Funding announced for 'major improvements' along Peachtree Street downtown

June 2,2021

Josh Green, Urbanize Atlanta

Should plans materialize, substantial changes coming to South Downtown won’t be relegated to old buildings, new construction, and the empty pit that is the Gulch.

Efforts to remake three blocks of Peachtree Street into a multi-modal, attractive corridor that’s safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and anyone else not driving a car have taken a significant step forward this week, according to downtown boosters and a key development player.  

The Atlanta Regional Commission’s Transportation Infrastructure Program, or TIP, is going to fund 80 percent of construction—or $3.85 million—of Peachtree streetscape upgrades between Upper Alabama Street and Trinity Avenue. Those three blocks connect MARTA stations at Five Points and Garnett Street.

It’s part of a larger Downtown Atlanta Master Plan that aims to cut back on auto trips while growing the subdistrict's residential population and jobs.

“The [Peachtree] project’s primary goal,” as Central Atlanta Progress reps note, “is to create a more pedestrian-and bike-oriented design, reducing vehicle speeds and prioritizing pedestrians, bikes, micro-mobility devices, and transit.”

An application for the funding was submitted in 2019 by CAP, the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, and developer Newport RE. So far, those groups have jointly funded preliminary engineering work required to remake Peachtree Street in the area, officials noted in an announcement today.

Read the complete article at the link above.