High-speed rail may not stop in rural Dade County, Ga., any time soon, but that hasn’t stopped county leaders from planning its transportation future.
The county has begun a transportation infrastructure study that involves getting commuters’ and residents’ views about the current network of roads and highways.
“The study is focusing on improving connectivity, access and safety to important locations throughout the county, including the city of Trenton, schools, commerce centers, the industrial areas, colleges, parks and other important locations,” said consultant Steve Cote with Atlanta-based RS&H Inc., which was hired by the Georgia Department of Transportation to guide the study.
The goal is to develop a plan to determine transportation needs over the next 30 years.
“For example, if there was ever a large factory built, we can look at this study and tell how that will impact traffic,” County Executive Ted Rumley said. “That’s really necessary for any sort of grant or assistance you might ask for.”
Planners will look not just at car and truck traffic but at mass transit, bike and pedestrian travel.
The study will cost about $80,000. The city of Trenton, the county and the school system are splitting the $24,000 local match. Rumley said GDOT will pay the rest.
As the project moves forward, Rumley said, members of the public will be asked to give their input regarding local traffic. Even commuters who leave the city every day should participate, he said.
“From this, we could determine that a park-and-ride system for people who go to Chattanooga every day could be feasible,” Rumley said.
Cote said the planning panel now consists of 25 community members. In the future, a website will be unveiled. Once the plan is complete, the county will continue to maintain and update it yearly without the help of a consultant, Rumley said.
“The details of the public outreach program are currently being developed through input received from the advisory panel members, but will include … two proposed outreach opportunities in winter and spring 2011,” Cote said.
The planning will identify deficiencies already present in Dade’s traffic system, but funding for any improvements will come later, Rumley said.
“This is just a roadmap for the next 30 years,” he said. “We have to start here.”