as FITFF == Nºvº § & - sº §§ §§§§. º: §: §§ § º: § º º sº & §: º § { º º : :^ & ºf R O P E R T Y of �� 3333333% ºž3:23， ș Nae £; ſae? ſae ， *ą§§ ſaesº :::::::::: Źźſae ~ ?ģ $ º: §, º OROUGHFARE COUNT Y G E O ſº G | A H C | T Y OF ATLANTA A NJ D F U LTO NJ t=;i，=）- - ---- DLAN 2\. \{ \, ~ P. Av \ |-> L AS, NJ Nel I NJ G Fe C ZS, ſº D /NZN U NJ 1 C 1 ſ− AS L Transportation // E 356, ST . A 'ſ A 4.5 | 954. º, |MAUNIC||PAL PLAIN IN ING 3OAR } 80 (c 5 City of Atlanta and Fulton County ATLANTA 3, GEORGIA MAX M. CUBA J. LEWIS ASBELL Chairman ALBERT G. HENDLEY S. R. YOUNG - PAUL W. MILLER Vice-Chairman J. J. NICHOLSON WYONT B. BEAN Planning Engineer HENRY J. TOOMBS January 26, 195l. Mayor and Board of Aldermen, City Hall, Atlanta, Georgia. Commissioners of Roads & Revenues, Fulton County Court House, Atlanta, Georgia. Gentlemen: In January, 1953, with the approval and support of your honorable bodies, the staffs of the Municipal Planning Board and the Traffic Engineering Department of the City of Atlanta initiated the preparation of a plan which will guide the improvement of the existing street system, eliminate present congestion, and provide for future needs. With the assistance of Harland Bartholomew and Associates, Planning Consultants, the plan has been completed, and we submit for your earnest consideration the Major Thoroughfare Plan for the City of Atlanta and Fulton County. The purpose of this report is to indicate the need for a complete and interrelated system of exprossways, limited access boulevards, major streets, and other improvements without which many of our traffic arteries, now carrying excessive volumes, will soon become hopelessly congested. It is not contemplated that all of the improvements outlined herein can be financed or constructed immediately; however, we do strongly urge the present adoption and ultimate accomplishment of this plan. A schedule of project priorities should be established immediately, whereby the cooperation of land owners, developers, and buildors could be assured. Proper subdivision control, the establishment of building setback lines, and the administration of zoning regulations can aid in protecting necessary rights-of-way, thereby eliminating futuro expenditures of hundreds of thousands of dollars. Many of these improvements can be accomplished over a period of years, without the initial outlay of vast sums of money, by appropriating fixed amounts each year for capital expenditures. Other improvements will have to depend on bond funds and State and Federal aid. The end must be accomplished regardless of the means. Bold plans and positive action are justifiable now and imperative for the future. Respectfully submitted, MUNICIPAL, PLANNING BOARD %% ºf C.A. - II Max M. Cuba, Chairman. i : ****_º -• ****sº-- --- . city of ATLANTA William B. Hartsfield Mayor BOARD OF ALDERMEN Lee Evans President L. O. Moseley - John A. White James E. Jackson Hamilton Douglas, Jr. E. A. Gilliam Ralph A. Huie R. E. Lee Field T. Wayne Blanchard W. T. Knight John T. Marler Colie B. Whitaker • Milton G. Farris Douglas Wood R. M. Clark Charlie Leftwich Jesse Draper FULTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OF ROADS & REVENUES Archie L. Lindsey s R. L. Doyal Chairman Vice-Chairman I. Gloer Hailey Thomas L. Camp James H. Aldredge A. E. Fuller County Manager III MUNICIPAL PLANNING BOARD CITY OF ATLANTA & FULTON COUNTY Max M. Cuba Staff: Chairman Wyont B. Bean S. R. Young Planning Engineer Vice-Chairman - H. Jay Wallace J. Lewis Asbell . A. H. Hutchinson Albert G. Hendley John A. Lines Paul W. Miller C. Edward Bishop J. J. Nicholson Sheldon V. Ellsworth Henry J. Toombs TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT CITY OF ATLANTA Karl A. Bevins Traffic Engineer Marble J. Hensley Assistant Traffic Engineer CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT CONSULTANTS CITY OF ATLANTA HARLAND BARTHOLOMEW & ASSOCIATES Garland F. Steele J. Minard Stevens Liaison Engineer - Resident Engineer IV I A C K N 0 W L E D G E M E N T S The Municipal Planning Board appreciates the assistance and cooperation of the following organizations in the pre- paration of this report: . United States Bureau of Public Roads Georgia State Highway Department Metropolitan Planning Commission Public Works Department – Fulton County Transportation Planning Council -,-- , -- l | | I l I I º --:- - - T -— TABLE OF CONTENTS SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS INTRODUCTION HISTORY OF LOCAL STREET PLANNING PRINCIPALS AND STANDARDS OF A MAJOR STREET PLAN Specialization of Street Functions Types of Streets Outline of Standards EXISTING STREET SYSTEM State and Federal Highways Right-of-way Dedication Existing Pavement Widths Railroad Crossings EXISTING AND FUTURE TRAFFIC Existing Traffic Movement Estimated Future Traffic Volume PROPOSED MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN Basic Elements of the Plan Major County Highways Major Thoroughfare Plan for the Urban Area Central Business District Plan Specific Improvements INCREASED CAPACITY BY REGULATION ACQUISITION OF MAJOR STREET RIGHT-OF-WAY Dedication Obtained Through Subdivision Control Acquisition Through Purchase Set Back Lines WI Page Number - * ,| LIST OF PLATES Plate Number Title 1 Suggested Street Cross Sections 2 Primary State and Federal Highways 3 Present Pavement Widths – City of Atlanta 4 Existing Pavement Widths – Unincorporated Fulton County 5 Street and Railroad Intersections 6 24 Hour Annual Average Traffic Flow — 1952 7 Peak Hour Capacity and Traffic Flow - 8 Existing and Estimated Future 24 Hour Volumes At The Screen Line By Major Sectors 9 Basic Elements of the Plan 10 Proposed Major Thoroughfare Plan — Unincorporated Fulton County 11 Proposed Major Thoroughfare Plan – Atlanta Urban Area 12 Major Streets in the Central Business District 13 Future Traffic Flow in Central Business District 14 General Plan for Peachtree Creek Improvement 15 Increase in Street Capacity Through Traffic Regulation LIST OF TABLES Number 1 Existing and Estimated Future Traffic Volumes at Screen and Cordon Lines By Sectors 1952 – 1980 2 Peak Hour Volumes By Major Sectors and Class of Origin 3 Estimated Peak Hour Volumes and Assignments By Major Sectors 4 Assumed Capacity of Surface Streets At The Cordon Line Page Number 17 18 26 31 WII -| ||-; "|--- SUMMARY OF FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS The principal findings and recommendations of the report on the Major Thoroughfare Plan for the City of Atlanta and Fulton County are: PRINCIPAL FINDINGS 1. The several distinct grid-iron patterns in the downtown area, with their variables in street width and block size, and poor orientation to one another, have created many alignment problems making circulation difficult. The City has a good system of reasonably direct and continuous radial streets; most of these routes are of inadequate width. Little attention has been given to protec- tion of adequate right-of-way for future widenings throughout their length. Rugged topography has made the provision of adequate crosstown streets difficult, resulting in the unnecessary crowding of both radial and downtown streets. Within the screen area inside the belt of rail lines, virtually every street is now utilized to or in excess of its practical capacity during peak hour movements. The present delays and congestion result in serious economic loss to the operators of motor vehicles. An equal or greater loss is that of fluctuating property values adjacent to points of congestion. The railroad network creates many serious problems relative to major streets. A particularly serious barrier exists at the western side of the business district. The present one-way street system in the central business district is essential in expediting traffic movement, and it should be extended, giving due consideration to the needs of transit routings. . The street system should be designed for an outbound peak hour load of 53,600 cars at the screen line. This will require the equivalent of 117 normal surface street traffic lanes. - PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATIONS 1. The number of traffic lanes now provided by the radial street system will virtually have to be doubled. Much of this increase can be attained through traffic regula- tions such as removal of parking and designation of one-way streets. Building setback lines should be established at once along all major streets to pro- tect future rights-of-way where street widening is anticipated. - The radial system of surface streets will have to be supplemented by five major ex- pressways terminating in a "loop" around the central business district. The "loop" will give free interchange between the expressways and will provide needed capa- city through the rail-barrier west of the business district. A system of four circumferential routes should be created to allow by-pass move- ments at various distances from the central business district. Each circumferential should be a high capacity facility. Such routes through undeveloped land should be planned as boulevards upon which access is limited to the major radials. A more efficient traffic pattern in the central business district can be achieved only by modifying and extending the present one-way street system. 6. The surface streets of the expanded business district have an outbound peak hour capacity of 40,250 vehicles, 17,000 of which should be discharged by way of the expressway ramps and the remaining 23,000 to flow beyond the expressway loop by means of surface streets. 7. To provide for efficient traffic flow out of the business district, the following major improvements are required in addition to the expressways: (a) Provide a viaduct over the railroads at Hunter Street for westbound traffic, and west of the railroad tracks widen Hunter Street into a six-lane thorough- fare. Connect Mitchell Street into this improvement for the eastbound traf- fic movement. (b) Widen Edgewood Avenue from Ivy Street to the proposed ramps leading to the “downtown connector” east of the business district. (c) Improve Magnolia Street to a four-lane thoroughfare from Cain Street to the West By-Pass. (d) Widen and improve Memorial Drive and Whitehall Street to provide for six moving lanes of traffic. INTRODUCTION The very existence of a community depends upon communication, transportation, and public service facilities. It is the web-like street pattern that supplies the channels for these vital functions. Over the streets roll the wheels that carry increasing numbers of citizens and amounts of goods. Underground and overhead utilities such as telephone, electricity, water and sewer lines serve all parts of the community through most of these same streets. In reality, streets are the basic framework of the urban pattern. Like other large cities, Atlanta's basic street pattern, through which the largest por- tion of the community's traffic must flow, was laid out long before the automobile came of age. During the days when travel and transport were slow and cumbersome, the urban pattern was necessarily compact. Relatively narrow roadways were entirely adequate. With the advent of the automobile, the urban pattern began to shake loose from its early confines. Along the radial thoroughfares new residential sections were developed. As the speed and mobility of the automobile increased, the urban limits of the community expanded still more rapidly in all directions. In contrast to the rapid enlargement of the area of urbanization, the radial thorough- fares themselves remained unchanged with rights-of-way and pavement widths becoming inadequate to accommodate expanding numbers of vehicles. Ribbon commercial develop- ments along the thoroughfares contributed markedly to the troublesome traffic conges- tion. The radial thoroughfare system of the Atlanta Metropolitan Area, as in other ci- ties throughout the country, must be modified to meet modern traffic requirements. The rapid enlargement of the urban area, with its accompanying increase in traffic movement, has brought into focus another problem. During the time when Atlanta was a compact community, travel between its separate districts was not too difficult. Citizens were able to pass through the central business district to areas on the opposite side of the city. Travel between neighboring areas was conducted over local streets with little or no interference to community living. Today it is no longer convenient to travel through the central business district during the busy hours of the day, yet, there are | few convenient routes that can be substituted for this through-town movement. The de- velopment of new inter-district connections and circumferential routes would afford con- siderable traffic relief along radial thoroughfares as well as on the streets in the cen- tral business district. If a system of major thoroughfares is to function efficiently, its concept must be in full harmony with the economic and physical conditions prevailing in the community. Recognition must be given to existing and future commercial and industrial develop- ments. Neighborhoods, in so far as conditions permit, must be preserved and protected from the annoyances of heavy traffic movements. Major thoroughfares should follow the borders of new neighborhoods rather than splitting them into several parts. New thorough- fares, such as expressways, should be located whenever possible along natural physical features and barriers or along borders of industrial, commercial, or residential districts. A major thoroughfare system, in addition to creating an efficient network of streets must, also, provide a logical framework to support a good environment for work, play, and, sat- isfactory living conditions. It is the purpose of this report to present recommendations for the development