State agencies are seeking public input on eight ideas to ease traffic along the “top end” of I-285 between Spaghetti Junction and I-75.
Officials are seeking residents’ input to determine the best options for the corridor as part of the Revive 285 Top End initiative by the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority.
“A lot of times, agencies don’t hear from citizens until they are far into the design phase,” said ARCADIS U.S. Senior Transportation Planner Tim Preece. “We want to get input before important decisions are made — before it is too late to change course.”
ARCADIS is the chief consulting firm for the Revive 285 Top End project. The Denver, Colo.-based firm is handling the engineering and planning of the project.
The concepts were revealed late last year at a series of public meetings.
The concepts range from simple maintenance and repaving of the existing 10 lanes on I-285 to the installation of a light rail system to run parallel with the interstate.
Other options include the construction of carpool, toll or bus rapid transit lanes.
Two or three of the options will be selected for further studies, Preece said.
Residents are encouraged to visit the initiative’s Web site, www.revive285.com, to review the alternatives and post comments. Input also can be given by calling the Revive 285 project hotline at (770) 431-7445.
Preece said there is no deadline for the public comments. However, he said he hoped state officials narrow down the options by month’s end.
The next step, he said, will be compiling environmental impact studies on the chosen options.
“That will allow us to present the impacts, benefits and costs of the alternatives,” Preece said.