The Top 10 Developments to Watch in 2014

I’m a sucker for lists but I don’t normally make them myself.  However, there is so much going on around here that it’s hard to keep track.  So, I’m putting together a list of the top 10 projects to watch in 2014.  In the past year, the stage has been set to make this year one of most transformative years ever in North Fulton.  These projects will increase walkability and overall livability in North Fulton.

10. Gwinnett Tech Expansion - Construction of the new Alpharetta Gwinnett Tech campus will be in full swing in 2014, keeping them on track for a Jan 2016 opening.  The depressing thing about the campus is that it appears to be a very 90’s and early 00’s suburban office park site design which shows 3 story’ish buildings surrounded by a sea of parking.  

image: Gwinnett Business Journal

9. North Fulton CID Blueprint 2.0 - The North Fulton CID released its vision for the next 7-10 years in Dec. and there are some projects that may gather momentum in 2013.  They focus on reducing traffic congestion, adapting to changing marketplace trends, and eliminating bureaucratic hurdles.

image: North Fulton CID

8. Roswell Downtown Development Authority - The DDA was relatively quiet in 2013 but expect Roswell to make some waves in the next year with plans for large scale projects in the heart of Roswell.  They launched their website (www.roswelldda.com) in 2013 and have posted several theoretical master plan images.  Their plans for a park or green at City Hall would be a big win if executed properly.

image: Roswell DDA

7. MARTA Rail - In late 2013, MARTA officially announced that it is looking to extend from North Springs station further north to Windward Parkway.  This was received with mixed emotions but many people recognize that more lanes on 400 is going to be costly if not impossible.  The current preferred alternative is to extend heavy rail and add five stations (Northridge, Holcomb Bridge, North Point, Haynes Bridge and Windward). Expect more news on potential funding sources and routes in 2014.

image: MARTA

6. More Roundabouts - In the past two years at least four roundabouts have been opened in North Fulton.  Readers are familiar with my thoughs on roundabouts and there is empirical evidence that they improve traffic flow, reduce crashes and increase safety.  More of them are coming to intersections near you.

5. Roswell Unified Development Code - Roswell has been opening its doors to business over the past 18 months.  There have been several high priority corporate announcements in that timeframe.  That said, the zoning codes are confusing web of red tape and must be changed.  In 2014, expect passage of the new UDC and the accompanying Design Guidelines.  This will send a message to developers that Roswell is serious about redevelopment.  It will also enable a number of projects to finally take a step toward reality.  There are several notable projects that are simply waiting for UDC adoption before going to the city to begin the process.  

4. Canton Street & Downtown Alpharetta Infill - No fewer than five projects around Historic Roswell have been brought before the city in the last several months to add townhomes and residences around the Historic Roswell area.  There are 80+ total units proposed and a number of them are likely to be finished this year.  Add this to the 320 new apartments and the Historic Roswell area could be netting 500+ new residents in the next 12-18 months.  Alpharetta’s downtown is experiencing a similar trend albeit with more multi-acre lots available for development due to large site foreclosures following the real estate crash.  These developments will help drive local businesses in the downtown areas that thrive on pedestrian traffic.

3. Roswell City Walk Apartments - Or should I say, Down Goes Frazier!  The horribly designed 1960’s era Frazier Street Apartments were demolished in December making way for Lennar Miltifamily’s 320 unit luxury apartment complex in the heart of Roswell.  The construction will take much of the year but the first tenants are expect in late 2014.  When complete, this development will be a game changer and will serve as a catalyst for future projects. Grocery store anyone??

image: Lennar Multifamily

2. Alpharetta City Center - It would be hard to top this project given its hefty price tag ($31 million), laudable site plan and ambitious construction schedule.  In the next 12 mos, you will see the heart of the new Alpharetta change dramatically.  Already, there are some new streets in place, with a roundabout, and the new City Hall building is beginning to take shape.  The parking deck and library will follow not too far behind and the addition of park space and a pedestrian orientation will be impressive.  This, as previously mentioned, is helping spur adjacent development.