of a logical and efficient major thoroughfare system comprised of expressways, limited ac- cess boulevards, and surface streets. The Major Street Plan presented herein embraces substantial portions of several previous plans including, the Lochner Plan, the propo- sals of the Joint Bond Commission, the State Highway Department of Georgia, and the Public Roads Administration. It has been carefully coordinated with the thoroughfare plan now being prepared by the Metropolitan Planning Commission. Principals and standards to be followed in the development and administration of a major thoroughfare system are set forth in the text of the report. The existing physical conditions of major streets, the amount and trend in current and future traffic volumes, and other factors influencing the development of a major street system are described. The various types of major thoroughfares which comprise the proposed system are pre- sented. Some plans of typical improvements have been prepared to illustrate the man- ner in which new elements of the system may be developed. HISTORY OF LOCAL STREET PLANNING Many of Atlanta's severe street problems are directly related to the original platting of the central portion of the city. The land adjacent to the old State Depot area was platted into several distinct grid-iron patterns which were oriented to adjacent rail lines rather than to each other. Streets were narrow and of inconsistent width. The block sizes varied markedly from one plat to another, creating odd shape and awkward inter - sections where these developments merge. The minimum street dedications in the cen- tral area seem to have established a precedent which created serious deficiencies in rights-of-way through the entire street system. While the foresight used in selecting Atlanta's location endowed it with greatness, the lack of foresight in regard to its ear- ly street system has been a constant source of trouble and expense. Although several marked improvements in the streets had been carried out, there is no evidence of any comprehensive effort to define Atlanta's street problems prior to 1920. At that time, the first officially constituted City Planning Commission, working I 3 -Jº with a consultant, embarked upon a planning program which included zoning and major street studies. In 1922, the major street study proposed certain improvements in the street system which included the following: Viaducts over the railroads at Central Avenue, Pryor and Spring Streets. . Widening and extension of Courtland into Juniper Street. Widening and regrading of Piedmont Avenue. Widening of Forrest Avenue from Peachtree under the Southern railroad and its ex- | tension to Highland Avenue. | : Extension of Broad Street. Extension of Madison Avenue (now Spring Street) into Whitehall. Widening and improving of Peters Street. Bell Street underpass and connection to Hill Street. Building lines to establish 80 right-of-way on many downtown streets. i All of these proposals were carried out in whole or in part over the past thirty years though some of the priority projects of the time were not completed until recently. Aside from a transit report in 1924, which generally reiterated many of the earlier pro- posed improvements, no other comprehensive effort was made to modify the street and traffic pattern until 1944. The City Planning Commission of that date prepared a skele- ton street plan which included expressway type facilities to be built over the railroads to penetrate the heart of the City. This plan was adopted by the Mayor and General Coun- cil on March 22, 1944. There is little evidence that it had an effect upon the street pattern. The State Highway Department of Georgia and the Public Roads Administration joint- ly sponsored a comprehensive Transportation and Highway Plan, published in 1946, which has had an important influence upon street and highway improvements since World War II. The study, locally known as the Lochner Plan, presented an expressway plan, an arterial street plan, and recommendations for specific street improvements. Many of these improvements though considerably modified have been carried out, and remarkable progress has been made on the expressway program. While the plan presents a comprehensive thoroughfare pattern for the City of Atlanta, population and traffic growth has been more rapid than anticipated making necessary its reevaluation. Modifications of the expressway plan and increased traffic loads require closer inter-relation of the expressway to the major street system. Despite some de- fects, the “Lochner Plan” has been the most influential document of its kind to date. The plan recommended establishment of building setback lines to protect an ultimate 80-foot right-of-way for all major thoroughfares except the most important routes where wider roadbeds were suggested. Following this recommendation, the General Council in 1951 adopted a series of setback lines prepared by the City Planning Commission which covered only a portion of the congested area. Several structures have already been permitted to encroach on these lines, materially reducing the effectiveness of these setback regulations. PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS OF A MAJOR STREET SYSTEM SPECIALIZATION OF STREET FUNCTIONS Experience gained in handling traffic has proven that large volumes of vehicles can best be accommodated over a few direct and well improved thoroughfares, rather than over a large number of local streets. Thus, only a very small proportion of the over-all street system need be improved to thoroughfare standards. The remaining streets, nor- mally comprising 80 per cent of the total street mileage, can be retained solely to pro- vide access to adjoining property—their primary function. Less expense is involved when the bulk of all urban traffic is confined to the few principal streets which comprise the major thoroughfare system. Only a limited mi- leage of streets need be widened or improved with high standard pavement. Through improved traffic control which can be built into new construction, traffic can be better and more safely accommodated. Local streets, often referred to as minor streets, need only be 50 to 60 feet in width. These frequently require only a three-lane improvement involving less expense, thereby reserving a proportionately larger sum of public improvement funds for the principal streets. Clearing minor streets of large volumes of through traffic leaves them free to handle local vehicular and pedestrian traffic safely. TYPES OF STREETS Major streets should be designed as a network to accommodate the principal move- ments of traffic which occur between the residential districts and centers of employ- ment in trade and industrial areas, and the central business district. RADIAL THOROUGHFARES – In Atlanta, as in most American cities, the central business district constitutes the hub or focal point of traffic. The radiating streets and highways which form the spokes of the wheel-like pattern are the principal elements of the street system which provide direct routes to outlying areas. These radials, which extend to and/or beyond the limits of the urban area, carry the largest volumes of traffic. With few exceptions, the radial streets make up an important part of the State and Federal Highway systems in the City. Atlanta is fortunate in possessing a fine system of radial thoroughfares; however, they are completely inadequate in width. CROSSTOWN STREETS – Another type of vehicular movement within the urban area is that which takes place between the secondary focal points. This type of crosstown movement has received least emphasis in the development of Atlanta's street pattern. Local topographic conditions have severely hampered the development of crosstown routes making it necessary for traffic to pass through the congested central business district. In most instances, a good system of crosstown thoroughfares can substantially relieve congestion on the heavily traveled radial routes. Crosstown streets can be planned to intersect radials at strategic points affording maximum convenience to important traffic movements without bisecting neighborhoods. Design specifications for all crosstown streets need not be to the same high standards as radials, but they must be of sufficient width to encourage and facilitate inter-district movement. CIRCUMFERENTIAL ROUTES – In order that a more balanced distribution of traffic move- ments may be achieved throughout the major street network, it is necessary that a In Ul IIl- ber of by-pass or circumferential routes be provided. These routes vary in function and character, but they are all essentially continuous loops at various distances from the center of the business district. 1. The first type of by-pass route enables close-in traffic to skirt the edge of the cen- tral business district rather than crowding through it. 2. A second type of route provides an intermediate loop somewhat removed from the business district and permits a by-passing of a large portion of the intensively de- veloped section of the city. It connects major secondary foci within the urban area. 3. Another type of by-pass permits highway traffic to go around most of the urbanized areas. Where the business district is centrally situated in the urban development, as in Atlanta, it is desirable that the intermediate and outer by-pass roadways be so linked as to form complete circumferential routes at desirable intervals within the urban area. ExPRESSWAYS AND MODIFIED ExPRESSWAYS –When traffic volumes increase to the extent that surface thoroughfares are unable to provide satisfactory movement and further Street improvements are too costly to justify the limited increase in capacity, especially de- signed, high capacity arteries become necessary. Such facilities are commonly termed expressways. Limitation of access on these roadways provides a smooth flow of traffic, enabling expressways to handle large volumes of swiftly moving traffic from the central business district to industrial and residential areas. An expressway loop should skirt the central business district. Whenever possible the alignments of radial expressways should follow natural barriers, such as creeks, and pass between major industrial and residential uses. Away from congested areas where traffic volumes and interferences do not justify com- plete grade separation, a modified type of expressway with surface roadways can be ut- ilized. Grade separations may or may not be employed at major intersections depending upon traffic conditions and volumes. Limitation of access at the time of acquisition of right-of-way for such routes will help to preserve the utmost in traffic efficiency by hold- ing the number of intersections to a minimum. OUTLINE OF STANDARDS Experience has brought about the development of widely accepted standards for major thoroughfares. While it is not always feasible to comply with the standards, they should be adhered to as closely as physical conditions and financial limitations permit. Basic requirements for all major thoroughfares are that they must be of ample width, provide a smooth pavement, and possess easy grades and direct alignment. A minimum of inter- secting streets is desirable. All intersections should be properly controlled with traffic signs and signals. High standards are required in the planning and development of limited access thor- oughfares and expressways. The element of rapid and uninterrupted travel is the objec- tive. Greater right-of-way widths than on ordinary major streets must be provided to ac- commodate wider traffic lanes and medial and marginal strips between roadway and abut- ting land for property protection. Still more land must be acquired for interchange ramps at major street intersections. Provisions must be made for continuous, uninterrupted flow of traffic and for proper acceleration and deceleration of merging and departing traffic. SUGGESTED STQEET CQOSS SF CT |ONS DESIGNJ *ANDArbs NEW AND IMPROVED STREETS UT LIZATION] ST2EET OF EXIST|NG |MD 2 OVE-MENTS z" 2--~~ 5 L A NJ t 5 tº AC – WAY - NJ O PARK I NJ G TWO WAY st ºf FT # | ?" 4' TO 2 O' | | 2' 2OO' DFS I RAt Lt MIM MUM VAP2|AELE – 30 MIM MUM EXPRESSWAY 7- 2 LAN ts FA C H WAY - DA Q K I Kj G O KJ f S Df TWO WAY STRE FT 2) MOV NJ G – 2 PARK I NJ G L A k-1 t 5 ONJ tº WAY ST Rt tT Ll NM IT f D ACCESS BOULEVAQ D ×39 FOU 2 LANJE 2ADIAL PLA NJ N | N G B OA P D G F O Q G | A NMU NJ ICI PAL A T L A N T A sºl CN-2 sº t 12 |2' 4' TO ZO' 12" 12' º 15O TO 200' > 2 LAMJ f 5 FA CH w8 whº stºtt VVAY NJ O PA R K I NJ G F- G4' -] 3 MOV NJ G – 1 PARK I NJ G LA kJ tº ONJ tº WAY STRE-F-T *T*E=- —--> §§ §§§§ šŠ §§§ - § s rºsº Y. —— PARK, I NJ G LA Klt F- 2 N/ O V | NJ G ONE WAY STREET — PLATE H A R L A N D B A PT HO LO M P W & ASSOC I AT tS C 1 TY D L ANJ N E QS AT LA NTA G F O 2 G | A ſ J* .-----.