up “Stop Ahead” and “Stop Signs”
- Retroreflective sheeting on signposts
- Removal of sight obstructions
- ALDOT Hazard Boards at T-intersections
- Overhead street name signs
- Converting two-way left-turn lanes to raised medians
- Implementing reduced conflict U-turns
- Establishing roundabout corridors
The draft plan also included additional improvements to both Athens City streets and state routes. Once the plan is finalized, Athens can utilize the plan to seek additional funding for projects identified in the Athens 2040 Vision Zero Initiative, which works to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries to zero by 2040.
The public can go to the Athens City website to review the draft plan. There, visitors can click a link to provide comments on the draft plan through Feb. 23.
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