Residents who

want a better look at the possible future of Fayette's transportation

needs should circle July 2 on their calendars.

The Atlanta

Regional Commission, the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority and

other planning agencies are coming to town that day to get residents'

opinions on the Mobility 2030 Regional Transportation Plan.

This is the

latest effort by Atlanta's planners to try and plan for the future transportation

needs of the region. ARC planners estimate another 2.3 million people

will move into the region by 2030, pushing the area's population toward

7 million.

But the latest

approach seems to be a little different than past efforts.

"We're

looking at regional efforts to try and connect the different systems,"

said John Orr, long range project manager at ARC.

The plan focuses

on five regional systems; cross-regional thruways, HOV lanes and interchanges,

express bus and commuter rail, bicycle and pedestrian and smart corridors.

Fayette County

could see some traffic relief with the expanding of Ga. Highway 54 to

four lanes in the cross regional thruway portion of the program. Hwy.

54 is one of 10 major projects in the region in the 2030 plan that would

help add capacity to existing roads.

The county

would not see any HOV lanes, since there are no interstates running through

the county, but could possibly see an express bus by 2030. Maps provided

counties in the region that rejected express buses proposed by GRTA last

year.

Orr could not

provide a specific list of projects, but ARC maps show a number of bicycle

and pedestrian paths planned for the county.

The county

will probably also see a number of its roads incorporate parts of the

Intelligent Transportation Systems. ARC officials said this process involves

laying fiber optic cable and having a better coordination of traffic signals.

The Mobility

2030 meeting runs from 5:30-7:30 p.m. the first Wednesday in July at the

Fayette County Administrative Complex in Fayetteville.