Funding Unanimously Approved for Safety Improvements to Decatur Street and Dekalb Avenue
Decatur Street is one of the original 7 streets of Atlanta, Georgia; it was also a famous (and infamous) entertainment area from the 1850s through the early 20th century.
On Monday the Atlanta City Council adopted legislation to anticipate and appropriate funds awarded to the City from the American Rescue Plan Act, a federal relief package approved by Congress and signed by President Joe Biden in March. The American Rescue Plan is one of the largest economic rescue packages in the nation’s history, which included providing $1.9 trillion in relief for state and local governments and hard-hit industries and communities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Council also approved legislation authorizing a two-year contract with a one-year renewal option in an amount not to exceed approximately $5.4 million for DeKalb Avenue safety improvements, including resurfacing, replacing damaged sidewalks, and installing new signage (Legislative Reference No. 21-R-3556).
The legislation approves $5.4 million in funds to increase safety along Decatur Street/Dekalb Avenue. Roadwork will take place from Jackson Street and end at Ridgecrest Road.
“The improvements coming to Dekalb Avenue are important to our Administration’s plan for safer streets,” said Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms. “Making the road inclusive for drivers, bike riders and pedestrians will give all residents more secure ways to get around and ultimately make our City safer.”
Proposed improvements will include:
- Removal of the reversable lane
- The addition of a dedicated left turn lane
- Bike lanes along certain sections of the road
- Road resurfacing and sidewalk repairs
The Atlanta Department of Transportation will oversee the construction. The safety improvement project is expected to begin later this summer.
In addition, other items approved Monday include:
- An ordinance to transfer $1 million from the City’s Fiscal Year 2021 General Fund to the Capital Finance Fund to fund street light installation and improvements to increase the City’s streetlight footprint with a focus on areas with high rates of traffic crashes and crime (Legislative Reference No. 21-O-0371).
- An ordinance authorizing an encroachment agreement with the Black Music and Entertainment Walk of Fame to grant the right to install the Walk of Fame in the public right-of-way along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (Legislative Reference No. 21-O-0372).
- An ordinance ratifying the mayor’s executive order to allow permitted outdoor gatherings of up to 19,999 people if the gatherings occur in compliance with the COVID-19 mitigation requirements set forth in the COVID-19 Special Events Permit Overlay (Legislative Reference No. 21-O-0370).
- An ordinance to amend the City’s Code of Ordinances to repeal a provision that places a limit on the total number of bus shelters in the right-of-way (Legislative Reference No. 21-O-0364).
- An ordinance ratifying the mayor’s executive order for the chief financial officer to allocate up to $3.5 million to contribute to funding efforts of the nonprofit and philanthropic communities to provide individual shelter options with supportive services for people experiencing homelessness and allocate up to $500,000 for the City’s Vaccine Equity Campaign to provide increased vaccination awareness and access (Legislative Reference No. 21-O-0368).
Items were introduced to be considered in committee next week including:
- An ordinance authorizing the chief financial officer to amend the Fiscal Year 2022 budget by transferring appropriations from the citywide reserve in an amount not to exceed $7 million on behalf of the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department to purchase five new truck-drawn aerial fire truck apparatus.
- An ordinance to amend 20-O-1656 related to short-term rentals and adopted by the Council on March 15, 2021 such that the amendments reflected therein shall become effective on March 1, 2022 rather than September 1, 2021.
- A resolution consenting to increasing the boundaries of the Westside/Howell Mill Community Improvement District by annexing certain real property and to provide for transmission to the tax commissioner.
- An ordinance to amend the 2015 Municipal Facilities Bond by transferring $300,000 from the District 11 Renew Atlanta Bond for the purpose of making Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) improvements at the Cascade Springs Nature Preserve.
- A resolution authorizing the mayor or her designee to apply for a Fiscal Year 2021 U.S. Department of Transportation Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (“RAISE”) discretionary grant in an amount not to exceed $1 million for planning of the Stitch, a proposal to cap part of the Downtown Connector with new greenspace.
- A resolution authorizing the mayor, or her designee, on behalf of the City of Atlanta, to enter into an encroachment agreement with the Grady Memorial Hospital for the purpose of installing steam and condensate pipes under the right of way at Coca Cola Place between Jesse Jill and Pratt Street, more specifically at 50 Coca Cola Place SE.
About Atlanta City Council
The Atlanta City Council is the chief policy-making body for the City of Atlanta. It acts by considering and enacting all laws that govern the City. The council also approves the operating and capital budgets for the City as recommended by the mayor, and it continually monitors revenues and expenditures for local government operations. The Atlanta City Council reviews and has final say on many land-use and zoning matters. Major economic development projects for the City also fall under the council’s consideration.
The Atlanta City Council is comprised of 12 districts and three at-large posts. Council representatives include: Council President: Felicia A. Moore; District 1: Carla Smith; District 2: Amir Farokhi; District 3: Antonio Brown; District 4: Cleta Winslow; District 5: Natalyn Mosby Archibong; District 6: Jennifer N. Ide; District 7: Howard Shook; District 8: J.P. Matzigkeit; District 9: Dustin Hillis; District 10: Andrea L. Boone; District 11: Marci Collier Overstreet; District 12: Joyce M. Sheperd; Post 1 At-Large: Michael Julian Bond; Post 2 At-Large: Matt Westmoreland; and Post 3 At-Large: Andre Dickens
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