image: Urban Collage

1. Avalon - This project dwarfs all the others on this list.  It’s hard to downplay the significance of this behemoth.  Total economic impact could be over $1 billion when all is said and done.  The construction at the site over the past 2 months has been frenetic and leaves little doubt that North American Properties will hit their Q4’14 target for opening phase I.  This project is regionally significant and is being watched by the commercial real estate industry nationally.  The combination of live, work and play gives Avalon major mixed-use cred and makes it unlike almost any other development in the region.  The tenant list is impressive with top-notch national and local restaurants and retailers.  When Avalon opens its streets in late 2014, it will serve as a showcase for walkability and urbanism in a suburban environment.  It will be interesting to see how it impacts other popular destinations such as North Point Mall and Canton St.

image: North American Properties

That’s a lot to chew on and undoubtedly, something else will creep up in 2014.  There are even some regionally significant projects that you will want to keep an eye on; the Stadiums (Braves & Falcons), Atlanta Street Car, College Football Hall of Fame, National Center for Human Rights, and Buckhead Atlanta just to name a few.

Happy New Year and have a great 2014!

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Roswell & North Fulton CID - Let's Get It On...

First up, a little history.  The North Fulton Community Improvement District has been around since 2003.  According to information from the NFCID, those 10 years have raised more than $15 million from commercial property owners which has helped bring $80 million in infrastructure projects to life.  Many of these have been beautification efforts and traffic congestion mitigation projects.  Think of the Windward/400 interchange and the triple left turn lanes from Mansell Road to North Point Parkway.

Although I appreciate their efforts, I haven't been too vocal about them on this blog for two reasons.  First, the projects that have been implemented have been almost exclusively focused on solutions for the car which I feel is a transportation solution that is (un)fairly represented in our area.  Second, and more important, almost all of the tangible initiatives to date have been in Alpharetta.  Here's a full list of completed projects.  Now, to be fair, the CID has contributed to the Sun Valley Connector Feasibility Study as well as to a North Fulton Commuter Shuttle Study, both of which I think are interesting concepts.  However, there isn't much evidence of NFCID involvement in Roswell to day.

Now, it's starting to look like the NFCID's involvement in Roswell is getting a little more serious.  They held an open house earlier this month to unveil their Blueprint 2.0 which will serve as the organization's guiding document through 2021.  I was pleasantly surprised to see several major Roswell projects on the list.  

The blueprint is divided up into a Work Plan which involves projects that the CID will likely tackle and Advocacy Projects which the CID will advocate for.  Here's a full list with items directly impacting Roswell in bold.

Work Plan

• GA 400 Northbound Off-Ramp/Windward Parkway Phase 2
• GA 400 Westside Greenway-Kimball Bridge-Webb Bridge
• Warsaw & Mansell Intersection
• Encore Parkway Future Transit Site
• Old Milton Multi-Modal Improvements
• Old Ellis Connector
• McGinnis Ferry Access & Operational Improvements
• Lakeside Parkway/Haynes Bridge Road Accel/Decal Lane
• Windward Future Transit Site
• Kimball Bridge Multi-Modal Improvements
• GA 400 Westside Greenway - Big Creek Parkway to Kimball Bridge
• Encore Parkway/North Point Parkway Internal Street Grid

Advocacy Projects

• GA 400 Operational/Capacity Improvements
• North Fulton Transit Extension
• Holcomb Bridge Interchanges
• Big Creek Bridge
• Alpharetta Hwy/SR9 Operational & Aesthetic Improvements

There are definitely a lot of projets that will benefit mobility and connectivity in Roswell.  Here's the full Blueprint 2.0 document.

They also mapped out another group of projects that are classified as "Out of the District" but listed as Potential Future Projects or projects that are On the Radar.  This is where it gets really interesting for Roswell. Below, I've listed the projects on those lists that would impact Roswell.