---l -. J WIDTH AND CAPACITY OF TRAFFIC LANES —The width of a street pavement should be re- lated to the volume of traffic expected to use it. For design purposes, the critical vol- lumes on a street are those occurring daily in the morning and evening rush hours. Un - der certain signal conditions at these periods of maximum use, a single traffic lane can accommodate about 500 cars per hour. The primary major streets should provide four moving lanes, but within the more intensely built up area, the most important radials will have to provide six lanes. In a few cases the convergence of two or more thorough- fares may require eight-lane roadways for short distances. The merging of Boulevard and Piedmont is a location where such a multi-lane structure will be necessary. The width of lanes in street pavements should reflect the desired speed of traffic movement and the type of vehicles utilizing the thoroughfare. Since most of the thorough- fares in Atlanta are subject to public transit and truck movement, the minimum width of moving lanes should be eleven feet. A twelve-foot width is being provided for the fas- ter moving traffic on expressways. Eight feet is considered a standard width for parking lanes. STREET CROSS SECTIONS –Plate 1 shows the principal types of street cross sections which are applicable to the Atlanta street pattern. It shows both the design standards for new and improved streets and the utilization of the varying rights-of-way and street improvements now in existence. Expressways, normally depressed in cross-section, require variable right-of-way widths, depending upon existing topography and adjacent development. A desirable minimum right-of-way width is 200 feet. The width of the two roadway pavements remain con- stant between interchanges with a medial strip of 20 feet except in intensively built up areas where a divider of 4 feet is acceptable. Lanes for acceleration and deceleration are provided at interchanges. A normal cross-section — typical of the expressway con- struction between Williams Street and Peachtree Road — is shown on Plate 1. The num- ber of traffic lanes will vary from four to eight with the anticipated volumes of traffic. Practical capacity of this facility is estimated at 1200 vehicles per lane per hour. Limited access boulevards, like the expressways, are designed to carry heavy traffic volumes for considerable distances. This type structure is best used in by-pass and circumferential routes located in the present outlying and sparsely developed areas. In order not to impair their future effectiveness, points of access should be confined to well spaced intersections a half mile to one mile apart. By virtue of this limitation of access, the boulevard’s lane capacity is somewhat greater than corresponding lanes on regular major streets. It lends itself to stage construction in that a single 24-foot road- way can be constructed on one side of the center line and another such pavement added when traffic volumes justify. The medial strip of 20 feet provides adequate space for a deceleration and left turn lane at grade intersections. The wide shoulders provide se- paration from the adjoining property and for the addition of acceleration or deceleration lanes and/or ramps if traffic volumes ultimately demand a separated crossing. Rights- of-way from 150 to 200 feet are recommended. Practical capacity of this type structure is conservatively estimated to be 750 cars per lane per hour. Six lanes will be required on several of the more important radial routes such as Peach- tree Road and Piedmont Avenue. This cross-section is, also, applicable to the intermed- iate loop route. Six moving lanes of eleven feet each and two service lanes of eight feet each should be provided to channalize traffic at intersections and to accommodate turning movements and transit stops. Due to the extensive pavement width and the a- mount of traffic carried, a medial strip of at least four feet should be provided. The right-of-way width should be a minimum of 110 feet to include a seven foot planting strip and five foot sidewalk on each side of the roadway. The practical capacity of this street is 450 cars per lane per hour. The largest part of the street system is made up of four-lane radial routes. Edgewood and Forrest Avenues are examples of this type cross-section. Four moving lanes of eleven feet each plus two eight foot service lanes require a minimum of 80 feet of right- of-way width. A five-foot planting strip and a five-foot sidewalk would be provided on each side of the street. The calculated practical capacity is 450 cars per lane per hour. No cross-section has been shown for the secondary streets used for access to small, isolated industrial areas or residential properties. These are not delineated upon the major street plan. Local residential streets normally need not have more than 60 feet of right-of-way width. This width will accommodate a 28-foot paving which is adequate for both movement and parking. Collector, business, or industrial streets within the completely developed urban area will require a 60-foot right-of-way with a 40-foot paving width. This will provide two 12-foot traffic lanes and two parking lanes of 8 feet each. Much of the old City of Atlanta is intensively developed, making street widenings un- economical because the traffic capacity gained does not justify the costs of right-of- way and construction. A group of cross-sections has been prepared to show how these existing streets will be utilized in the plan. At the present time, there are no streets in the City which have an 80-foot right-of-way and a full sixty feet of paving utilized for traffic movement. A street widening of this nature has been proposed on Peachtree Street north of Brookwood Station providing 3 moving lanes of 10 feet each in both directions. During the rush hours, it is assumed that a staggered lane arrangement with four lanes being devoted to the major direction on movement will be required as traffic volume increases. This staggered lane system is, however, expensive to operate in that proper signaling devices and/or man-power costs are high, therefore, this arrangement should be highly restricted. A number of streets in Atlanta now have 70 feet of right-of-way with 50 feet of paving. This provides two 10-foot moving lanes in each direction and a 10-foot parking lane on one side only. Lee Street is an example of this type of artery. Extensive use of this cross-section is neither proposed nor encouraged. Courtland Street is an example of the same street improvement converted to a one-way system providing 3 moving lanes and two parking lanes of 10 feet each. The capacity of such a street is readily expansi- ble by the elimination of one or both lanes of parking. The existing streets on 60 feet of right-of-way usually have a 40-foot paving. In all instances where streets of this cross-section are designated major streets, the parking will ultimately have to be removed to provide four 10-foot lanes to move traffic. Spring Street is an example of an existing artery being so utilized. Some streets in the congested area have only a 50-foot right-of-way and a 32-foot pa- ving providing two moving lanes of 12-feet each and a single parking lane of 8 feet. This type of street finds its greatest utilization as one leg of a one-way street system. * PLATE 2 º - ! ~———————— D Q |M /\|QY /- STATE & FF D F 2/\L || || G||WAYS | |N THE VIC I NJIT Y OF ATLANTA, G f ORG | A _v^ —O— STATE H IGHWAYS ={T}= FEDF ſºAL | | |G|| WAYS >~~~ * T. MT PARK “S. —-r-V-l. .--—-iT s ...; M i. zº N. 'N 92 • -1 -------——t ſ") /...' ) N \l. \ ACWO 27 || 2e y ALPHARETTA --~/. " . . . ſº |40 9 *~~ *s ^sº N. 92 \ 3) N 2-NKENNesaw |4 | / 3. \ / S-> - * - ) 2/ !2O |- w = 2% ~...~~K. Lawrtucevillfi 120 Ż | \ --~f~. & % \ : ºi º º: * Ż ..” \º/ / No RCRoss K sº.--> NoRTH ATLANTA N F-------25. X F-_T – TZ’s G V | \|\|_2^T iſ 2-S-l, Z \ |24 | | | | ſporavut ~ fº- Y-- \ ...— ...—/_/ CHAM&LEF \ sutulvillf. \--~ 2 ſº. X". POWDER 6 SPRINGS s: sº - **** [55 22% N--, # ; º 4 | AUSTF sº. 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A 51 per cent return from passenger car operators was received. Most of the data procured were related to two principal areas called the cordon and and screen areas. The cordon area is generally defined as the expanded business dis- trict and is bounded by 14th Street on the north; Argonne, North, Piedmont, and Capitol Avenues on the east; Memorial Drive and Fair Street on the south; and, on the west by the railroads, Simpson Street, and the north leg of the expressway. In a 24-hour period, 457,007 vehicles were tabulated at this line. During the same period, 438,321 vehicles were counted at the screen line demarked by a belt of railroads around the most inten- sively developed area of the city. TRAFFIC FLOW AND FLUCTUATION – Plate 6 shows graphically the 24-hour annual aver - age traffic flow in 1952 for the principal thoroughfares in the County. Volumes of less than 500 were not shown because of the scale. Numerical volumes in thousands are shown for each street entering the screen line. The map shows the very heavy use made of the fine network of radial streets leading through the screen line. In most cases, the traffic bands diminish rather rapidly as the street approaches the limits of urbanization. Several notable examples to the contrary are evident. Traffic counts on the Marietta four-lane highway show that 15,000 cars cross the county line daily, indicating the importance of this artery in carrying commu- ters to and from the Marietta area. The very gradual build-up of traffic volumes along Roswell Road from 1,500 cars at the county line to 6,500 cars at the city limits is re- lated to the sparse but continuous urbanization along this route. The larger volumes of traffic entering upon Bankhead, Roosevelt, Macon, McDonough, and Covington Roads indicate their regional importance. - The map, also, shows the relatively few cross-town movements of significance. In a previous section, lack of adequate continuous cross towns to accommodate such move- ments was noted. It was, also, pointed out that Moreland Avenue was an excellent ex- ample of such a street. The flow map demonstrates its importance. Considerable utili- zation is, also, shown for such incomplete cross-town routes as Lakewood Avenue, Ash- by Street, West By-pass, and Wesley and Paces Ferry Roads. Studies of traffic entering the screen line revealed certain characteristics. The peak hours of inbound movement occurred between 7 a. m. and 9 a. m., while the outbound peak occurred between 4 p. m. and 6 p. m. The highest hour of the inbound movement represented 60 per cent of the two-hour total and approximately 7.5 per cent of the 24- hour volume of traffic moving in both directions. The afternoon peak hour represented nearly 9 per cent of this 24-hour volume. - 14 PLATE 7 PEAK Houſ." CADACITY & TRAFFIC FLOW ON MAJOR STREETS WITH IN THE SCI2EE MJ LINE 1953 LE GEND TRAFFIC VOLUME { |Practical CAPACITY TRAFFIC voluwé |-}PPACTICAL CADACITY º * TW/- º w A D&A woop PPACTICAL CAPACITY - TRAFFIC Volume tº i== | *S* C= HARLAND EARTHOLOMEW & ASSOCIATES CITY DLANJNJE [2S ATLANTA, G FOſ3G |A MUNIC| DAL DLANNJ||JG B OA [2D ATLANTA, G E O [2G|A DESTINATIONS BY MAJOR CLASSES – The expansion of usable returns on post cards given inbound motorists crossing the screen line in the morning peak hours from 7 a.m. to 9 a. m. shows the following destinations: Inbound Motor Vehicles crossing Screen Line with destinations: Number Per Cent A. Before reaching downtown business district 3,970 9.78 B. Within downtown business district 25,125 61.92 C. Within screen area after passing through the business district 3,780 9.32 D. Outside screen area after passing through the business district 5,047 12.44 E. Outside screen area but not passing through the business district - 2,654 6.54 TOTAL 40,576 100.00 Several pertinent facts are revealed by these expanded returns, as follow: 1. Approximately 84 per cent of all cars entering the screen line pass through or stop in the expanded central business district. 2. About one quarter of the above pass through the expanded business district to des- tinations beyond. Translated into peak hour loads of outbound traffic, the equiva- lent of 13 traffic lanes having a capacity of 450 cars per hour are being utilized by this movement. 3. A total of 28.5 per cent of the total screen line traffic might use by-pass routes if provided. Again, translated into peak hour loads of outbound traffic, the equivalent of 17 moving lanes would be required to handle all of this movement. 4. The difference between screen line volumes and cordon line volumes in the peak morning hours indicates that some 2,800 cordon line movements have their origin between the two lines. Their destinations are unknown. VOLUME AND CAPACITY WITHIN THE SCREEN AREA – Since the primary purpose of the Highway Department survey was that of showing desire lines which would influence the location of a major traffic artery, it provided no data as to movement inside the screen line area. Recognizing the need for more detailed information as to use and capacity of the existing street system, the Traffic Engineering Department of the City of Atlanta in cooperation with the Municipal Planning Board prepared diagrams showing widths of roadways, conditions of the intersections, grades of the approaches, turning movements permitted, and traffic signal timing and regulation for 359 critical intersections through- out the city. Volumes of traffic and turning movements were, then, manually tabulated for each approach to each intersection by Traffic Engineers. The intersections were, then, analyzed as to their practical capacity. One hundred and forty of these intersec- tions were within the screen line, and from them Plate 7 was prepared. It shows the re- lationship of the peak hour volume of traffic to each street’s practical capacity. For purposes of the study, the combined capacity of the opposing approach lanes of an in- tersection have been used as the capacity of the street at the intersection. 