Grant awarded to explore traffic relief on Bells Ferry Road in Cobb

The ARC’s Livable Community Initiative grant will be used by the Town Center CID to study traffic patterns on the road between Chastain Road and Barrett Parkway east of I-575.

Credit: Town Center Community Improvement District

Credit: Town Center Community Improvement District

The ARC’s Livable Community Initiative grant will be used by the Town Center CID to study traffic patterns on the road between Chastain Road and Barrett Parkway east of I-575.

Cobb County wants to make changes to Bells Ferry Road to make it more friendly for drivers, walkers and cyclists.

A $160,000 grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission will help the Town Center Community Improvement District study possible improvements to Bells Ferry Road in Cobb County.

The ARC’s Livable Centers Initiative grant will be used to study traffic patterns on the road between Chastain Road and Barrett Parkway east of I-575.

The Town Center CID provided a 20% match to the grant, making the total cost of the project $200,000.

A Community Improvement District is made up of commercial property owners within district boundaries who tax themselves to pay for public infrastructure projects.

Town Center CID said the study will review how drivers, walkers and cyclists move around on Bells Ferry Road, which consists mostly of subdivisions. They will also look at how the Noonday Creek Trail — a trail for walkers and bikers  — has on traffic patterns on the road.

The study could also explore traffic patterns from Bells Ferry Elementary School, neighborhoods and retail stores and how vehicles traveling from Big Shanty Road and the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes affect Bells Ferry Road.

The study is expected to offer a proposal for design changes along the roadway and a cost estimate.

“We are proud of our continued partnership with the Atlanta Regional Commission to study and improve the infrastructure and quality of life for the Town Center community,” said Tracy Rathbone Styf, executive director of the Town Center CID. “We are grateful to ARC and Cobb County for their support of this project that focuses on the eastside of our district.”

Town Center CID said it will advertise the project for bid in the summer. The bid for the project could be awarded in the fall, it said. You can view other Town Center CID studies on its website.

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