Don’t call it a Complete Street or a return of downtown's erstwhile shared street experiment, but a significant revision for one section of Atlanta’s signature street could be in store near a number of big-ticket private developments.

As part of broader efforts to transform streets across South Downtown, officials with Atlanta Downtown Improvement District are planning a people-friendly redesign for a section of Peachtree Street just south of Five Points and Underground Atlanta.

The project, a partnership with Atlanta Department of Transportation, would focus on Peachtree Street between Alabama Street and southward to Trinity Avenue (Ga. Highway 154). That’s a distance of roughly .3 miles, or three blocks.

The corridor in question includes properties in entreprenuers Atlanta Ventures’ growing South Downtown portfolio, a few blocks east of the ongoing Gulch remake that is Centennial Yards.

The scope of the Peachtree Street project calls for shrinking it from four vehicle travel lanes to two, allowing for reconstructed and widened sidewalks. ADA curb ramps and crosswalks would be upgraded, and new spaces for landscaping and seating would be installed.

A new rendering that shows potential Peachtree Street plans near Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. ATLDOT; CAP/ADID

Extent of the Peachtree Street blocks in question (dotted line). Google Maps

The goal, according to ADID and ATLDOT, is to build a “pedestrian-oriented street with generous sidewalk dimensions designed for flexible use” that implements space for restaurant dining on sidewalks, while leaving room for passenger drop-off zones, commercial deliveries, and other uses.

Designers acknowledge that South Downtown today is at an “inflection point,” and other aspects of the logic behind the Peachtree Street changes could be sweet music to the ears of ATL urbanists:

“[Ongoing investment in the area is] poised to again make the community a vibrant 24-hour neighborhood where Atlantans live, work, and play,” reads a project description. “For South Downtown to thrive, it must be supported by a robust multimodal transportation network where cycling, walking, and transit are convenient and comfortable.

“As streets form the largest cohort of public spaces in the [South Downtown] neighborhood,” the description continues, “roadway investments are also an opportunity to create a more inviting and engaging public realm.”

The street's condition just south of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in June. Google Maps

Extent of changes planned south of Five Points. Kimley-Horn; ALTDOT/ADID

No bicycle lanes or related infrastructure is proposed on Peachtree Street. The street, however, does cross new protected bike lanes at Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and others on Trinity Avenue.

According to ADID officials, the project’s construction would take roughly 24 weeks total—or eight weeks per block. No timeline for a groundbreaking has been specified. [CLARIFICATION: 8:56 p.m., Sept. 10: An ADID sends the following: "Here’s a clearer picture of the timeline for the Peachtree Street proposal we’re working on: The construction for the project would require off-site detours for approximately 24 weeks (eight weeks per block.)  The total anticipated construction duration is 12-18 months.]"

The project will be paid for through a combination of Federal Highway Administration and ADID funding, per officials.

Want to chime in on the plans above?

As part of the public engagement process, ADID and its partners will hold a Public Information Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at 99 Broad St. downtown to share detailed plans and collect feedback. The open-house style meeting means participants are free to pop in for any amount of time, as no formal presentation will be given.

Scope of the planned changes in a broader context. Google Maps

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