15 The diagram shows that the existing street system within the screen line area is used almost completely to capacity. The only large reservoir of capacity remaining in the area is the expressway to the north. This facility is used to about 50 per cent of capa- city despite the difficulties involved in entering and leaving it. Northside Drive, between Marietta Street and 14th Street, is utilized to only 50 per cent of capacity while north of 14th Street it is seriously overloaded. No streets serving northeast and east bound traf- fic show any excess capacity. All streets serving the south are carrying their full capa- city. The map indicates that every possible method for increasing street capacity will have to be employed in the central area of the City. This will include the progressive appli- cation of such regulations as the prohibition of certain turning movements, removal of parking and loading, and the extension of the one-way street system. ESTIMATED FUTURE TRAFFIC VOLUMES The future development of new focal points of traffic, the direction and amount of population growth, the increased registration and use of the automobile are all factors which contribute to the shaping of the street plan. Consideration of these factors serves as a basis for determining the necessary modifications and extensions that must be made in the street system to provide for the traffic demands of the expanded community. LAND USE INFLUENCES – Criteria and data are at hand to develop reasonably sound es- timates of traffic needs upon the radial streets as they converge upon the central bus- iness district. No such estimates can be made of traffic volumes which may be expected to use cross-town and circumferential routes. This is because of mobility of the pop - ulation and the lack of relation of the population to minor employment centers. Experi- ence has shown, however, that strategically located circumferentials attract large vol- umes of traffic if they are properly related to land uses which create the minor focal points of traffic. INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT The past two decades have brought about drastic changes in the industrial pattern of our cities. With the trend to greater mechanization and improved efficiency in operation, industries have turned to extensive, one-story developments requiring larger sites. This shift in location of industrial employment, coupled with the increased use of the automo- bile by the worker, has brought changes in the traffic pattern. New highways must pro- vide convenient access to these industrial employment centers from all parts of the ur- ban area. The Peachtree, Empire, and Chattahoochee Avenue Industrial Districts, the Ford Plant at Hapeville, and the Lockheed Plant at Marietta are examples of secondary centers of employment already exerting influence upon Atlanta's traffic pattern. The general land use plan has proposed several other substantial industrial areas which must be inter- related by the system of major streets. RETAIL CENTERS It is axiomatic that the retail trades tend to follow the population growth. As the City 16 EXISTING AND ESTIMATED FUTURE TRAFFIC VOLUMES AT SCREEN LINE BY SECTORS 1952–1980 N 1 38,600 87,600 2.27 1.2 1.05 2.85 46,031 131,500 10,500 9,700 6,500 N 2 24,800 55,100 2.22 1.2 1.05 2.80 31,615 88,500 7,100 6,560 4,400 E I 38,500 136,500 3.55 1.2 1.05 4.47 27,795 124,000 9,900 9, 150 6, 100 E 2 85,000 145,300 1.71 1.2 1.05 2. 15 68,752 148,000 11,800 10,900 7,300 E 3 77,200 119,700 1.55 1.2 1.05 1.95 66,145 129,000 10,600 9,760 6,500 S 1 20,900 53,300 2.55 1.2 1.05 3.22 15,030 48,400 3,900 3,600 2,400 s2 108,800 193,700 1.78 1.2 1.05 2.24 91,587 205,000 16,400 15,250 10,200 W I 85,000 137,200 1.62 1.2 1.05 2.04 57,964 118,500 9,500 8,780 5,900 W 2 65,000 135,200 2.08 1.2 1.05 2.62 33,402 87,500 7,000 6,460 4,300 TOTAL PEAK HOUR DIRECTIONAL TRAFFIC 53,600 TABLE 1 POPULATION Regis- Expansion tration Useage Total 24 Hour Traffic Volumes Peak Hour Traffic Sector 1953 1980 Factor Factor Factor Factor 1952 Est. 1980 Calculated Adjusted Outbound (3.1 to 2.58- 1.2) (8%) (67%) J | | | . pº* | . zºº... grows, additional outlying retail shopping centers will be built. The effectiveness of such outlying shopping centers will depend upon their accessibility to adjoining residen- tial communities. The major street plan should anticipate the large new retail centers and provide adequate connection to the tributary trade area. Future land uses have a very real effect on future traffic volume. While these ef- fects cannot be easily anticipated, safeguards must be built into the highway and street pattern to provide for these contingencies. POPULATION GROWTH AND TRAFFIC VOLUMES — For purposes of ascertaining directional traffic volumes, the community was divided into ten sectors tributary to a specific group of streets. For example, North Sector 1 included all area tributary to Howell Mill Road, Northside Drive, and the projected North-West expressway. Existing and future popula- tion for each sector was determined to ascertain the expansion factor applicable to the particular area. These computations are shown on Table 1. The accompanying rise in the number and use of vehicles, also, greatly influenced the estimates. However, these factors were assumed as constants over the entire me- tropolitan area. While the population of the four-county metropolitan area has doubled in the past three decades, the rise in the number of vehicles has been even more rapid. Vehicle registration doubled between 1930 and 1950, and by 1952 approximately 236,400 vehicles were registered in the metropolitan area. Consequently, the ratio of persons per vehicle has declined from 5.25 persons per car in 1930 to 3.24 persons in 1950. In Fulton and DeKalb Counties, this ratio was 3.1 in 1950. Several local agencies have prepared estimates of future vehicle registrations for varying periods over different geographical areas. However, comparative figures on the ratio of persons per vehicle can be interpolated from them. The most liberal of these is that of the State Highway Department of Georgia which estimates a 40 per cent increase in Fulton and DeKalb Counties. The most conservative is that used in this report which anticipates a 20 per cent increase from the present 3.1 persons per vehicle in Fulton and DeKalb Counties to a 2.58 ratio in the four-county area by 1980. The following summary shows similar estimates being used in other urban areas and several states. While most of these figures are for shorter periods, they do indicate the assumed 20 per cent change in the ratio of persons per vehicle is relatively liberal. Per cent Change in Ratio of Persons Area Period per Vehicle Oakland, California 1947 – 70 15 Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska 1950 – 70 cars 4 trucks 8 St. Louis County, Missouri 1950 – 70 18 Kansas City, Missouri 1950 – 70 7 State of Virginia 1950 – 70 23 State of Kansas - 1950 – 70 10 State of Illinois 1950 – 60 14 17 PLATE 8 CITY OF ATLANTA , GEORGIA \! O RT - - 2 31, G15 &e, 5oo K! ORT |-| – | \ 4-2, OS! 12, 1, 5oo * * * *= , = * -ºmº & * * *mme . *T** - - - - – - – * * * *- : – * -s a = s. SOUTH - 2 91, 587 SOUT!! - 15, o&O Oº, O OO 205, 46,4-oo EXISTING AND EST|MATED FUTURE 24 HOUR VOLUMES CROSS|NJG SCI2EE MJ LINE EY MAJOR SECTORS 1952-1960 L E G E NJ D Exist ING 24 Houſ TRAFFIC VOLUMB oo §§ ESTIMATED FUTURE 24 HOUR TRAFFIC VOLUMF oo SCALE NUM Đt (2 OF VEHICLES $COO O 5cco loooo 15 OOO 2COOO 25OOO HAQ LAN D BARTHOLOMEW/ & ASSOC AT tS MUNIC| DAL D C ITY PLANNERS - ATLANTA, Gt ORGIA UNICIPA, PANNING ESOARD y-- re- TABLE 2 PEAK HOUR WOLUMES BY MAJOR SECTORS ACCORDING TO DESTINATION – 1980 CLASSIFIED DESTINATIONS OF INBOUND VEHICLES BY STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT OF GEORGIA NORTH (1) EAST SOUTH WEST TOTAL gº º ºs º gº dº ſº º ºs º ºs º º tº PERCENTAGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - VEHICLES CROSSING SCREEN LINE WITH DESTINATIONS: A. BEFORE REACHING BUSINESS DISTRICT 23.5 21.4 19.2 20.0 21.5 B. WITHIN BUSINESS DISTRICT 50.3 50.0 46.0 45.4 48.3 C. WITHIN SCREEN AREA, PASSING THROUGH BUSINESS DISTRICT 12.4 14.3 18.0 18.8 15.3 D. BEYOND SCREEN AREA VIA BUSINESS DISTRICT 8.2 10.2 9.3 10.8 9.6 E. BEYOND SCREEN AREA BY-PASSING BUSINESS DISTRICT 5.6 4. 1 7.5 5.0 5.3 T O T A L 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 PEAK HOUR OUTBOUND VEHICLES BY CLASSIFIED ORIGIN “” VEHICLES CROSSING SCREEN LINE WITH OFIGIN: A. IN SCREEN AREA BUT NOT PASSING THROUGH BUSINESS DISTRICT 2,560 4,250 2,420 2,060 11,500 B. IN BUSINESS DISTRICT NORTH 1,920 3,480 2,030 1,620 9,060 CENTRAL 2,480 4,480 2,610 2,090 1 1,660 SOUTH 1, 100 5,500 1,990 9,950 1,160 5,800 930 4,640 5, 180 25,900 C. WITHIN SCREEN AREA, PASSING THROUGH E-ERER-Eº BUSINESS DISTRICT 1,340 2,850 2,260 1,900 8,200 D. BEYOND SCREEN AREA VIA BUSINESS DISTRICT 890 2,030 1, 170 1,100 5, 150 E. BEYOND SCREEN AREA BY-PASSING BUSINESS DISTRICT 610 820 950 500 2,850 F. IN SCREEN AREA BUT NOT PASSING SCREEN LINE 1,260 2,290 1,400 1,170 6,200 T O T A L 10,900 19,900 12,600 10,200 53,600 (1) Combined north-east and north-west sectors. (2) Assumed destinations of morning traffic will be origins of evening peak hour traffic. r— r— r— r— r— r— 1-1 r- T-I - T- r-, r- r- r- r- r- r- r- r- r- r- The factors for population growth, increased number, and the use of the automobile applied to the existing traffic of each sector produced 24-hour traffic volume at the screen and cordon line. As increase of 650,000 car movements, or 150 per cent, is anticipated in the next 27 to 30 years at the screen line. Plate 8 shows graphically the existing and anticipated future 24-hour volumes at the screen line. The largest numeri- cal increase is anticipated from the southwest(S2) and from the northeast (E1). Twenty-four hour volumes were, then, translated into peak hour and directional peak hour traffic. The directional peak hour traffic is the critical design load for the street system. Minor adjustments made in primary data were: 1. 1952 cordon counts conducted by the State Highway Department of Georgia indi- cated that peak hour approximates 9 per cent of the total 24-hour volume. It has been assumed that with greater traffic loadings some adjustment or staggering of work hours will reduce the peak hour movement to 8 per cent of the 24-hour total in the future. 2. An adjustment in the peak hour load has been made for an assumed increase in transit riding among employees. It has been assumed that by 1980 only 30 per cent of the employees will be driving into the downtown area. These basic estimates indicate that the radial streets of the major street system should provide for the movement of approximately 53,600 vehicles outbound at the screen line during the evening peak hour. PEAK HOUR MOVEMENT – Table 2 shows the peak hour volumes by major sectors at the screen line according to broad class of destination. The State Highway Department re- lationships shown at the top of the table reflect certain modifications in the data ac- quired by the post card survey of 1952. These modifications were made largely as a result of Metropolitan Planning Commission’s projection of future land uses in the ex- panded business district. The effect of the modification was to reduce the destinations within the business district (Class B ) while substantially increasing those destinations terminating within the screen area both before and after passing through the central bus- iness district. The projections indicate that the central business district will diminish in its rela- tive importance. In 1952, approximately 62 per cent of the two-hour morning “to work” movement had its destination in the expanded business district or cordon. By 1980, on- ly 48.3 per cent of this movement is expected to terminate in the same area. The per- centage decline in the central business district will be offset by an increase of desti- nation within the screen area where many of the terminal facilities of the future will probably be located. Destinations of Class A and C are expected to increase from 19 per cent to a total of 37 per cent. The projections anticipated that a smaller propor- tion of future movements will pass through the central business district to destinations outside the screen line. For purposes of determining the origin of evening peak hour loads, it has been assumed that the destinations of the “to work” movement would be the origin of evening peak hour movements. The volume and origin of the movement to each quadrant was calcu- lated, and its effect upon the street system could be reasonably well anticipated. Table tº 18 ſº -- Zº PLATE 9 Z `s ſ º Z . TS's 2– ! 2. | CITY OF ATLANTA / / | & A / / R U L T ON COUNT Y Z_^ | G E OR G | A 2’- | | N- *— T--- THE MUNICIPAL PLANNING BOARD \ 2^ ſº Q . > A T L A N T A . G - O R G | A N 2° N 3. / N HARLAND BARTHOLOMEW & ASSOCIATES Y ) 9/ \ , CITY PLANNERS ATLANTA, GEORGIA ^ , 2. v/ - - Z \s Y 2. / \ J º 2% \ - 2% - - 2. *** *...** . --- -- \ - 2% — —- - Ż *ca. º ===Tº T -- - Ż / / / | Z / º j^ s f ve_2^ // SSJ H__º / . S. - Z | | Z - ſorº IVE - _2^ º / - | - ſ | ! / ==== Z ſ _^ | / º / º A .