It's no

secret that traffic becomes snarled on a regular basis at

the intersection of Ga. Highways 54 and 74.

That's just

the kind of thing the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC)

wants to help eliminate. That's one of the reasons why

Peachtree City was chosen to receive a $17,360 grant from

the ARC to study possible solutions.

That study,

which could be completed by August, could lead to funds

down the road to pay for improvements to the area. That's

if the study shows the funds can be used to alleviate

traffic problems with unique solutions like the city's

cart path system.

The cart

paths are shared by pedestrians, bikes and golf carts but

the paths don't currently connect the entire 74/54

intersection together, said City Planner David Rast.

To add new

cart paths, the city would need to tunnel under the

highway or build cart path bridges, Rast said, adding

that both options are expensive. That's why the grant

money could come in handy if the ARC approves the

recommendations of the study, he added.

New cart

paths in the area could lead to a commuter rail station

in the near future so local residents can bike and cart

their way to the rail station instead of driving to work

in Atlanta, Rast said. The CSX rail that enters the area

has been earmarked as a potential commuter rail line by

the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA).

Some

undeveloped property in the area would make an ideal

location for the commuter rail station, Rast said. The

rail station would be in the midst of several different

retail businesses including the future Home Depot and

possibly the Wal-Mart store that may come to Peachtree

City, Rast pointed out.

That way,

when commuters get off the train they can do their

shopping before they go home, he added.

"It's

a neat idea," Rast said, explaining that the land

around the intersection already has a lot of activity

because of the new businesses that have opened in the

area recently.

The city

also wants to include the existing businesses located on

Huddleston Road by tying them into the proposed new cart

path system in the area, Rast said.

The whole

idea is to get people out of their cars and using their

golf carts, bikes, rollerblades and their walking shoes

instead.

The study,

however, could determine that the commuter rail or other

unique ideas to ease traffic aren't feasible, Rast added.

"Nothing

is locked in stone," he said, adding that the study

calls for public input also.

The city is

matching 20 percent of the grant, a total of $4,340.