Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative Project Development and NEPA Phase 1 Environmental Review and Alternative Refinement Existing Conditions and Future Trends Report (Updated 2013) Prepared for: Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority Prepared by: AECOM/JJG Joint Venture Atlanta, GA June 2013 General Planning Consultant Services RFP P5413 Contract No. 200703566 Page Left Intentionally Blank Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative New Starts/PD and NEPA Phase 1 Existing Conditions and Future Trends Report Update Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AND MAJOR FINDINGS ........................................................................................ 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ......................................................................................... 1-1 2.0 HISTORIC PERSPECTIVE AND REVIEW OF PREVIOUS STUDIES ........................................ 2-1 2.1 HISTORY OF THE STUDY AREA ............................................................................ 2-1 2.1.1 Historic Development Patterns ................................................................... 2-1 2.1.2 Historic Transportation Routes ................................................................... 2-4 2.2 REVIEW OF PREVIOUS STUDIES .......................................................................... 2-6 2.2.1 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANS ................................................. 2-6 2.2.2 CORRIDOR-LEVEL TRANSIT STUDIES ................................................ 2-11 2.2.3 LOCAL PLANS & STUDIES ..................................................................... 2-15 2.2.4 LIVABLE CENTERS INITIATIVE (LCI) AND OTHER STUDIES ............. 2-20 3.0 DEMOGRAPHICS AND FORECASTS ........................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 DEMOGRAPHIC PROFILE ....................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.1 Population ................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.2 Race and Ethnicity ..................................................................................... 3-1 3.1.3 Households ................................................................................................. 3-2 3.1.4 Age ............................................................................................................. 3-2 3.1.5 Education .................................................................................................... 3-3 3.1.6 Occupation ................................................................................................. 3-3 3.1.7 Income ........................................................................................................ 3-4 3.1.8 Housing....................................................................................................... 3-4 3.2 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POPULATIONS ........................................................ 3-5 3.3 TRANSIT DEPENDENT POPULATIONS ................................................................. 3-8 3.4 ANTICIPATED POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT GROWTH ........................... 3-11 4.0 COMMUNITY RESOURCES AND NATURAL SYSTEMS ........................................................... 4-1 4.1 CULTURAL AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES ....................................................... 4-1 4.1.1 Activity Centers and Major Points of Interest ............................................. 4-1 4.1.2 Historic Districts and Known Sites ............................................................. 4-8 4.2 MAJOR NATURAL SYSTEMS INVENTORY ......................................................... 4-12 4.2.1 Water Resources ...................................................................................... 4-12 4.2.2 Topography/Soils...................................................................................... 4-14 4.2.3 Threatened and Endangered Species ..................................................... 4-14 4.3 AIR QUALITY STATUS ........................................................................................... 4-17 5.0 LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT CHARACTERISTICS ............................................................ 5-1 5.1 POLICY FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................ 5-1 5.1.1 DeKalb County ........................................................................................... 5-1 RFP P5413 / Contract No. 200703566 i June 2013 Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative New Starts/PD and NEPA Phase 1 Existing Conditions and Future Trends Report Update 5.1.2 City of Atlanta ............................................................................................. 5-2 5.1.3 City of Decatur ............................................................................................ 5-3 5.1.4 MARTA ....................................................................................................... 5-4 5.1.5 Atlanta Regional Commission .................................................................... 5-5 5.2 EXISTING LAND USES ............................................................................................ 5-6 5.3 FUTURE LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS ............................................ 5-11 5.3.1 Future Land Use ....................................................................................... 5-11 5.3.2 Potential Redevelopment Areas ............................................................... 5-15 5.3.3 Major Development Activity ...................................................................... 5-16 6.0 TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS ..................................................................................................... 6-1 6.1 TRAVEL PATTERNS ................................................................................................ 6-1 6.2 ROADWAY NETWORK ............................................................................................ 6-5 6.2.1 Study Area Overview .................................................................................. 6-6 6.2.2 Levels of Service and Measures of Congestion ........................................ 6-8 6.2.3 Planned and Programmed Roadway Improvements ............................... 6-12 6.2.4 Major Facilities Analysis ........................................................................... 6-15 6.3 TRANSIT NETWORK .............................................................................................. 6-18 6.3.1 MARTA Rail and Bus Service .................................................................. 6-18 6.3.2 Cliff Shuttle Service .................................................................................. 6-23 6.3.3 Planned and Programmed Transit Improvements ................................... 6-26 6.4 BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES ........................................................... 6-28 6.4.1 Existing Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities ................................................ 6-28 6.4.2 Planned and Programmed Bicycle and Pedestrian Improvements ......... 6-28 6.5 FREIGHT RAIL FACILITIES ................................................................................... 6-31 6.6 BRIDGE INVENTORY ............................................................................................. 6-33 6.7 PARKING INVENTORY .......................................................................................... 6-37 List of Tables Table 1.1: Goals and Objectives ......................................................................................................... 1-3 Table 2.1: Relevant Studies ................................................................................................................ 2-7 Table 3.1: Change in Population ........................................................................................................ 3-1 Table 3.2: Change in Racial Diversity................................................................................................. 3-2 Table 3.3: Household Characteristics ................................................................................................. 3-2 Table 3.4: Age Distribution.................................................................................................................. 3-3 Table 3.5: Education Attainment ......................................................................................................... 3-3 Table 3.6: Occupation by Industry ...................................................................................................... 3-4 Table 3.7: Change in Median Household Income .............................................................................. 3-4 Table 3.8: Housing Units by Tenure ................................................................................................... 3-4 Table 3.9: Environmental Justice Populations .................................................................................... 3-5 RFP P5413 / Contract No. 200703566 ii June 2013 Clifton Corridor Transit Initiative New Starts/PD and NEPA Phase 1 Existing Conditions and Future Trends Report Update Table 3.10: Transit Dependent Populations ....................................................................................... 3-8 Table 4.1: Public Parks ....................................................................................................................... 4-4 Table 4.2: Houses of Worship ...........................................................................................................