* --~~ |-" L. L E M L N T S O P- T || L: i ST [2 L L T D L AN L L G L N D ***"...; OT LIE tº __ EXP ſº LSS WAYS ------ ====- _-T ſº AD | A LS - ---- _- INDUSTRIAL ARLAS ------- __” COMMLſ”CIAL Aſº AS Ill|| - _-T |||-DLNSITY PLSIDENTIAL -|I |||| 2, also, shows the origin of each directional movement by class. Class B origins have been refined to show the particular part of the business district from which they will generate. Not included in the Highway Department Classifications were those move- ments having their evening destination (or morning origins) within the screen area and not passing through it as a part of the major directional movement; 6,200 such move- ments have been included in the total under Class F. PROPOSED MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN BASIC ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN The basic elements of the proposed Major Thoroughfare Plan for Atlanta and Fulton County are shown in diagrammatic form on Plate 9. While the map covers all the anti- cipated future urban area, those portions of the plan in Clayton, Cobb, and DeKalb Coun- ties and in the Tri-Cities area indicate desire lines and do not suggest specific align- ments. The plan shows the commercial, industrial, and high density residential areas proposed by the future land use plan. - ExPRESSWAY SYSTEM – By comparing future traffic volumes with present street capa- cities in the screen line area, it is apparent that there will be a need for approximately a 100% increase in radial capacity. Some of this capacity can be attained through regu- lation and through street widening, both of which are necessary over rather extensive areas. Street widening itself will contribute substantial new capacity, but it is an ex- pensive procedure. Moderate building setback lines established now in some of the older areas of the City will, in the future, make street widenings economically feasible. The amount of street width to be gained under this procedure is limited. In lieu of ex- tensive widening programs, a system of expressways has been proposed; much of this program is well established with construction now moving forward. The system of five radiating expressway routes makes up the backbone of the major thoroughfare plan. The expressway to the north is now complete from a point near Hunnicutt and Spring Streets to a fork at Brookwood Station. Construction is well advanced on the northeast leg extending from the fork to a connection with Buford Highway near the Fulton County line. Much of the Chamblee-Doraville traffic load now using Peachtree Road, Piedmont Avenue, and other surface streets serving the northeast can be expected to utilize this route. Construction is also underway on a northwest leg which will connect the existing structure at Brookwood Station and the Marietta four-lane highway (U. S. 41 Temp.) near West Paces Ferry Road. This link of the expressway system, in addition to being an entry for an interstate highway, will relieve the surface streets of the commuter load from the Marietta area. Construction has been completed on the south leg of the expressway system from the county line to University Avenue. Land acquisition is underway for its continuation to a point near Memorial Drive and Washington Street. This portion of the system connects with U. S. 41 to Macon. The Highway Department proposes that a southeast leg be in- troduced which would join the existing route at the northeast corner of Hapeville and connect with U. S. 29 south of College Park. This extension offers important relief to Lee Street by taking the interstate highway traffic and the commuter load from the Tri- Cities area. Similar relief would be provided Stewart Avenue and Sylvan Road. It would, 19 also, place the airport in an advantageous position with respect to a high-speed artery directly into the downtown area. The north-south legs of the expressway will be joined into a single unit by the down- town connector, the alignment of which has been approved by the Mayor and General Council. It will extend from Spring Street around the business district to the east and connect with the south leg in the vicinity of Memorial Drive and Washington Street. The relation of this portion of the expressway to the major street system will be discussed in a succeeding section. The completed north-south expressway system will provide connections with three of Atlanta's six interstate highways. The east-west expressway system is in the planning stage but has been reasonably well established to the east. It would meet the north-south expressway at a four-square block interchange between Washington Street and Capitol Avenue south of Memorial Drive. From this point it parallels Memorial Drive east in the vicinity of Rawson Street to Sugar Creek Valley. The extended route would connect with State Route 12 to Augus- ta and would provide much needed capacity for the southeast section of the urban area. It would relieve Memorial Drive and Glenwood Avenue of the present heavy traffic load. The western link of the expressway system should serve as the interstate route from Birmingham. The route now enters the City on Bankhead Highway which is not capable of being improved to a desirable standard. This present alignment of U. S. 78 bears north- westerly out of Atlanta only to swing back south to Douglasville. An alignment some- what south of the present route would be more direct and it would still pass close enough to the community of Austell to make connection with Route 6. It is proposed that this route enter Fulton County about midway in the proposed Chattahoochee Industrial Area. From this point it would bear easterly and intersect Gordon Road near Florida Avenue, along Gordon Road and Westview Drive, between Atlanta University and Morehouse Col- lege to an intersection with the West Side By-pass at Tatnall Street. From this inter- change the proposed route meets Brotherton Street and the Capitol Avenue Interchange. From the Fulton County line at the Chattahoochee River to the Louisville-Nashville Railroad, an expressway at grade is proposed. The remainder of the route will have a normal expressway cross-section. In addition to serving as an optimum alignment for the interstate route, the proposed expressway should stimulate the development of both the industrial area long the Chattahoochee River and the southwest area of the City. This area, provided with a good highway system, should develop rapidly since its top- ography, availability to sanitation, sewer, and municipal water encourage extensive urbanization. The Brotherton Street connector immediately south of the business dis- trict performs an important function with respect to the distribution of traffic around the existing central business district. A fifth supplementary expressway is proposed to the east. From an interchange with the north-south system at Harris Street, this proposed eastern route would generally paralled Highland Avenue toward North and Moreland Avenues and enter Ponce de Leon near Lullwater Road. The connection with the Lawrenceville Road would provide the route for the sixth interstate highway. An expressway located in this area would pro- vide badly needed capacity to relieve the many surface streets of the traffic load being generated in the Emory section. tt 20 ſ . CIRCUMFERENTIAL AND BY-PASS ROUTES – Traffic data previously discussed indicates that one of the chief causes of congestion within the screen line was due to lack of ade- quate by-pass routes. It is highly desirable to relieve the business district streets of that traffic which has no desire to enter this area. The dispersal of this traffic load around the business district can be accomplished by a series of by-pass or loop routes. Four modified loops have been proposed to accomplish this by-pass movement. 1. The expressways already discussed, together with the West By-pass, will have created about 80% of a complete circuit around the central business district. It is proposed that this circuit be completed with a connection from the north-south expressway to the West By-pass. This connection is proposed in the vicinity of Simpson Street which, in turn, is related to a system of one-way streets on the north side of the business district. It would allow traffic, either having its origin ad- jacent to the business district or approaching on expressways, to skirt the con- gested area rather than being forced through it. The loop would provide substan- tial relief for the downtown connector which will be critically loaded during the peak hours. Completion of the loop will perform the important function of breaking through the railroad barrier to the west with needed capacity to serve the several streets which do not penetrate this barrier. Traffic loads will ultimately require the improvement of the West By-pass to expressway standards. This can be done through the provision of service lanes adjacent to the present paving, limiting access to major street crossings. Eventually these crossings, or at least the most congested ones, may be provided with grade separations. 2. An intermediate loop or by-pass route is proposed which would utilize 10th Street and Virginia Avenue on the north. Moreland Avenue on the east, University Avenue and its eastward extension on the south, and a new route generally paralleling the Louisville and Nashville Railroad from Marietta Street to University Avenue. A six-lane cross-section is proposed for this loop. It is well related to the major industrial areas of the City and embraces a large part of the area proposed for the most intensive development in the future. Because this route would provide direct access to every radial leading into the City, interchange should be made with all expressways. The north side of the loop embraces the Council adopted 10th Street connection in the vicinity of Peachtree Street and the Lochner proposal for a grade separation connecting Virginia Avenue and overpassing Boulevard. 3. A secondary circumferential route is proposed which would consist of a portion of the proposed Access Road lying just west of Hightower Road, Lakewood Avenue projecting directly east and west, a north-south route in DeKalb County in the vicinity of the joint corporate limits of Atlanta and Decatur, a new route parallel- ing the Seaboard Airline Railroad and Peachtree Creek to a point near the Atlanta Water Works, and utilizing a portion of a new connector from Access Road to the Expressway. Over much of its route the proposed secondary circumferential tra- verses undeveloped area. There are relatively few platted streets which intersect the alignment; therefore, over much of its length could be made a boulevard-type structure with access being limited to existing streets and projected major thor- oughfares. 21 The development of certain portions of this circumferential seems imminent. There is a long established need to secure a by-pass to the west which would connect the existing access highway from Marietta, which now terminates near Bolton Road, to U. S. 29 at a point south of College Park. There has been a long standing need for a continuous cross-town street north of 10th Street. The Peachtree Creek align- ment would serve the dual purpose of a cross-town and by-pass route. This faci- lity could well be coupled with a drainage improvement program along Peachtree Creek. DeKalb County needs a north-south route through its urbanized area. A line in the vicinity of the west city limits of Decatur has considerable merit. 4. An outer by-pass route which would generally define the extent of urbanization during the planning period, is proposed to allow the complete by-passing of the metropolitan area. Much of this route lies outside the jurisdiction of the local planning agency and cannot be more than suggestive. The route utilizes on the north the Lockheed Connector running from the Chamblee Industrial Area to the four lane highway (Route 41) in the vicinity of the Lockheed plant. To the east and south the route suggested lies outside the County except where it meets U. S. Route 29 near Red Oak. To the west a route is proposed paralleling the Atlantic Coast Line from its crossing of Route 29 north through the Ben Hill area to a junc- tion with Carroll Road near the Fulton County Airport. This route would be con- nected to the four lane highway at Paces Ferry Road over Carroll and Bolton Roads to Access Road and a new alignment following Nancy Creek to West Paces Ferry Road. A portion of this latter improvement would be utilized by both the outer by- pass and the secondary circumferential. The Fulton County portion of this route passes through undeveloped lands, making control of access points possible. It is proposed as a limited access boulevard. A suggested connection in Cobb County from the Roswell-Marietta Highway to the pro- posed Birmingham Expressway would effectively complete the by-pass and simultaneous- ly stimulate development in Cobb County between Smyrna and the Chattahoochee River. RADIAL ROUTES – Although radial routes are treated in detail in a following section entitled “Radial Thoroughfares”, their function as vital connectors between the ex- pressways and circumferential or loop routes should be stressed here. A few of the more important radials are shown on Plate 9. Radial connections with circumferentials create interchange opportunities which allow motorists a choice of routes. With these opportunities the motorist may enter the congested area at a point most convenient to to his destination. MAJOR COUNTY HIGHWAYS The street and highway system for Atlanta and Fulton County is logically subdivided into three sections: (1) the rural area of north Fulton County, (2) the rural area of south Fulton County, and (3) the urbanized area which separates the first two. The ensuing discussion relates to the two rural areas. The County now has a good system of roads serving most of the developed areas. This 22 PLATE TO MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN UNJINCOſ3 DOſ: ATF D A PFA FULTO NJ COUNTY MOUNTAIN PA 2K Nort: compiled F2 om City, County AND 5TAT& H G Hwa Y MAP.5. MUNICIPAL PLANNING BOARD HA2LAND BARTHOLOMEW & ASSOCIATES CITY PLANNE2S — ATLANTA, GEoſ2GIA L E G B N D Ağär U2ſ2AM STREFT SYSTEM Mºr FX ſpſ2t 5.5 WAYS AND CIRCUM Ffſ2FMTIAL ROUTE:5 ####### OTHER URBANJ ROUTE: 5 RURAL ROAD SYSTEM # PR M ARY | | | G LWAYS ######### of CO N DARY || |G| IWAYS ------ — — — — MAJOR [2 Uſe AL ROAD 5 -------- tº CROSS 5f CTION 6 I 200' MINIMUM DR1 MARY || || G - WAY 5 § f A- e \ ^ – º **** | | ſ' I IGO TO 130' —l SECONJDARY | || GHWAYS /~ º MAJOR RURAL . . ~ * PAL METTO network is constantly being expanded and improved. One of the principal planning pro- blems is that of relating the system of improved county roads to the existing and pro- posed radials of the urban street system. This must be done to promote logical urban expansion from each of the incorporated communities within a sound highway network. Plate 10 shows the location and general character of the proposed system of highways throughout the county and their relation to important thoroughfares in the