Buckhead CID’s “Year of Construction” for pedestrian projects is off and running
Three pedestrian-oriented projects in the Buckhead Community Improvement District boundary are due for completion by the end of 2020 and aim to improve the experience for residents as well as commuters.
The self-taxing Buckhead Community Improvement District is making major investments in the walking experience for daytime office denizens and permanent residents alike with three sets of construction projects focused on convenience and safety for pedestrians. ADA Sidewalk Improvements, West Village Streetscapes, and Peachtree Road Complete Streets – Phase Three are all set for completion by the end of this year. While each project is oriented around the ground-level experience of Buckhead, stormwater infrastructure and roadway maintenance also fall into the scope of certain projects.
ADA Sidewalk Improvements:
The Americans with Disabilities Act stipulates several safety and accessibility features for public sidewalks; these are usually installed in the course of new development and other major upgrades. Those yellow, Lego-textured mats – technically referred to as “truncated domes” are one element of ADA safety features for the visually impaired; along with repairing uneven sidewalks which impede wheelchair users and cause tripping hazards, as well as spots where utility boxes and manholes are above or below the surface.
The current slate of upgrades calls for repair and replacement of approximately 4.5 miles of sidewalks, work began in January at Maple Drive with a second phase at Pharr Road ramping up this month and scheduled to wrap in late summer. Funding for the ADA improvements came from BCID tax dollars, with contributions from the Renew Atlanta Bond and TSPLOST programs.
West Village Streetscapes:
At the intersection of Peachtree and Roswell Roads lies the Buckhead Village, with its small honeycomb of walkable streets, replete with storefronts and watering holes. Starting this month, the Buckhead CID will restore sidewalks, road surfaces, and -in partnership with the City of Atlanta and Georgia Department of Transportation- install new stormwater infrastructure in the area. Historically named streets like Irby Ave [after Buckhead’s original name, Irbyville] and Vieux Carré [Old Square] will receive aesthetic and functional improvements to reduce trip hazards and increase safety for those strolling in the village with work anticipated to be complete by year’s end.
Walkable neighborhood streets and pedestrian oriented districts command some of the highest rents as Americans rediscover the joys of intown living and connected communities. Pedestrian oriented places have become major destinations with themed communities across the country popping up to emulate the historical growth patterns of the main streets and urban villages of yore. 
Municipalities across the US are striving to reinvest in authentic instances and solicit adaptive reuses of these buildings and street grids now -ironically- often forbidden by modern development codes.
Peachtree Road Complete Streets – Phase Three:
Bidding for the final phase of the Peachtree Road Scoping Study’s work to provide roadway, pedestrian and streetscape improvements were closed on March 9th with construction to commence quickly after the contract is awarded. Travelers on Peachtree Road from Maple Drive to Shadowlawn Ave, both on foot and in vehicles should see upgrades to sidewalks, streetlights and landscaping, as well as road surfaces. Funding from the project comes from the BCID, GDOT, and Federal Highway Administration.
This stretch of Peachtree forms a crucial connection between the rapidly growing shopping and residential Buckhead Village area, and the office towers and MARTA rail connections in the Buckhead ‘core’. Accessibility improvements between these nodes of urban fabric should help guide development and ease traffic woes as the area continues to boom.
