PEACHTREE FACELIFT

SoNo stretch of street will get new sidewalks, trees

Midtown’s southernmost section of Peachtree Street—from the Fox Theatre to Emory University Hospital Midtown— will soon receive a major facelift.

The project between Ponce de Leon Avenue and Pine Street – south of North Avenue or SoNo, as it’s been dubbed – is the last of four major streetscaping projects along Peachtree being undertaken by Midtown Alliance. Enhancements will include new sidewalks, pavers, ramps, pedestrian light-poles, improved tree wells, new bike racks and landscaping.

Midtown Alliance has partnered with Central Atlanta Progress and the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID) to continue the upgrades past Pine Street to the Peachtree Street Bridge at the Downtown Connector.

To ensure safer pedestrian crossing, a new mid-block, high-intensity activated crosswalk (HAWK) near the hospital has been proposed. The HAWK signalized crosswalk functions similarly to a stoplight, halting car traffic when a pedestrian indicates the need to cross. High priority bike facilities will also be implemented as part of this project. A bicycle lane will be installed on Peachtree Street south of Pine Street and will tie into the two-way cycle track on Peachtree Center Avenue in Downtown.

“Sharrows,” or “share the lane” markings, will be painted from Pine Street north to Pershing Point Park. In addition, new signage will alert drivers of the potential presence of cyclists.

The streetscape project is estimated to cost $1.04 million, with 100 percent of funding by the Midtown Improvement District. Construction is set to start this year, and the project is anticipated for completion in 2016.

Does

Consider joining a clinical research study at Emory University/Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to improve asthma treatments for African-Americans/Blacks!

To participate in this study, you must:

• Be 5-21 years old

• Have at least one grandparent of African descent

Qualified participants will receive:

• Asthma medications

• Lung evaluations

• Compensation for time and travel

By Tim Sullivan