A recent dust-up between Sandy Springs and Cobb County over traffic around the new Braves stadium drew attention to an unresolved issue – getting fans to SunTrust Park without tying up local streets and interstates for miles around. We asked readers to share their thoughts:
I am very concerned about the amount of traffic we will have to go through to get to the Braves' new ballpark. Although I am a St. Louis Cardinal fan, I do like to go to Braves games. The Cardinals have a wonderful transportation plan for those living on the east side of the river, in Illinois, to get to Busch Stadium. We park our car at a shopping center and take the Red Bird express to the stadium. The price is $5 round trip. The bus lets us off in front of the stadium before the game. After the game, we walk a block and get on the bus back to East St. Louis to our car. It seems that Atlanta/Braves could offer the same type of service to SunTrust Park from a number of shopping centers. Since we live in Canton, I would be interested in some type of bus service to the ballpark rather than paying exorbitant prices to park and driving two hours in traffic to the game. – Kathleen Anderson
One rationale for the Braves moving to Cobb County was the location of season ticket holders. The team published a picture showing lots of red dots (patrons) located to the north of Atlanta. The Braves should use that data to locate feeder transit lots for CCT buses on game days. The cost could be absorbed by the added property tax income from the new investment in Cobb or built into the ticket cost. Mass transit is the only near-term answer to the crush of traffic at I-75/285. Local streets simply cannot do enough. They are already clogged from 3 to 7 p.m., and beyond if there is a collision. Start home games at 9 p.m.? Good luck with TV rights. Sorry, a transit solution is the only one in the near term. – D.J. DeLong
It is clear to me that the Braves are well aware of the traffic catastrophe that will occur on game days. Anyone familiar with the I-285/I-75 interchange during the weekday rush hour understands how bad the backups are now. On game days, think of adding a few thousand additional cars to the mix. The Braves know exactly what they're doing. They are counting on fans concluding that, in order to make the first pitch, they will have to beat the traffic. And how convenient is it that the Braves are building a full entertainment/restaurant complex as part of the ballpark development. Fans will have places to spend their money, eating and shopping while they are awaiting the start of the game. If you doubt this, I refer you to Liberty Media's characterization of this whole venture as a real estate venture, not just a baseball investment. The Braves, of course, must protect not only their own investment but that of the eventual owners and operators of the ancillary venues that will be part of the complex. – Clark Yaggy
My son lives within all this mess. Residents are out of luck on game day. That is a lot of the summer. – Kathy Piska
Based on their demonstrated and extremely inadequate performance, I doubt that the Cobb County Department of Transportation will be able to develop a viable plan to handle traffic related to the new stadium. Everyone I've heard talk about it believes they will create a nightmare (except Cobb DOT and the county commissioners). Cobb DOT is incapable of managing traffic or synchronizing/timing traffic signals in the county. Why expect a different result now? – Art Johnson
It would be a miracle if all was set by Opening Day. There is still the payment and construction of the bridge to be completed and then the transportation of fans from their cars to the stadium to be determined. – Gayle Nichols
Braves/Cobb County: No plan for traffic and no plan for parking. Me, an East Cobb resident: No plan on attending any games. – Rich Reed
Avondale Estates’ commission approved construction of a temporary pop-up park called “The Art Lot” last month. Members of the city’s Art Alliance say it should open by early to mid August.
The project passed by a 4-1 vote after discussions during four meetings spanning only eight days. By Avondale standards this is lightning fast — the recently completed renovation of three-acre Willis Park took five years.
Part of what Mayor Jonathan Elmore calls this project’s “urgency,” stems from a palpable frustration of seeing the city’s downtown full of vacant buildings and cracking, weed-strewn concrete slabs.
It also stems from Euramex Management which two years ago purchased 15 prime downtown acres and has yet to publically reveal any development plans.
The Art Lot will be constructed on a 50-foot by 25-foot space on North Avondale Road, once home to the Avondale Pizza Café. It is part of a larger, four-acre tract that the city hopes to turn into a town green along with a small mixed-use development.
Until the city is ready to develop the land, the Art Alliance believes The Art Lot will help clean up a blighted area, will serve as a beacon drawing folks into downtown and create foot traffic for nearby retail and restaurants.
Art Lot features include a gallery for artwork, a movie screen and a performance area/stage.
But Terry Giager, the lone dissenting voice on Avondale Estates’ commission believes that the Alliance’s business plan is mostly hypothetical with little accurate data. From a national perspective, he said, pop-up parks “that succeed are ones that are already in densely-populated downtown areas, or in areas that already have high pedestrian traffic.”
New Avondale resident Klaus van den Berg, who taught theater history and dramatic literature for 35 years at four universities, believes the space is too constricted and the surface is too dangerous for performers, particularly dancers.
What do you think? Will the Art Lot generate more vibrancy downtown? Would it be better suited for another location? Does the plan need more study? Send comments to communitynews@ajc.com.
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