Peachtree City

Mayor Steve Brown's "one world" vision of regional cooperation

took another step forward Tuesday afternoon.

Representatives

of five local governments sat down together to try and find a solution

to the increasing traffic problem on Ga. Highway 74.

"We're

all impacted. The road is vital to our economic health and quality of

life," Brown said.

The road runs

from south Fayette County to Interstate 85, and is becoming more and more

clogged.

While the road

does not run through Senoia's city limits, city administrator Murray McAfee

said the road is vital for residents who commute to Peachtree City or

Atlanta.

"Our growth

rate is going to be 100 percent in the next five years. We're looking

at 900 more housing units on Rockaway Road," he said.

McAfee presented

a copy of a recently completed traffic study by Street Smarts to the government

leaders.

"We've

got a real serious problem now. It says we warrant a traffic light at

Rockaway and 74 now," he said.

Brown agreed,

and said there was the potential for a developer who wants to develop

a subdivision near the intersection to realign Rockaway Road with the

traffic light currently at the Publix shopping center on Hwy. 74.

Brown said

he was also exploring the possibility of a traffic light near Panasonic,

that would allow workers at Peachtree City's biggest industry better access

to their job.

Because the

road is two-lane from its intersection with Ga. Highway 54 to Ga. Highway

85, it provides challenges.

"It's

very difficult to attract industry when one of the main roads is two lanes,"

Brown said.

Other leaders

at the traffic summit had differing views about the corridor.

Tyrone City

Manager Barry Amos said his town has no more plans for curb cuts along

the state highway and said the town already has plans in place to protect

the corridor from massive growth.

Just up the

road in Fairburn, city manager Jim Williams had a differing view of his

portion of the road.

"We've

always looked at this corridor as commercial, but well-done and well-planned

commercial," he said.

Some of the

other leaders said Fairburn had definitely cornered the market on gas

stations.

Fulton County

Commissioner Bill Edwards said he was committed to keeping the corridor

unclogged since it represents such a vital transportation corridor for

people in his district.

In the end,

Brown got the leaders to agree to hold a future meeting with planners

of the various jurisdictions to try and figure out a regional solution

for the highway.

"Whatever

any jurisdiction does, it will have an impact on this road. I just think

it will be easier to get things done with our legislators if we take a

regional approach," he said.