Project Profile: US 19 (Spring Street) Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements Project

• City of Atlanta’s Renew/TSPLOST Program
• Midtown Alliance

Atlanta’s Spring Street Improvements Project will re-purpose one southbound lane on Spring Street (US-19/SR-9) between Peachtree Street and 17th Street. With wider sidewalks, upgrades that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), trees along the street, pedestrian lighting, and bicycle facilities, the project will help lower vehicle speeds, and enhance safety, access, and mobility for all users.

The project work will be completed within the existing right-of-way, and the number of lanes for motorized vehicles will be reduced from four 10-foot lanes to three 10-foot lanes. The freed-up space will be used for sidewalks, a one-way cycle track, and street furniture and vegetation. The intent of the project is to create a safer and ADA- compliant pedestrian environment while establishing a southbound bicycle route along what is currently a high-speed vehicular thoroughfare.

The first phase of the project will supplement the larger planned bike and pedestrian improvements for Spring and West Peachtree Streets. Consultants plan to engage the public, city, and stakeholders with surveys, subsurface evaluations, and more. Engineers plan to perform environmental studies and cost estimates, plus develop construction documents, including preliminary and final design plans.

• Midtown Improvement District Funds
• Federal Transit Administration grant

• Kimley-Horn
• City of Atlanta
• Georgia Department of Transportation

The scoping phase is complete with Kimley-Horn as the lead technical consultant for the design and engineering phase that began in early 2018. An extensive traffic study was concluded in December 2019 and the project team is currently progressing with preliminary design and public engagement. The design and engineering phase is expected to continue through 2021 with construction beginning in October 2021 to be completed in October 2022.

• Leveraging Federal grant for the project
• Adding contemporary pedestrian and bicycle amenities to the corridor—mdashimproving connectivity for all modes and making transit facilities more accessible.
• Installing raised buffers/medians between the bike lane and vehicular travel lanes to act as a traffic calming device.
• Realigning and adding signals to the Buford Spring Connector ramp will make exiting vehicles approach a signalized stop instead of the current free-flow condition.
• The addition of street trees too will provide a shaded walking environment, a pedestrian buffer zone and traffic calming measures.
• Safety improvements, although repurposing one vehicular travel lane for bicycles, will yield no considerable increase in delay between “no-build” and “build” scenarios.

• Midtown Atlanta
• Midtown Atlanta – About the Projects
• Midtown Atlanta – Open House Presentation
• Midtown Atlanta – Open House Responses
• City of Atlanta
• Atlanta BeltLine
• Saporta Report