Sandy Springs residents get their chance to tell the city what they think of Roswell Road pedestrian and streetscape improvements planned south of I-285 to Wieuca Drive at a public input meeting from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 18.

The city will host the public meeting in the Studio Theatre at Sandy Springs City Hall, 1 Galambos Way.

City Council got its first look at the 2.3-mile project at its Aug. 2 meeting.

Public Works Director Marty Martin reminded council members the city received a Federal Transit Authority grant in February 2021 to develop pedestrian facilities on Roswell Road from the Perimeter to the Atlanta city limit. The project’s purpose is to complete the pedestrian network serving MARTA transit users. It will provide walk-up access to transit elements along Roswell Road.

Much of Roswell Road south of I-285 lacks sidewalks, making access to MARTA transit stops difficult. (City of Sandy Springs)

It will include a 2.5-foot curb and gutter, 5-foot landscape strips and 8-foot sidewalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps, accessible bus stops and pedestrian crossings. Two raised medians and a signalized mid-block crossing for pedestrian safety are proposed.

Approximately 75% of the project area lacks sidewalks aside from portions of Community Development Block Grant projects.

Sandy Springs committed to a 20% local funding match of up to $1.7 million in December 2019 to get federal funding. The grant total, including that match, was $7.8 million.

View the presentation shared with City Council on Aug. 2.

The city’s design consultants proposed adding ADA-compliant sidewalks, pedestrian crosswalks and medians to make Roswell Road more transit-accessible, as shown in these before and after images of a section of the road near Lake Placid Drive. (City of Sandy Springs)

Bob Pepalis covers Sandy Springs for Rough Draft Atlanta and Reporter Newspapers.