unincorporated areas of Fulton County. The delineation indicates existing and proposed roadways, their connections and extensions, and types of improvement which should be provided. Cross- sections of these improvements, showing paving width, shoulders and right-of-way widths, are, also, included in the plan. TYPES OF ROADWAYS – The roadways, which are a part of the primary highway system, are expected to carry traffic over considerable distances at relatively high speeds. These roads require lower gradients and degrees of curvature than other rural roads to provide safe sight distances for this faster moving traffic. The first cross-section shown is ap- plicable to the primary highways of the County and provides for four moving lanes of traffic on a 200-foot right-of-way. The 12-foot traffic lanes are in pairs with a 40-foot medial strip separating the two movements. Ten-foot shoulders are provided on each side of the pavements. This cross-section is applicable to routes having volumes in excess of 4000 cars per day. Route 29 in the south and Route 9 in the north have such volumes. - The requirements for the secondary highways throughout the County are little dif- ferent from those of the primary state routes. The principal variable is the amount of traffic anticipated, allowing a reduction in the lanes without materially changing the quality of the roadway. The cross-section for this type roadway shown is applicable Route 166 (Campbellton Road). Other rural roads function similarly to the radials and crosstowns of the urban area and should be designed to allow ultimate improvement to an urban cross-section. Two 11-foot traffic lanes should be provided in the original improvement, and broad shoulders should be graded to allow for additional traffic lanes in the future. The first two of these cross-sections are based upon the “Geometric Design Stan- dards” of the State Highway Department. The third reflects a modification of design recommended by the Department to allow easy conversion of the rural roads into an ur- ban cross-section. NORTH FULTON COUNTY – The provisions of an adequate highway network for North Fulton County are hampered by the limits of County jurisdiction. Only one major high- way cuts through the narrow neck of the County connecting old Milton County with the City of Atlanta. All other connections which will integrate the highway network of this rural area with the urban area must be provided outside the boundaries of the County. Within the old Milton County Area, few modifications are required. The primary ones are: 1. Improve Holcombe Bridge Road from Route 9 to the Chattahoochee River. 2. Improve Jones Bridge Road across the northern end of the County. This would re- quire a new connection from Old Alabama Road to Holcombe Bridge Road. This 23 improvement eliminates one bridge crossing withoutimpairing the highway network. 3. Improve State Route 141 from Cumming to Norcross to meet primary route standards, inasmuch as it may ultimately be designated as U. S. 19. This would allow traffic on this route to enter Atlanta on the northeast leg of the expressway. 4. Improve McGinnis Ferry Road (which lies along the county line between Fulton and Forsyth Counties). 5. Provide a connection from the intersection of Norcross-Haynes Bridge Road and Nesbitt Ferry Road to the intersection of Jones Bridge Road and Old Alabama Road. The entire route should be improved to an all-weather road, since it serves the on- ly section of the County now without such a road. 6. Improve Hardscrabble Road between Mountain Park and the Roswell-Birmingham Highway. SOUTH FULTON COUNTY – Further intensive urbanization in Fulton County can best be accommodated southwest of the City of Atlanta. Topography of this area lends itself more readily to intensive development than other areas of the County. Probably the greatest stimulus to this future urbanization will be County and Municipal policy. In- dustrial and residential development can be encouraged by the availability of municipal services such as water, sewerage, and an adequate street system. Of major importance is the future street system. In addition to providing for desired traffic movements, it will create the framework in which residential communities can can develop. The rural road system should be designed as an extension of primary urban routes. While this system will not emulate the tightly-knit network of the urban areas, it must provide the framework for a desirable land use plan for neighborhood development. The designated roadways should have adequate rights-of-way to allow for increasing the improvements to an urban standard. Several additions to the existing county highway system are proposed to establish a desirable pattern. These are: 1. Complete the Palmetto-Cascade Highway from the present southern terminus at Upper Rivertown Road into Route 29 near Palmetto. Petersburg Road can be ut- ilized over a portion of this distance. 2. Extend the Palmetto-Cascade Highway northward over an entirely new alignment into the proposed Fulton County Industrial Area. 3. Improve Jones Road from Upper Rivertown Road to Stonewall-Tell Road. 4. Improve Old Fairburn Road and provide a new connection with Redwine Road. This would create a continuous radial route into the East Point area. 5. Improve Campbellton-Rivertown Road between the south county line and the Pal- metto-Cascade Highway. A small portion of this would be a new connection. This route would complete a continuous route parallel to the River from the south county line to the four-lane highway to Marietta. 6. Improve Rico and Capps Ferry Roads between Hutchinson Ferry and Campbellton- 24 PLATE IT D Q Oſ) OSE- D MAJO [2 TLIOROUG||FAſ2f PLAN ATLANJTA Uſ! BANJ Aſ2 FA LEGENJ D E-X IST|NJG pſ2OpoSED ALt G M NA & NT ALIGNJ M f NJT ################ EXPRESSWAY ############ FXPRESSWAY AT GRADE = = = = = L|M|TFſ) ACC frSS E,OULt.VARD tº |NTERMEDIATE LOOD arts zcº ºr cºcº rec SIX LANJ F RADIAL tº ſº º º º tº º ºs º gº FOUR LANE RADIAL ––––––– •º PRODOSE D GRADE SEPARATION O GRAP!!!C SCALE: 2000 o zoo.o 4poo <\ooo ecoo toooo 12, ooo 14, coortrf º 1. R n t i i t ſi R in º MUNIC) PAL PLANJ N | \] G B OA R2 - - - - - - - - - - ATLANTA , Georgia ---. HARLAND BA (2T_|OLOMEW & ASSOCIATES CITY PLA NJ NJ E R S ATLA NJTA, G E ORG | A • * * * * ~ * * * * * * * * J. ! J . . . . . . J | J s ! A a mº we wa ME = E = E = Rivertown Roads. 7. Free Cascade and Campbellton Roads of through traffic by designating Lakewood (Avenue) Boulevard as the state route. 8. Connect Senoia Road (Route 74, south of Fairburn Road) into the newly improved Spence Road. This will channel Routes 74 and 92 through the railroad underpass in Fairburn, eliminating turning movements on these routes within the community. 9. Improve Red Oak and Morris Roads between Buffington and Fairburn-Jonesboro Roads. 10. Improve Fairburn-Jonesboro Road. ll. Realign unimproved portion of Lee's Road on the west side of the Atlantic Coast Line. Although many of the routes lie in the unincorporated area of the County, they are act- ually a part of the urban street system. Such routes as Lakewood Avenue, Access Road, Lockheed Connector and the outer By-pass serve to weld the highway system into a com- plete network, providing good high-speed connections to all parts of the County. The limited access boulevards proposed for these routes have cross-sections similar to those of the primary highways discussed in this section. THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN — URBAN AREA The locations, extent, and general character of development for the streets comprising the proposed major thoroughfare plan for the future urban area are shown on Plate 11. The several delineations indicate whether the street is an existing route, a new location, an extension of a present street, or a connection between existing streets. The plan, also, shows the number of traffic lanes that should ultimately be provided on each major street. Expressways, limited access boulevards, and belt or circumferential routes are separately indicated. Reference has already been made to Plate 1 which presents typical street cross-sec- tions to indicate the width and treatment of the roadway pavement and general character of development for each of the recommended right-of-way widths. Accepted modern stan- dards have been followed in the recommendations of street pavement widths. Traffic lanes on expressways and limited access boulevards have been shown as 12 feet in width while 11-foot lanes have been shown on all other major streets. Where excessive curves are encountered, the lane widths on the latter should be expanded to 12 or more feet depending upon the degree of curvature. Lanes reserved for service or parking should be 8 feet in width. . RADIAL THOROUGHFARES – The basic elements of the thoroughfare plan which included expressways and belt or circumferential routes were discussed in the preceeding sec- tion with little reference to the radials which comprise a most important part of the street system. Existing traffic flow data show that few streets other than the radial system now carry substantial amounts of traffic. The lack of by-pass routes accounts for this, and as the city continues to grow and secondary focal points develop, the de- mand for by-pass facilities will increase. Nevertheless, the radial system will con- 25 SECTOR TABLE 3 ESTIMATED PEAK HOUR VOLUMES AND ASSIGNMENTS BY MAJOR SECTORS EXISTING TRAFFIC LANES MAJOR STREETS North East South West . : : : 2 : SCREEN LINE – 1980 ESTIMATED TRAFFIC VOLUME TOTAL OUTBOUND 16260 10900 Tenth Street Howell Mill Northside Drive Expressway (N.W.) Peachtree Expressway (N.E.) Piedmont Avenue Boulevard 29810 19900 Expressway (N.E.) Piedmont Avenue Boulevard Tenth Street Ponce de Leon Forrest Avenue Highland Avenue Expressway (East) Irwin Decatur Edgewood Avenue Memorial Drive Expressway (East) Glenwood Avenue Ormewood Avenue 18850 12600 Boulevard Grant Milton McDonough Pryor Expressway (South) McDaniel Glenn Whitehall 15240 10200 Peters Expressway (West) Nelson Street Hunter – Mitchell Magnolia Expressway (Connector) Jones North Avenue Tenth Street (1) Carries both north and west bound traffic. (2) Carries both north and east bound traffic. Note: Assignments based on practical capacity of 450 cars per lane per hour on surface streets and ASSIGNED VOLUME OUTBOUND 10900 (1) 750 1000 1500 3000 2000 ( 2) 1500 ( 2) 650 ( 2) 500 20750 (2) 1500 ( 2) 700 ( 2) 850 1350 1350 900 900 4500 900 900 1350 1350 2400 900 900 12450 1000 1000 1000 1000 1350 3600 1000 1000 1500 10575 900 2400 425 1350 900 2400 550 900 ( 1) 750 1200 on Expressway. Maximum capacity per lane per hour considered as 500 and 1500. TOTAL TRAFFIC LANES s i WI gºse- g tinue to carry a large bulk of the urban traffic. It is estimated that the outbound peak hour movement at the screen line will reach 53,600 cars. At a practical capacity of 450 cars per lane per hour, this will require an equivalent of 117 lanes including ex- pressways. The proposed plan will have to utilize some of the streets to their maximum capacity. This is true of all streets serving the northern and southern quadrants. The more num- erous east-west streets provide adequate capacity in these directions. Table 3 sum- marizes the traffic requirements, number of existing and proposed future traffic lanes by sector and street. NORTHERN QUADRANT It is estimated that by 1980, a total of 10,900 northbound vehicles will seek to leave the screen area during the peak hour. The inadequate number of radial streets in the area between the Southern Railroad on the west and the northeast leg of the expressway cannot be sufficiently expanded to meet future needs. The addition of the expressway to the northwest will leave this quadrant deficient in capacity to the extent of 3,400 ve- hicles in the peak hour. These movements will be forced to leave the screen line over east-west streets utilizing an estimated 50% of the capacity of 10th Street to the west, Boulevard and Piedmont Avenue and the northeast leg of the expressway on the east. All streets serving this quadrant will be utilized to their maximum capacity. Table 3 summarizes the requirements of the area and assignments by streets. The high assign- ment made to Peachtree Road assumes a staggered-lane operation making four lanes available to the major directional movement. A new connection is proposed west of Buckhead from Roswell Road on the north to Peachtree Road on the south. The Roswell Road traffic would by-pass Buckhead to relieve the business streets. The area between the by-pass and the existing route through Buckhead would provide new space for com- mercial expansion of this important shopping center. EASTERN QUADRANT By 1980 it is estimated that in the peak hour, 19,900 vehicles will be eastbound through the screen line and into the tributary area of the streets between the northeast express- way and Ormewood Avenue. The 12 surface streets in the quadrant will be supplemented by three expressways. Despite these high capacity arteries the number of traffic lanes provided by surface streets must be doubled. Piedmont Avenue, Boulevard, Tenth Street, Ponce de Leon Avenue, Edgewood Avenue and Memorial Drive are recommended as six-lane structures. The remaining streets will provide four moving lanes. Congestion is anticipated on Piedmont Avenue between the junctions of Boulevard and the proposed Peachtree Boulevard. An eight-lane structure will be required between Boulevard and Cheshire Bridge Road. Anticipated traffic volumes will require a staggered-lane oper- ation favoring the major directional movement. From the Boulevard intersection to Ches- hire Bridge Road, six of the eight lanes should be devoted to the major movement while between the latter intersection and Peachtree Creek Boulevard, four