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's 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.