Potential Future Projects

• Big Creek Phase 3 (East of GA 400)
• Big Creek Phase 4 (West of GA 400)
• Old Alabama and Holcomb Woods Parkway Intersection
• Old Alabama Operational Improvements & Holcomb Bridge

On the Radar

• Hembree Road Operational Improvements
• Old Roswell Road Operational Improvements
• Old Roswell and Warsaw Intersection

Here's a pic from the NFCID's presentation that zooms in on the Roswell related "Out of District" projects.

Now, that's a lot of stuff.  There are projects and ideas on this list that I like and some that I don't like.  I can categorize them fairly easily.   

• Like: Connecting Roads, More Greenways, Rail Transit, Bikepaths, Roundabouts  
• Don't Like: Lane Additions, More Turn Lanes, Unnecessary Road Signs

That said, I think this is a solid plan for our area.  I support the North Fulton CID's efforts and I think Roswell should get more involved with them.

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Drive Me Out to the Ballgame

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you are aware that the Atlanta Braves have reached an agreement with Cobb County to move the team to a site just outside the perimeter at the 75/285 junction.  This was quite a shock to the region and it has huge implications.  

There are a number of reasons behind the move that have been analyzed ad nauseum in the local and national media.  The details are too meaty to dive into however there are some promising aspects and some very depressing aspects of this deal.  Ultimately, the Braves wanted either a new stadium or a renovated Turner Field and required a lot in return.  The City of Atlanta couldn’t (or wouldn’t depending on whom you ask) compete with Cobb at the moment. The Braves want to get closer to their fan base which is understandable and Cobb is attractive.

Renderings of the proposed stadium show a conceptual mixed use development to the west of the stadium that could work to engage the area and bring a walkable urban environment into the Cumberland area.

The biggest and most laudable piece of this entire deal is the Braves’ commitment to creating a mixed-use destination that can function 365 days a year rather than a single use stadium that operates 81 to 90 days a year.  They envision this being the anchor development for a ‘walkable’ destination.  I’m not sure they will ever achieve true walkability in that area as there are just far too many wide roads and long distances between destinations.  That said, I truly wish them success.  The more walkability in the burbs, the better our region will be.  Unfortunately, my prediction is that it ends up being an over-priced, half-baked “mixed-use” destination full of national brand retailers and chain restaurants.  

The real concern, however, are the traffic implications of this move.  Roswell & East Cobb, in just three short years, Santa Claus, in the form of Cobb County Commissioner Tim Lee (the man behind the curtains on this deal), will be dropping a HUGE lump of coal in your stocking.  You can look forward to 81 traffic inducing home games, 50+ of which are on weekdays, most of which are at 7pm, putting more cars on your already clogged highways and arterials.  Will it be traffic Armageddon?  No, because we already have that at the 75/285 and 400/285 interchanges.  Traffic on Braves game nights will be straight from the bowels of hell.

The map of 2013 Braves ticket sales provides clarity into why the move north makes sense. This will notably change traffic patterns.

Say you’re heading from North Fulton, South Forsyth or even parts of Gwinnett and you want to take in a night game at the new Cobb stadium.  How are you going to get there?  Today, the current debacle that is 400 south to 285 east will take you at least 45 minutes.  That’s before adding a few thousand more vehicles trying to make that trip.  You can probably bank on 75 minutes plus from Alpharetta to the new stadium.  As an alternative, you might try your luck heading through Roswell and East Cobb by taking surface streets over to Marietta.  Adding another 1,000 or so trips through some of the North Fulton and East Cobb intersections will do wonders for the collective psyche of drivers who live around those areas (that’s us). 

