People who live, work or play in downtown Atlanta will get a chance to help the city decide how to spend $1 million slated for transportation projects.
Councilman Amir Farokhi launched “Downtown Decides” on Tuesday as a way for residents, employees and visitors to have more say in how funds will be spent. The money comes from unused Renew/TSPLOST funds dedicated for transportation improvements in District 2.
Farokhi said public input will help city officials determine transportation priorities and gives residents a way to feel more included in that process.
“I think people want streets that don’t have potholes in them,” Farokhi told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution “I hear a lot voices on making streets safer for scooters and bikes.”
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People will have until Jan. 15 to submit ideas on how to spend the money to improve downtown transportation infrastructure, from new sidewalks and crosswalks to lighting enhancements.
After that, Farokhi’s office will assess the suggestions and develop a project list. Residents will then vote to select the winning project.
Residents can submit their ideas at DowntonATLdecides.com.
Atlanta resident Pam Revie-Petterson said she would like to see more bike and scooter lanes and better roads.
“There’s a lot of streets that need to be repaved correctly,” she said. “I’d like to streets cleaned up and speed limits to be reduced.”
Tim Frederick is an environmental scientist who works downtown. He said he likes the idea of turning a street into a pedestrian path that connects to Centennial Olympic Park.
He would also like to see potholes being fixed: “Coming and going from my building [near Five Points] is pretty bad.”
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Tuesday’s launch comes a week after Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms appointed Renew Atlanta general manager Joshua Rowan commissioner of ATLDOT, the city’s new transportation department.
Bottoms also unveiled a comprehensive strategic transportation plan which is scheduled to roll out early next year. The plan outlines 27 goals that will be carried out by the end of 2022.
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