of six lanes should be devoted to this movement. The eight-lane structures should include medial strips or signals to channelize the flow in specific directions. Two new connections are proposed to improve the surface radials in this quadrant. It is proposed that an underpass in the vicinity of Elizabeth Street be constructed to connect Edgewood Avenue and Boulevard Drive into a continuous radial. A connector across Grant Park between Georgia Avenue 26 Fre -- - . . . and Ormewood Avenue would tend to concentrate the present traffic which daily passes through the several park drives. The connections should be designed to separate the proposed expanded zoo from other park functions. SOUTHERN QUADRANT An estimated 12,600 vehicles will be southbound out of the screen line in the peak hour by 1980. These vehicles will be destined to the area tributary to the nine streets from Boulevard on the east to Whitehall Street on the west. These streets now provide 22 traffic lanes, whereas, 42 will be acquired. Additional moving lanes will be required on all thoroughfares. Further, estimated traffic volumes indicate all streets will be ut- ilized to their maximum capacity. It is proposed that Grant Street be extended to Mc- Donough Boulevard around the east side of Chosewood Park to meet the Sawtell Avenue alignment. This radial should be continued south along Meador Road which, in turn, should be connected with Browns Mill Road in the vicinity of Cleveland Avenue. An underpass is proposed under the Atlanta and West Point Railroad. WESTERN QUADRANT It is estimated that by 1980 the peak hour movement will include 10,200 cars bound out of the screen area to the west. They will be destined to the tributary areas of the six existing streets from Peters Street on the south to 10th Street. The proposed im- provements to the west will add enough capacity to the existing surface streets to in- crease the practical capacity to 10,925. Since the screen line on the west follows the rail lines immediately adjacent to the business district, many of the proposals are close- ly related to the improvement of circulation in the congested area. One of the primary problems is to penetrate the rail barrier with new vehicular capacity. Because every major street passing this barrier will have to go over or under the tracks, these crossings should be held to a minimum with a few high capacity streets. An important part of the new capacity penetrating the rail lines is in the expressway loop previously discussed. The north connector at Simpson Street and the east-west expressway will provide for 4,800 car movements per hour in each direction. In addition to these routes and the Hunter Street viaduct now under consideration, it is proposed that Magnolia Street from Cain Street to the West By-pass be improved to carry four moving lanes of traffic and that, as a part of the 10th Street improvement, a viaduct be built over the Southern Rail- road and Marietta Street merging with the latter in the vicinity of its junction with Ashby Street. This end of 10th Street would, then, perform a radial street function by feeding both Sweat Road and the old car line route to Bolton. Improvement in alignment and/or the extension of several radials is proposed in the western quadrant. The most impor- tant of these are: a. Extend Sweat Road to a connection with the proposed access road. b. Improve the alignment of Simpson Road to the north end of the industrial district south of Fulton County Airport. c. Extend Westwood Avenue along the Utoy Creek Valley to the proposed outer cir- cumferential. d. Extend Lakewood Avenue from Lee Street to the south end of the proposed Fulton County Industrial Area. e. A realignment of Redwine and Old Fairburn Roads. º | 27 CROSSTOWN ROUTES – In addition to the circumferential route which will be important cross-town thoroughfares, a number of connections have been provided between the various radials. These function to facilitate the movement between residential areas and are not necessarily continuous. In the north quadrant, 14th Street, Wesley Road, Paces Ferry Road, Wieuca Road, Mt. Vernon Highway, and Mt. Paran Road perform this function. These routes should ulti- mately provide for four moving lanes of traffic, and as opportunities become available, the alignments of some should be improved. Bedford Place, Parkway Drive — Boulevard, Second Avenue – East Lake Drive, and Candler Road serve as crosstowns in the eastern quadrant. In the south, Glenn Street — Georgia Avenue – Ormewood Avenue, University Avenue, and Browns Mill Road pro- vide for cross-town movement. To the west this function is performed by Ashby Street, West Lake Avenue — Grove Park Avenue – Taft Street, Centra Villa Drive – D. Lowe Drive – Cascade Avenue, and Harwell Road extended. The provision of any reasonable cross-town street system involves a great many con- nections to eliminate offsets which now exist. For example, to utilize the West Lake Avenue, Florence Place, Grove Park Avenue, and Taft Street alignments as a single cross-town route, new connections are necessary. Florence Place and Grove Park Ave- nue must connect across Proctor Creek, and the half block offset between Grove Park Avenue and Taft Street must be eliminated. With such modifications, many existing alignments can be utilized. THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT PLAN One of the critical planning problems of the thoroughfare plan is that of establishing the relationship of the expressways to the downtown streets which must feed traffic to both the network of surface streets which make up the radial system and the expressway loop. There are three distinct phases to the problem. They are: To determine the amount of traffic that should be handled, to establish the most efficient traffic pattern in the downtown area and determine its capacity, and to establish a system of ramps that will best provide ingress to and egress from the expressway while preserving surface capa- city through the expressway sufficient to feed the surface street system. ESTIMATED OUTBOUND TRAFFIC AT THE CORDON LINE – Assuming that the destinations of the “to work” movement in the morning will be the origin of the evening peak hour, the movements through the cordon line can be reasonably well anticipated. The fol- lowing table shows the volume of major classes of origins projected from three series of estimates, two of which are by the State Highway Department. 28 i i i - \ - eff=| | | | | | ||—|| * * * * LT | | H---- ..m.-m-m-m-m------" | || - i | -- ---- !--- Norgi H AVENUE" Ay Erk! LJE- NORTH AVENUE 3–--—----- 1 ſº Māºl - Ay E. K. LME- ſº s K. cº -l Ave N J C- T AY&N U$ NORTH L -- ...——T TT º CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT || || L E- G E - NJ D Lurk DEN ſ i H | i : º-º-º-º-º:m---" : - CURRENT tº Pſzt SSWAY PROGRAM FUTURE Expſ2ESSWAY PROGRAM propost D staff.T IMPROVFM fºlſS OMJ E WAY STREETS | {T-Th 3. - |=#| || || Eſſº [T] [][][|| i : . ; (S i T] tºr | || || || || || || || || || || || || || I- — | | |T ||| || || || || || || º †º – — — PLATE 12 MUN | CI PAL PLAN NJ 1 MJ G B O AP2D AT LA, NJ T A G f O R G | A ||ARLAND BA QT-1OLOMEW & ASSOCl ATFS C T Y. D L A Kl NJ E ſº S AT LA NJT A G B C R G | A - |re:- :ii|I.3....-- | -* Tº i* ºs #ºº.. ºt -- | Highway Dept. Projection Planni Straight Adjusted º Evening Peak Hour, 1980 Expansion Expansion Estimates Origins in Central Business Dist: Destination beyond screen line 34,750 29,260 25,900 Destination within screen area 6,460 6,250 6,200 Vehicles passing thru Bus. Dist: Origins in screen area 6,400 9,150 8,200 Origins outside screen area 5,700 5,700 5,150 Total Outbound thru Cordon 53,310 50,360 45,450 Vehicles passing screen not involved in cordon movement: Origins in screen area 10,250 13,090 11,500 Origins outside screen area 3,200 3,200 2,850 Sub-total 66,860 66,650 59,800 Minus destinations above - 6,460 -6,250 -6,200 Total Outbound thru screen line 60,400 60,400 53,600 Morning Peak Hour – 1980. - At Screen Line 56,700 56,700 tº º While the table indicates a considerable difference in estimates of vehicles leaving the cordon area during the peak hour, it establishes a probable range of the demand. The estimates of the last two columns have been adjusted to take into consideration the abi- lity of the expanded business district to grow and provide storage for these vehicles. No adjustment has been made to account for a change in driver habit due to an improved street system. Approximately 29 per cent of the outbound traffic at the cordon line is made up of vehicles passing through the expanded business district. The probable vol- ume of outbound traffic at the cordon ranges from 45,000 to 50,000 while the range of through movements is from 13,000 to 15,800 vehicles in the peak hour. Two assump- tions can be made relative to the latter volume. 1. A part of this traffic will enter and leave the cordon on the expressways. This volume should be relatively small if good, high-speed by-pass routes are available. 2. A substantial part of this volume can be expected to use the by-pass routes though this amount will be dependent upon the direction from which the traffic approaches the central area. THE DOWNTOWN STREET SYSTEM – Plate 12 is a plan of the expanded business district showing the expressway system, the utilization of surface streets, and the proposed con- nections between the two. One-way streets have been shaded, and the direction of travel is indicated by arrows. The one-way street system has been extended to provide maxi- mum capacity wherever that increased capacity could be utilized to feed the expressways or surface street system. Careful consideration has been given transit needs in the ex- tension of the one-way street system. The long-standing proposal to reverse the present direction of one-way operation on 29 ... i | I Courtland and Piedmont should be activated when expressway construction reaches these streets. Piedmont Avenue would, then, become one-way north from Mitchell Street to 12th Street. With 12th Street as a westbound street, inbound traffic could progress smoothly from Piedmont Avenue to Juniper-Courtland and south to Memorial Drive. Direction should, also, be reversed on the Pryor and Central-Ivy pair of one-way streets. This one-way system would start in the vicinity of Dodd Avenue with Central-Ivy being one- way north to its intersection with Peachtree Street. Pryor Street would be southbound from Edgewood Avenue! Two blocks of Pryor Street north of Edgewood Avenue would remain northbound. Williams Street and Techwood Drive should operate as a one-way system to load and unload the expressway at its present termination near Spring Street . Williams Street would be northbound from Luckie Street, and Techwood Drive would be southbound from Alexander Place to Walton Street. Bartow Street should be widened into Marietta Street and be one-way southwest. Bell and Butler Streets would become one- way north and south, respectively, primarily to load and distribute expressway traffic. | -|§ I| Two pairs of one-way streets now exist in the vicinity of the Harris Street interchange. Traffic operates east on Harris and Ellis and west of Baker and Cain. On the south, near the Capitol Avenue interchange, a similar set of one-way streets has been proposed with Garnett and Mitchell being east bound and Trinity and Hunter being west bound. It is proposed that Gilmer Street be utilized primarily to put traffic on the expressway and must, therefore, be one-way southeast. ** SPECIFIC IMPROVEMENTS r Four major and several minor improvements not directly related to the expressway pro- gram are proposed. 1. Hunter Street Viaduct and Widening. It has been previously noted that considera- tion is being given this project to relieve a badly congested area in the vicinity of Terminal Station and to provide another break through the rail barrier westward. . Mitchell Street should be connected with the improved Hunter Street to complete the one-way system and eliminate a major street crossing of West By-pass. 2 3. Widen Magnolia Street to provide four moving lanes from Cain Street to the West By- pass. 4. Widen Edgewood from Ivy Street to the expressway connector to carry six lanes of traffic. 5. Eliminate the offset between Capitol Avenue and Piedmont Avenue at Hunter Street. 6. Provide connections from Peters Street Viaduct over Spring Street and into Garnett Street. 7. Provide improved right turn movement from Edgewood Avenue into Ivy Street. 8. Widen Bartow Street between Walton and Marietta Streets. 9. Improve the connection between Cain and Magnolia Streets at Luckie. 1. IN THE EVENT OF EXTENSIVE REDEVELOPMENT of AN AREA containing A PAR of one-way STREETs, SUCH AS PRYOR AND CENTRAL, THE STREETs SHOULD BE comeineD INTo A sincLE structure. 30 T *:::::::::: º ST ſº FET . §§§ i ; PLATE T 3 º, gº FUTURE OUTBOUND T T[2AFFIC MOVEMENJT |NJ T |E DEAK |_|OU [2 gº . : § § º º §: #3:. A 3-º. ğ.º.º. MUN. ICIPAL PLAN N ING BOARD ATLANTA , G E O RG 1A : HARLAND BARTHOLOMEW & ASSOCIATES CITY OL ANJ N E QS ATLANTA, G E O RG | A § 4, § S t{y H § ti- ſy VE!