To their credit, the Braves and Cobb County (and I’m sure GDOT now that they’ve been informed of the move) will get to work on solutions to get Braves fans to the new stadium.  They’ve talked about a tram or streetcar from the Cumberland area to the game as well as new ramps from the interstates into the parking area for the stadium.  That will be accommodative and will mitigate some of the problems but it’s a drop in the bucket.  The one thing that is missing is real transit access.  Your only option will be to drive and that’s something that Cobb GOB chariman Joe Dendy is determined to maintain.  After the announcement he was quoted as saying; “It’s absolutely necessary the solution is all about moving cars in and around Cobb and surrounding areas from our north and east where most Braves fans travel from, and not moving people into Cobb by rail from Atlanta.”

There you have it.  The solutions proposed will look at adding more capacity to already choking highways.  If we haven’t learned by now that more lanes induce more driving and solutions solely focused on cars have yet to rid us of congestion, then I’m not sure we will.  But, I never expected Cobb to understand this.  Maybe once the nightmare begins, we will finally wake up to our 1 mode solutions and start making better transportation decisions.  But for now, the baseball mantra in Atlanta is.. 

“Build it and they will (only) come (by car).”

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West Roswell Elementary - Multi-Use Path?

It looks like the City of Roswell is doing the right thing and going to the Fulton County School Board to request an easement for a multi-use path along Hog Waller Creek.  The request went before the school board tonight and I'm not sure of the outcome yet (will update).  The path would be 10 feet wide. Here's an image of where the path would run.  

If this is approved, the next step would be to connect it down to Norcross St.  That would be a great step toward connectivity and toward making some safe routes to school for kids to walk and bike.

Pedicabs Are Finally Here..

We first mentioned the possibility of pedicabs (aka Rickshaws) coming to Historic Roswell here on NUR way back in February of 2012.  That was when the city adopted an ordinance that allowed businesses to operate pedicabs in and around the Canton St area.  This is a fantastic addition to transportation options around our historic district.  It effectively increases the radius where someone living in the area would choose not to take their car to get to another destination.  I'm a supporter of anything we can do to get people out of their cars in the heart of our city.  I live here and walk as much as possible but this additional option will definitely make me reconsider taking the car for a few of the trips where we choose not to walk.

The pedicabs will begin operation this weekend starting on Nov 8th.  They will operate from noon until midnight Friday through Sunday.  The original map of approved operations shows that they will be allowed to go from Prospect Street on the north to King Street on the south and from roughly Liberty Lofts on the east to the end of Goulding on the west.  That is better illustrated by the map below.

I can't wait to try one out!

MARTA is trying to be "SMARTA"

You may have heard lately that MARTA has gotten serious about persuing a "Northern Expansion"... The plan is being called Connect400 (learn more). Other than a very small minority that seems to have forgotten that they live near a City and not in the middle of Montana, the support is overwhelmingly positive for SOMETHING to be done.

There are a few options on the table: (this list is not all encompassing, but does cover the most popular)

1. Run a "Bus Rapid Transit" (or BRT) Line north from the North Springs Station up to Alpharetta and potentially further north to Cumming. This is an interesting proposal because it does help with having the buses avoid 400 traffic when making their way South to North Springs. However, that is ALL that this plan really does. It still forces those of us that live North of the River to change modes of transportation. We still would take a "bus-to-a-train". This would, at best, reduce our travel time by 5-10 minutes. Not exactly a great use of capital.

2. Extend "Light Rail" in a very similar fashion to the BRT plan (see above). Unfortunately, this idea is even worse as it is more expensive than Option 1 and would provide the exact same result.

3. Extend "Heavy Rail" North from North Springs up to Windward Parkway (and potentially further in the future). This is a plan to extend the current "Red" line that stops at North Springs further North to Windward Parkway with stops being added at Northridge, Holcomb Bridge, Mansell, North Point Mall, and Windward Parkway. This is a plan that has some real excitement and purpose. For those currently commuting from "North Fulton" (And I include anyone north of the River for this discussion), this would mean no longer having to cram onto 400 (or Roswell Road) with everyone else, in order to get over one of the two existing river crossings. (See previous post about that trainwreck...) You could drive (on surface streets) to the nearest MARTA station. Park your car and take ONE mode of transportation into Atlanta.

