Atlanta to Athens: Connectivity and Mobility Study Summary of Existing Conditions Prepared for: Georgia Department of Transportation Prepared by: In cooperation with Jacobs Engineering RS&H Sycamore Consulting Metropolitan Planning and Engineering December 2012 This page was intentionally left blank Summary of Existing Conditions Table of Contents 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 6 2.0 Background ................................................................................................................................. 6 3.0 Significance of the A2A Study Area............................................................................................. 7 4.0 Existing Demographic Conditions ............................................................................................... 7 5.0 Existing Transportation Facilities and Travel Patterns ................................................................. 9 5.1 Highway Facilities ............................................................................................................................................. 9 5.2 Transit Routes ................................................................................................................................................. 10 5.3 Travel Patterns ................................................................................................................................................ 11 5.3.1 Trip Densities by Location ............................................................................................................................... 11 5.3.2 Select Link Analysis ........................................................................................................................................ 12 5.3.3 Atlanta to Athens District Travel Patterns ........................................................................................................ 13 5.3.4 Analysis of Trip Lengths .................................................................................................................................. 15 6.0 Existing Transportation Conditions ............................................................................................ 15 6.1 Roadway Facilities .......................................................................................................................................... 16 6.2 Transit Facilities ............................................................................................................................................. 21 6.3 Summary of Transportation Condition Findings .............................................................................................. 21 7.0 Crash History and Analysis ....................................................................................................... 23 7.1 Procedures and Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 23 7.2 Crashes by Functional Class ........................................................................................................................... 23 7.3 Crash Rates .................................................................................................................................................... 26 7.4 High Crash Intersections within Study Area .................................................................................................... 29 7.5 High Crash Intersections – By County ............................................................................................................. 34 7.6 Pedestrian Crashes ......................................................................................................................................... 35 7.7 Key Crash Analysis Findings ........................................................................................................................... 36 i Summary of Existing Conditions 8.0 Existing Environmental Conditions ............................................................................................ 37 8.1 Summary of A2A Environmental Conditions ................................................................................................... 38 9.0 Existing Land Use and Development Conditions ....................................................................... 39 9.1 Composite Existing Land Use ......................................................................................................................... 39 9.2 Major Activity Centers ..................................................................................................................................... 41 9.3 Industrial Areas ............................................................................................................................................... 42 9.4 Primary Travel Corridors ................................................................................................................................. 44 9.5 Key Land Use and Development Findings ...................................................................................................... 46 10.0 Summary of Existing Conditions ............................................................................................... 50 A-1: Transit Providers ....................................................................................................................... 52 A-2: Park and Ride Lots.................................................................................................................... 55 A-3: Transit Boardings ...................................................................................................................... 56 A-4 Crash Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 59 A-5 Environmental Conditions ......................................................................................................... 68 A-6: Existing Land Use and Development Policies ........................................................................... 76 A-7: Review of Regional Plans ......................................................................................................... 79 A-7.1 Plan 2040 Unified Growth Policy Map ............................................................................................................... 79 Northeast Georgia Plan 2035 – Regional Agenda....................................................................................................... 81 A-8 – Review of Local Comprehensive Plans ...................................................................................... 82 A-8.1 - DeKalb County ................................................................................................................................................ 82 A-8.1.2 – City of Pine Lake .......................................................................................................................................... 83 A-8.1.3 – City of Stone Mountain ................................................................................................................................ 83 A-8.2 - Gwinnett County .............................................................................................................................................. 86 A-8.3 - Rockdale County ............................................................................................................................................. 92 A-8.4 - Newton County ................................................................................................................................................ 93 A-8.5 - Walton County ................................................................................................................................................. 93 A-8.6 - Barrow County ................................................................................................................................................. 94 A-8.7 - Oconee County ................................................................................................................................................ 95 A-8.8 - Athens-Clarke County ..................................................................................................................................... 96 ii Summary of Existing Conditions A-8.9 - Jackson County ............................................................................................................................................... 97 A-9 Summary of Local Comprehensive Plans ................................................................................... 101 A-10 Review of LCI Plans ................................................................................................................. 101 A-10.1 – DeKalb County ............................................................................................................................................ 102 A-10.1.1 – Northlake LCI (2002) ........................................................................................................................... 102 A-10.1.2 – Tucker LCI (2005) ................................................................................................................................ 102 A-10.1.3 – Clarkston LCI (2005) 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