Buckhead Removed from Streetcar Plan

Credit: Atlanta Streetcar/Facebook

BUCKHEAD, GA -- The Atlanta City Council has removed Buckhead from a long-term plan for the expansion of streetcar service after residents said they were not in favor of the proposal, according to a report.

A recent survey conducted by the Buckhead Business Association showed that 64 percent of respondents felt traffic congestion was the biggest issue for the area, Atlanta Business Chronicle reports. Almost 75 percent of those surveyed said adding a streetcar was either not important at all or would likely make traffic worse.

Peachtree Road’s traffic woes have become a rallying point for community organizations which are opposed to plans that would reduce the space available to vehicle traffic.

The Buckhead Coalition recently came out against a GDOT proposal to add bike lanes to the roadway, as the majority of members believed the space was more important for cars.

GDOT’s plans for Peachtree Road include converting the six-lane thoroughfare down to four lanes, with a two-way left turn lane in the middle. The removal of one lane should provide enough space for cyclists on both sides of the road. The bicycle lanes would run from Peachtree Battle Avenue to Deering Road.

So many people contributed feedback to the department that it has announced it needs more time to sift through the more than 2,000 comments that were submitted concerning the project.