As an example, for those currently living in North Roswell/South Alpharetta and commuting to Buckhead: today's commute (if you try to take as much mass transit as possible) takes you 15 minutes (via car) to get to Mansell Park-And-Ride, 5 minutes to wait for the bus (if you're lucky), 20 minutes (via bus) to get to North Springs, 10 minutes to wait for the next train since you missed your regular one (usually), 15 minute train ride to Buckhead. Even if your office is only 5 minutes from the Buckhead Station that is 1 hour and 10 minutes to get to work, door-to-door. (Lots of empirical data here...)

If Option 3 was implemented, you'd drive 15 minutes to Old Milton Station (near 400), potentially wait 5 minutes for the next train, and then 20 minutes later you're in Buckhead, and 5 minutes after that, you're at work. That is a total of 45 minutes to work: Saving you 25 minutes EACH WAY. Plus, the fact that this commute is a single-mode-of-travel takes out all the stress involved in running from the bus to the train and hoping you make your connection... which you rarely make.

Extending Heavy Rail northward would lower commute times, take more cars off the road, and make commuting (heaven forbid) less stressful. Sounds like a good investment to me! ..But I ride MARTA from Holcomb Bridge on a regular basis.  What say you?

Here's a map of the proposed allignments.

More Roundabouts Please!!

This is a cross-post from my monthly column, Community Design Matters, in The Current.

If you have driven around North Fulton lately, you may have come across a roundabout in your travels.  Until recently, roundabouts were mostly a foreign phenomena.  Roswell got the dizzying party going just over two years ago with the first roundabout in North Fulton at the Grimes Bridge and Norcross St intersection.  At this point, the roundabouts of North Fulton are few in number but their impact cannot be larger and as you will see, we should build more.. a lot more. 

Did you know that over 7,000 people are killed and nearly 1 million are injured annually in the US in intersection related crashes?  A high percentage of these are right angle collisions that occur at signalized or signed intersections.  Roundabouts significantly reduce crashes especially severe ones.  Statistics from the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety show that roundabouts reduce crashes by about 35%.  This is done in part by fully eliminating left turns across opposing traffic, which just happens to be the most dangerous maneuver a driver can make.  They virtually eliminate high speed and right angle crashes as well.  By doing this, they reduce injuries by 76% and fatalities by 90%.

Roundabouts are also safer for pedestrians as they reduce speeds, make drivers more cautious , prevent drivers from making left turns and allow a pedestrian to cross traffic that is moving in only one direction.  

For a driver just trying to get around, there is less stop and go which saves time and money.  Most impressively, a roundabout can handle between 4 and 5 times the amount of traffic in a given time period when compared to a standard signalized intersection.

For cities, they lower operational and maintenance costs and in most cases building one is comparable in price to building a standard intersection.  However, retrofitting a standard intersection as roundabout can be more expensive.

Currently, there are three operational roundabouts in North Fulton and at least five more are planned.  This is great but how do we compare to Carmel, Indiana the most roundabout crazed city in the US?  Carmel is an Indianapolis suburb of 79,000 people and it has at least 80 roundabouts.  They have done away with 78 traffic signals (over 80% of their intersections).  That’s amazing!

All of these benefits are fantastic and straight forward.  However, whenever a new roundabout is proposed, there are always going to be nervous or skeptical people.  Overcoming those fears and objections is fairly easy and North Fulton cities have done remarkably well in this area.  Cities should install their first roundabouts in non-critical locations which will help the fearful and skeptical overcome their fears and objections over time.  Having followed the Roswell roundabout for two years, this pattern is evident.  Online comments on news articles moved from concerned to positive quickly and anecdotal conversations follow the same trend.

So, with all of these benefits? Why aren’t we jumping on every opportunity to build a roundabout?

If you're interested in learning more, check out this video from the Federal Highway Administration:

High Quality Trails Just Work...