-||CULAſº SCA LE § kº H- § tſ) Ky Q § $2 | R QS § § Ş. ; § $n **. § § | * §: § | wn S| | Q | ST | §: | Ši ; Q | | ! S; §: § §: &; | AV f \ UB- | r f * : * : tº ims tº me tº tº º sm | | | | | | ſ \ g V §: \ 3. I | | i | | | | | | | T * **** gºš \ \ EX DANJDFD ; \ CE: NJTF2AL US|N|F - : . . \ - D | ST | CT . fºLL | S : k r ! \ i HOUSTON }sſpºrts cº- \ ! l ; I ; f AUBURN jº / PEAK – OUR *}~ CAPAC | TY - = " 27 TABLE 4 ASSUMED CAPACITY OF SURFACE STREETS AT THE CORDON LINE APACITY OUTBOUND sºme Peters Street 900 Nelson Street 425 Mitchell Street tº-º-º: Hunter Street 1,275 Magnolia Street 800 Jones Avenue 550 North Avenue 900 Fifth Street 450 Tenth Street 1,350 Fourteenth Street 500 Williams Street 1,550 Marietta Street 800 Luckie Street 1,075 Spring Street 900 W. Peachtree Street 900 Peachtree Street 900 Piedmont Avenue 1,350 Tenth Street 1,350 Fifth Street 450 Ponce de Leon Avenue 1,350 North Avenue 450 Linden Avenue 450 Pine Street 450 Forrest Avenue 900 Baker Street tº- Harris Street 1,640 Cain Street tº º Butler Street tº * Ellis Street 1,640 Bell Street 900 Houston Street 720 Auburn Avenue 720 Edgewood Avenue 1,350 Gilmer Street 1,640 Decatur Street 900 Hunter Street tº--> Mitchell Street 1,640 Trinity Avenue tº-º Garnett Street 1,640 Memorial Drive 1,350 Capitol Avenue 720 Washington Street 1,350 Central Avenue tºº Pryor Street 1,700 Whitehall Street 325 Broad Street 500 Forsyth Street 625 Memorial Drive 500 Spring Street 365 SUBTOTAL 40,250 On Expressways becoming a part of the major movement and not using surface streets 2,800 TOTAL s 43,050 SOURCE: TRAFFIC ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT CITY OF ATLANTA |I|JJ|sº- 10. Connect Baker Street into Luckie Street. Assuming these improvements are made in the surface street system, these streets can discharge a total of 40,250 vehicles during a single hour as shown on Table 4. This in- dicates a capacity somewhat short of projected demands and emphasizes the need for by-pass routes and a greater reliance upon transit to get people into and out of the con- gested area. Special emphasis is placed on the increase in the number of employees which should ultimately ride transit to work in the downtown area. Except for that volume which may pass completely through the business district on the expressways, this repre- sents the total ability of the area to discharge peak hour traffic. Inasmuch as the ex- pressways are expected to be loaded beyond their practical capacity as they leave the cordon, the number of through movements will be relatively small. (An assignment of 2800 has been made.) The remaining capacity of the expressways — about 17,000 car capacity — should be loaded from the surface streets in the expanded central business district. Several basic assumptions and concepts have guided the location of ramps between the surface streets and the expressways. 1. Wherever an unloading ramp was justified by a number of destinations, a correspond- ing loading ramp of equal capacity was provided to return the movement from the direction it came. Broad Street, for example, unloads traffic from the west on one ramp and reloads traffic to the west on a complementary ramp. Too wide a separa- tion of complementary ramps promotes the unnecessary use of surface streets. Ramps are less expensive than street widenings in the congested area. 2. Whenever possible, streets which contribute to the loading of the radial system were left open and their volume unimpaired by expressway loading or discharge. 3. Ultimately, it appears that Forsyth and Whitehall Streets might advantageously be made one-way. Therefore, ramp designs have not precluded this possibility. 4. The Courtland-Piedmont one-way system should ultimately be continued into Capitol and Washington. Ramp designs should not impair this future development. The proposed system of ramps provides a good distribution of discharge and loading capacity into all parts of the expanded business district and maintains a balance with the surface street system. Plate 13 was compiled to show the flow pattern assuming a capacity loading of all surface streets at the cordon. The map shows a fully loaded con- dition on all expressways. At two points the expressway system approaches critical loads, (1) approaching the Harris Street interchange from the south and (2) along the existing north leg. These assumptions indicate that the latter will be carrying 4,500 outbound cars during the peak hour and that essentially each interchange from North Avenue to 14th Street will be able to put on no more cars than it takes off. GENERAL PLAN FOR PEACHTREE CREEK BOULEVARD - One of the important new align- ments recommended in the major street plan is Peachtree Creek Boulevard. This new street is the northern portion of the secondary circumferential which encompasses the intensely developed area of the City. As such, it will perform the dual function of pro- viding an important by-pass route north of the business district and of serving as a cross- town street in an area now devoid of good routes of this type. 31 W § # F - º gº! É šsesaº §§ 㺠ść % * º º, -º gº:2 =ºsis:=º CREEK GRAPHIC 50:ALE IN FEET ..!º º **** ºiº. I'ºrº lºº º: M UN CIPAL PLANN if JG B OARD ATLANTA, GA. HARLAND BART Holomew & Associates ATLANTA, GA. PLATE T 4 ºrt º E. | | COLONIAL PRODOSED PEACHTREE CREEK BOULEVARD ..., VºI.I.I.TI 3 : Aeoh, Pip PLATE 15 INCI2EASE OF STQFET CAPACITY Y TRAFFIC [2FGULATION N A TYDICAL 40' PAVE MENT LAND BAQTLOLOMEW & ASSCC/ATES MUNICIPAL PLANNING B OAPD º pu ANNEPS – ATLANTA , GEORGIA AT L A N T A G tº O 2 G | A - ºw- º & r - - §§ N&Sº - - ºvº ºccº § >~ *N* - w - º - § §§§ §§ ºš §§ V & ** S. sº º Rºxxºs ºxº º §3 º & & §§ §§§ § §§§ º § §§§ § ğ - & Sº - ºx- - &: & w -º-Mºº- ~. w <<> * º § sº : r : sº 3& s § §: & § §§ & 3. (33 O § Žº: - § - ------ sº º * - §§ §§ & § & º & - º - - § ; - ğ § § § §§ & & Šº tº: § & - - & sºxsº:Sºxº~& . --~~~~~ - * & 3. & X sº & * & º * § 3. ...” ºx: & § §3. º > Ä & wº &:::::::S& 24-O § § šº §§ Ǻ §& § § - § : - * sº 4. §§§ & & º º º º Rº: Nº - .* - &º §§§ w. r § & sº ss…sº - ~~~~ :*: - - sº 49% *†ºw 3׺ - ºx: * §§§ & : -ºº$3.g :: & --- º § xºsº 3. 79% X& & §3 wº § § 3. 3º º **.x. º & one way traffic - parking proulette D vehicle ož O |NCQtA5t | NJCREASF DATA £5ASED UDON DOWNTOWN CONJ DITIONS FURNISHED BY TRAFFIC, f NJ G | \, f f [2] NJ G Of paſz TM E. NJT • [ | | | | l | | l l l l ! . l . The proposed route extends from Clairmont Road in DeKalb County on the east to a boulevard paralleling Nancy Creek on the west. Over most of the distance the proposed alignment traverses sparsely developed property, and the right-of-way touches few im- provements. The principal problems arise between the expressways to the northeast and to the northwest. Plate 14 shows the general plan of the Peachtree Creek Boulevard through this area. On the east, an interchange is proposed with the expressway which would supplement the modified interchange now under construction at Piedmont Road. The proposed Boule- vard would meet Piedmont Road at grade allowing a free interchange with this important radial. Between this point and Peachtree Road, the proposed Boulevard would generally paralled the Seaboard Airline Railroad and Peachtree Creek. The course of the creek would be altered to provide the required right-of-way through this area. A grade separated interchange is proposed at Peachtree Road where the change in grade lends itself to such separation. The 200-foot right-of-way would require the taking of four small commercial structures at this point. From here the proposed alignment passes through undeveloped land until it approaches Bobby Jones Golf Course. Three residential structures on Havenridge Drive would fall within the proposed right-of-way. Some modifications in the arrangement of the golf course would be required as the proposed route would isolate the present club house from the course. The right-of-way will parallel Peachtree Creek through the Park area making grade intersection with Northside Drive and Howell Mill Road. A grade-separated interchange is proposed with the northwest leg of the expressway south of Peachtree Battle Avenue. Throughout its length, the route encounters no difficult grades since it remains in the the creek valley except at Peachtree Road. The preliminary study has shown several crossings of the creek, some of which might be eliminated by a realignment of the creek. Additional advantages will accrue to this project if flood abatement in the area is stu- died at the same time. While the Buford Dam is expected to control the level of the Chattahoochee River and modify the conditions which have contributed to flooding of the Peachtree Creek area in the past, study should be given to creek-bed improvement and alignment which will give maximum run-off of storm water. INCREASED CAPACITY BY REGULATION Plate 15 has been prepared to show the increase in street capacity by specific types of traffic regulation. Data for the chart were supplied by the Traffic Engineering Department of the City and pertain to a 40-foot street under downtown conditions. The practical ca- pacity of such a street upon which traffic moves in both directions and parking is per- mitted on each side is 630 vehicles per hour. The removal of parking from one side will create an additional lane which can be ut- ilized by the major directional movement doubling the capacity of this movement in the peak hour. Practical capacity of the whole street is increased 46 per cent or to 920 ve- hicles per hour. If the directional movement is approximately uniform the removal of * 32 parking from both sides will create two moving lanes in each direction increasing the ca- pacity of the street to 1130 cars per hour, an increase of 79 per cent over the base ca- pacity shown above. As a general rule, "the capacity of a one-way street is higher than the capacity of a two-way street," but this is somewhat dependent upon the per cent of traffic traveling in one direction on the two-way street. Plate 8 indicates very little increase in efficiency of the sample street when parking is permitted on one side. When this parking is removed, a total of 1340 cars per hour may be handled on the street. This represents an increase of 112 per cent over the base capacity of the street and a 16 per cent increase in the number of cars handled per hour on a two-way street. ACQUISITION OF MAJOR STREET RIGHT-OF-WAY The acquisition or preserving of property for the widening of major thoroughfares and the extension of existing routes by means of new streets and connections should be ac- complished as early as practicable. The customary acquisition methods used include: (1) dedications by property owners and subdividers, (2) direct purchase by governmental agency, and (3) deferred purchase through administration of setback lines either as a part of the zoning or separate ordinance or the official map procedure. DEDICATION OBTAINED THROUGH SUBDIVISION CONTROL Where residential development is in progress or imminent, the necessary rights-of-way for new major street locations and extensions, as well as property for widening of existing major thoroughfares, should be obtained through dedication. Acquisition at no cost has proven a sound policy for the City and desirable to developers. Many developers in Atlan- ta and Fulton County have exhibited willingness to make adequate dedications for major street connections and extensions where these alignments have been designated. How- ever, due to the lack of any official major thoroughfare plan, existing subdivision con- trols have not contributed markedly to acquisition of new street right-of-way. Proposed new subdivision regulations, coupled with an official plan of major thoroughfares, will be effective instruments to preserve important connections and acquire substantial street dedications as development occurs. ACQUISITION THROUGH PURCHASE After every effort to acquire needed right-of-way through dedication has been exhausted, the municipal agency should make the required parcel of land the subject of negotiation for purchase. In the event satisfactory terms of sale cannot be agreed upon, the City or County should be prepared to initiate condemnation proceedings before any subdivision plans or building permits are approved for the property. A fund should be available for acquiring rights-of-way ahead of development, and it should be used only when develop- ment of a needed parcel seems imminent. A somewhat different situation is faced in acquisition of right-of-way for limited access 33 ! | routes. The advantages which accrue to the abutting property owners are negligible and dedication cannot reasonably be expected. In this case, it is mandatory that right-of-way be acquired before subdivisions are platted which have roads crossing the desired right- of-way. Circumstances will vary widely as to whether or not the entire length of right-of- way for such routes should be acquired. The community should be prepared to purchase those portions of property where deve- lopment is likely to vest in abutting property owners’ rights to enter or cross the pro- posed right-of-way. Acquisition before such rights are attained will save both trouble and expense for the agency involved. SETBACK LINES There are two commonly practiced methods for deferring the actual acquisition of ad- ditional right-of-way until the time when funds are available for the purchase of the re- quired property and the construction of the expanded pavement. The authority to establish building setback lines is established in Georgia under the zoning power. By means of imposing setback lines along major streets scheduled to be widened, new structures are not permitted to encroach upon the desired limits of the right-of-way. Additions to existing buildings, are, also, required to conform. By this procedure, purchase of structures, in addition to those already existing in the right-of- way at the time building lines were established, can be avoided in future acquisition. Much the same thing can be accomplished under the mapped streets procedure which has a distinct advantage over the above. Through the platting of mapped streets on an official map, the reservations necessary for future widening of existing streets can be presented and the roadbeds of proposed connections and extensions of major streets can be protected from new buildings. This latter cannot be done with setback lines under the zoning power. s 34 ||||||||||||| 3 9015 03066 9876 ! ; - * ** -. - . - { | ; - ''... t ! - - i