Peachtree City has $3.35 million remaining from the 2004 transportation special purpose local option sales tax, and nearly 72 percent of those funds will be used to maintain city streets and upgrade the cart path system.
CIty staff is recommending that $2.42 million be diverted toward the street and cart path work. The city is saving SPLOST money by canceling scheduled projects that are either too costly or are not necessary in the near future.
City Engineer David Borkowski said the city is looking to spend only on SPLOST projects where there are existing transportation problems. As a result, SPLOST projects recommended for cancellation include:
• Widening of the cart path bridge over Lake Peachtree along Ga. Highway 54 ($775,454). The city will spend money to finish design on the project;
• Construction of a gateway cart path bridge over Ga. Highway 54 West near MacDuff and Wynnmeade parkways ($441,000). The city will spend money to finish project design;
• Intersection improvements at Peachtree Parkway and Walt Banks Road ($147,000 in SPLOST funds). The intersection’s level of service now is acceptable and would have required right of way acquisition to improve, Borkowski said. Though the intersection is projected to have a “failing” grade in 2027, there is no guarantee it will get to that point, he added;
• Implementation of quiet zones for railroad crossings ($868,000).
• Cart path bridges over Ga. Highway 74 north and also over Ga. Highway 54 East which are on hold for grant funding. DOT is allowing carts to cross at-grade at the 54 East location which allows residents to travel from the Lexington Circle shopping center to the Peachtree East shopping center;
• Intersection improvements at Crosstown Drive and Robinson Road, which are not necessary due to current traffic levels.
Future projects still funded in the SPLOST but not yet underway include:
• $358,000 to finish the approach paths and extension of a path northward from the new cart path tunnel at Ga. Highway 74 and Paschall Road to The Avenue shopping center.
• $10,000 for an accident mitigation study at the intersection of Peachtree Parkway north and Tinsley Mill. There have been a small number of rear-end collisions reported at the intersection, Borkowski said.
• Design funds for the realignment of the intersection of Robinson and Redwine Roads. Although the intersection has the lowest scores for moving traffic, it does not yet qualify for a traffic light, Borkowski said.
