Residents from Sandy Springs’ Latino community attended an information meeting at a nonprofit center off Northwood Road to hear what the city has planned to improve access to MARTA along Roswell Road – and to offer their own suggestions.
Ten local residents and staff members from four nonprofit organizations that serve the community listened to a presentation by city staff that was given in English and Spanish.
MARTA is funding 80% of the project costs with a Federal Transit Administration grant, with the city providing the other 20%, said Wesley Waters, the city’s Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) unit manager.
“Working with MARTA, we’re working to make pedestrian access safer and providing access to bus stops and just to get through the corridor,” he said. “We’re coordinating bus stop locations if they need to be adjusted.”
Medians will be installed in some locations along the corridor to improve safety for pedestrian crossings, Waters said.
The project is in the concept stage and will next head into the design stage. After the final design, permitting and right-of-way acquisition is completed, construction will begin, which he said would be in 2024.
He was asked if the traffic signals for pedestrians would be synchronized to give enough time for people with disabilities, children or older adults to get across.
Pointing to an extended median on the map display, Waters said the city plans to make it wide enough for refuge if a person was unable to get across in time.