Midtown Alliance Capital Improvements Update

The Midtown Alliance's Midtown Cityscapes project is in the midst of creating a pedestrian-friendly community. Midtown Alliance, with the financial support of the Midtown Improvement District (MID), has embarked on a multi-year, $82 million public improvements program for ten major corridors, encompassing more than 25 miles of improvements. The goals of Midtown Cityscapes are to improve sidewalk conditions and traffic flow, add lights and trees, create urban parks and green space, and promote pedestrian usage.

To date the streetscape projects has provided:

• 14 miles of new sidewalks
• 730 new streetlights installed
• 700+ shade trees planted
• 3 new public plazas
• $21 million invested to leverage more than $430 million in public & private funds

Here is a Jan. 8, 2013 update on Capital Improvements as supplied by the Midtown Alliance.

RECENTLY COMPLETED:

Ponce Triangle Plaza - You may have noticed the Atlanta Botanical Garden’s holiday lighting installation within our new plaza at the intersection of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Peachtree Street. As we start the New Year, we will be putting the final touches on this transformative space including decorative fencing, interpretive signage, additional LED lighting and the opening of a reinvigorated memorial to Atlanta’s 19th Century Streetcar System. The plaza is part of the overall South Midtown Pedestrian and Circulation Improvements Project (see “Under Construction” for more info).

5th Street Bike Connection - Arguably one of the City of Atlanta’s first NACTO-compliant bicycle amenity projects, this project incorporates a series of bike turn lanes, a new bike pull-off area and cyclist-oriented signal pushbuttons connecting existing bike lanes on either side of 5th Street at its convergence with West Peachtree Street. A ribbon-cutting event was held late last year as a kickoff to the Cycle Atlanta 2012 Expo at City Hall.

“Pop-Up” Pocket Park at the Margaret Mitchell House – Building upon the successes of our first “Pop-Up Park” on West Peachtree Street, the Midtown Alliance worked with The Atlanta History Center to transform the “front yard” of this treasured Midtown landmark into a pocket park by with new shaded seating areas, lighting and landscaping.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION:

Key construction updates in italics

South Midtown Pedestrian and Circulation Improvements – This $4 million multi-faced effort includes:

Improvements to traffic flow and pedestrian amenities at 12 key intersections along Ponce de Leon, North and Linden Avenues designed to reduce peak-hour vehicular delays and improve circulation patterns. Crews will be repaving intersections on North Avenue between Spring and Juniper Streets for two weeks starting 1/14. 

Streetscape Improvements on Ponce de Leon Avenue (Spring Street to Piedmont Avenue) and Peachtree Street (3rd Street to Ponce de Leon Avenue). The project includes new wider sidewalks, new lighting, new street trees, upgraded handicap facilities, and planted gateway median at the Juniper Street intersection. Paving and two-way conversion was completed in December 2012.

Transformation of the Ponce Triangle at the intersection of Ponce de Leon Avenue and Peachtree Street into a signature plaza space – recently completed!

10 Street Streetscape (Williams Street to Piedmont Avenue) – The overall project includes installation of new sidewalks, street trees, pedestrian lighting and handicap upgrades. Crews will continue installation of new sidewalks between Williams and Spring Streets over the next two weeks. We will send out future notifications for street repaving anticipated in late February.

Peachtree Paver Repair/Replacement (3rd Street to West Peachtree Street) – The Midtown Alliance hired contractors to repair paver areas throughout the district that have been damaged from high pedestrian activity, retail loading, and various utility work. Repairs are also being made to driveways and handicap ramps.

Peachtree Street, Phase III (Peachtree Circle to Peachtree Street bridge) – Work on this project resumed recently after being on hold for almost a year due to utility issues. The project includes lights, trees, wider sidewalks between Peachtree Circle and the I-85 Bridge. Crews are currently working near the intersection of Peachtree Circle near Rhodes Hall and the Shell Station.

Midtown Regional Traffic Operations Program – Through a partnership between the Midtown Alliance, the City of Atlanta and the Georgia Department of Transportation, this effort will implement a signal management and timing plan for the 96 signals in the Midtown network. Made possible by a grant of $1 million per year for three years, the project allows for on-call response to traffic operations issues, signal repair, replacement of communications equipment, and implementation of timing strategies.

STILL TO COME:

10th Street Two-Way Cycle Track – 2012 was a big year for cyclists in Midtown and 2013 will surely be even bigger. Building on our recently-completed bike project at 5th Street, we have partnered with The City of Atlanta, the PATH Foundation, and Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. to envision a two-way cycle track on 10th Street as an extension of the recently-completed BeltLine Eastside Trail connecting to Piedmont Park, the Midtown commercial district and the Midtown MARTA Station as well as future bicycle facilities on Juniper Street, Piedmont Avenue and 10th Street. In coordination with our partners, we will also be hosting a Midtown Bicycle Facilities Public Meeting on Jan. 30, 2013. 

Landscape Improvements at 10th /Peachtree – In collaboration with Dewberry Capital, we will be installing significant new landscaping and seating areas at the northeast corner of the 10th Street/Peachtree Street intersection. Improvements are expected to be complete in February.

Juniper Street – Throughout 2013, our design teams will be working to transform Juniper Street into Midtown’s signature “green street”. Last year it was announced that the project would receive a $3.4 million construction grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission. Embracing the principles of Greenprint Midtown, the project will implement a buffered dedicated bicycle lane, new sidewalks, trees, LED lighting and sustainable stormwater improvements to the entire corridor between 14th Street and Ponce de Leon Avenue.

Bridge Enhancements on Peachtree Street – The Midtown Alliance and Central Atlanta Progress were recently awarded $1.7 million by the Georgia Department of Transportation as part of a $5 million effort to enhance the two Peachtree Street bridges over the I-75/85 Connector. Throughout the first half of 2013, we will be working with design teams to explore various pedestrian, bicycle and aesthetic enhancements for these two gateway bridges that serve as “bookends” to the Midtown district.

Spring Street – Spring Street will receive over $1.9 million of grant funding as part of ARC’s Last Mile Connectivity Program. The funding will go towards Phase I of the project between Peachtree and 17th Streets, including pedestrian upgrades to the currently dangerous intersection at the Buford Highway ramp. The overall project includes a lane reduction, wider sidewalks, handicap upgrades, street trees, pedestrian lighting and bicycle facilities.

District-wide Pedestrian Safety Improvements – Also recently awarded over $1.4 million as part of ARC’s Last Mile Connectivity Program, this project includes district-wide improvements to promote walkability, pedestrian safety and overall connectivity, including seven new traffic signals, new sidewalks and two-way conversions of key east-west streets.

If you have further questions or concerns regarding these projects or construction updates, contact Shannon Powell of Midtown Alliance at 404-809-2121 or shannon@midtownalliance.org.