City addresses Buckhead residents’ Amtrak concerns

By Joe Earle on November 30, 2011.
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City of Atlanta officials and leaders of two Buckhead neighborhood associations said they’ve come up with a solution to deal with rerouting traffic around the Buckhead Amtrak station while it undergoes repairs.

The Georgia Department of Transportation plans to replace the parking lot at the Amtrak station in Buckhead and work could start as early as spring 2012. DOT plans to close Deering Road where it connects to Peachtree adjacent to the train station to install a large crane to help replace the parking deck, which is actually an old part of the Peachtree Road Bridge crossing I-85. (The structure of the Peachtree Road Bridge is sound.)

The old proposed detour would have taken drivers down Standish Avenue to 25th Street to Peachtree, through the Brookwood neighborhood. Past detours have also taken drivers down quiet roads in the Loring Heights neighborhood, neighborhood Association President Ron Grunwald said.

According to Valerie Bell-Smith, spokeswoman for Atlanta Public Works, the new proposed detour route includes Peachtree Street, Collier Road, Northside Drive, 17th Street, and West Peachtree Street/Spring Street.

Bell-Smith and Diane Cox, president of the Brookwood Civic Association, said 25^th Street and Standish will be for local traffic only. Cox said there will be partial barricades alerting drivers that there will be no detour through Brookwood.

“They’ll have to go back down Deering to Northside and from there they can go over to 17^th or back up to Collier,” Cox said.

Grunwald said the Public Works Department also agreed to put up additional signage to guide drivers away from Loring Heights.

“I think [city officials] managed to address everything they possibly can,” Grunwald said. “To tell you the truth, we were concerned with the signage, that the people would get stuck here and not know where to go, but the city addressed that pretty well.”

Cox also praised city officials for working with residents.

“I’d just like to stress the cooperation of [Public Works Manager] Cotena Alexander who listened to our suggestions and our issues and came up with a very viable plan,” Cox said.

“I was surprised they came up with a decent macro plan,” Grunwald said. “It’s critical to place enough signage.”

Bell-Smith said the city will post the official detour route before the end of the year.

There is still a question of whether the repairs should happen at all. Amtrak is reportedly considering moving to another location in Atlanta, but has announced no official plans.

DOT spokesman David Spear has said the department would still make plans to remove the existing structure if the Amtrak does decide to move.

–Dan Whisenhunt