I loved this StreetFilms video of the Cultural Trail that recently opened in Indianapolis.  It's a completely separate bicycle and pedestrian trail that connects Indianapolis' downtown amenities.  I immediately thought of how successful the Beltline Eastside Trail has been when I saw the traffic on this trail.  

We can and should build the Roswell Loop as soon as possible and also look to create as many path connections through the center of our city as possible.

The Indianapolis Cultural Trail: The Next-Gen in U.S. Protected Bike Lanes from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

CNU Week: Sustainable Street Network Principles

I had planned to attend this years CNU21 in Salt Lake City but unfortunately won't be there.  It is one of those places where people interested in walkability, place making and quality development can go to nurture their inner geek.  This week, I'll be posting  a number of my favorite things about the new urbanist movement.

Let's call this Transportation Tuesday...  One of the most important aspects of our built environment is our transportation infrastructure.  Sidewalks, Streets, Roads, Highways, Railways, etc.. One of the most frustrating parts of good urban design is the fact that a DOT can crush a good development because the roads are poortly designed or because they won't allow proper widths due to a number of voodoo reasons that we won't get into here.  CNU has been working for a long time with the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) through the CNU Project for Transportation Reform to come up with guidelines that will help build more people friendly places.  In 2012, the released their Sustainable Street Network Principles.

Here are the main points.  If you would like to dive into them, download the pdf.

Principles

1. Create a Street Network That Supports Communities and Places
2. Create a Street Network that Attracts and Sustains Economic Activity
3. Maximize Transportation Choice
4. Integrate the Street Network With Natural Systems at All Scales
5. Respect the Existing Natural and Built Environment
6. Emphasize Walking as the Fundamental Unit of the Street Network
7. Create Harmony With Other Transportation Networks

Key Characteristics

1. A web of streets and travel modes that maximize connectivity
2. Desirable places where multiple networks overlap
3. Inherently complex
4. Major streets designed and spaced properly
5. All streets safe and walkable
6. Wide variety of street types, each with a role in the network

Welcome to West Roswell... Where We Hate Pedestrians

I came across this sign today and it absolutely drove me crazy.  This spot is along highway 120 just west of the Coleman Rd traffic light on the north side of the highway at the entrance to Willeo Creek Apartments and Roswell Pointe condominiums.

First, as you probably know, I think we have too many redundant signs here in Roswell.  When you are in a lane that has a gigantic right arrow painted on it that ends after the intersection, do you really need a sign to tell you that the lane is a right turn only?  COME ON!

Next, you probably won't notice but there are at least 7 different signs in this photo: Right Lane Must Turn Right, No Walking on Grass, Do Not Enter (faces the other way), Stop, Divided Highway, Yield, No Outlet.

HOLY MOLY!!  This is sign overload.  Are we as a society so stupid that we need this kind of signage to keep us safe.  A driver can figure everything that is indicated in each one of those signs from context.  In my opinion, there are two necessary signs here.  The Stop sign and the Yield sign.  All others could and should go.

Those issues are both secondary however.  The sign that I have the biggest issue with though is the NO WALKING ON GRASS sign.  There are no sidewalks here but the intersection you are looking at serves as the only access point for Willeo Creek Apartments and Roswell Pointe condominiums.  It is less than a quarter mile walk from a Kroger, Starbucks, Texaco and multiple restaurants.  

It would probably be nice to walk over to those businesses every once in a while and I'm sure some people do.  In fact, I witnessed a forbiden pedestrian actually walk on that grass while I was there taking the picture above.  I was only there two minutes. 

What this No Walking on Grass sign (and ther are others on the property) is suggesting is that pedestrians either shouldn't walk here or they should take their chances on the road.  Whatever entity put this sign up, is implying that they care more about the look of their grass than they do about a human life.  

I have two requests:

• First, the signs suggesting that people cannot walk on grass that abuts a major state road where sidewalks are not an option should be removed immediately.
• Second, a sidewalk should be installed asap.

If you feel this is unwarranted or if you agree with me, please feel free to chime in in the comments.