Dear Friends and Neighbors,

I'm proud to announce that the results are in! Atlanta has completed its first ever participatory budgeting program - Downtown Decides!

Beginning in December, we asked you to submit your best ideas on how to spend $1 million Downtown on transportation infrastructure. We received well over 100 proposals. 33 of them made the ballot and during the month of May,  3,479 of you who work, live, or study Downtown voted! With all that’s going on in the world, I think it’s a pretty special statement about our city and it’s desire to be civically engaged to have that kind of turnout.

So, which projects won? I’m thrilled to say that you voted to fund 17 projects — 17 great ideas that the Atlanta Department of Transportation is now charged with executing.

I was very happy to see that the list of winning projects is diverse. There’s something for pedestrians and cyclists, business owners, sidewalk improvements for persons with disabilities, drivers looking to get where they’re going safely, and those who simply wanted to beautify our streets and improve the quality of life Downtown.

To see the full vote tally and descriptions, scroll down. I’ve also included some additional background info about the whole of the voting process at the bottom.

Thank you so much to all those who submitted ideas, promoted the program, and voted. We took a leap of faith that if we handed over the reins of government and trusted you, that you would turn out and help us achieve something special. What we were able to do together with this small initiative exceeded my greatest expectations.

Sincerely,

Amir

1. More “pedestrian only” zones in Fairlie-Poplar (pictured) - $15,000

   Install removable bollards in the Fairlie-Poplar district to create “pedestrian only” zones on Broad St. between Poplar St. and Walton St.

2. Handicap access ramp at Williams St. and Peachtree St. - $6,000

3. Handicap access ramp at Ted Turner and Williams St. - $9,000

4. Paint dangerous island (pictured) - $3,400

   Paint median islands and/or install reflective delineators along Harris St at Peachtree Ctr Ave.

5. Add 20 32-gallon trash and recycling cans along Auburn Ave. - $20,000

6. Extend Jackson St. Bike Lane - $45,000

   Remove two‐way left‐turn lane along Jackson St. and convert to a single lane in each direction. Install 5‐ft bike lane in each direction between Auburn Avenue and Irwin Street. This will include removing existing striping and adding new striping for two‐ lane roadway, bike lane striping, and parking striping.

7. “Don’t Block the Box” - $20,000

   Install "Don't Block The Box" striping at 20 intersections in the heaviest travelled areas of the downtown grid: Peachtree St from Dekalb Ave to North Ave; Ted Turner Dr from Andrew Young Int’l Blvd to Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd; Baker Str from Piedmont Ave to Williams St.

8. Marietta St. Cycle Track (Pictured) - $130,000

   Install bicycle lanes along Marietta St between Edgewood Ave and Centennial Olympic Park Dr.

9. “Complete Streets Peachtree” - $225,000

   Complete Street striping along Peachtree St. from McGill Blvd to Ellis St. Includes basic infrastructure supports for scooters, cyclists, etc.

10. Peachtree Center Ave. Cycle Track - $50,000

    Install delineators for cycle track (e.g. striping, signs, reflectors) along Peachtree Center Ave from Int’l Blvd to Peachtree St

11. “The Smooth Roads Act of 2019” - $140,000

    Repave Ivan Allen Jr Blvd between Peachtree St and West Peachtree St to address pothole and sidewalk issues.

12. Edgewood Sidewalk Widening Phase I - $130,000

    Design phase for plan to remove two‐way left‐turn lane and install 10‐ft sidewalk along Edgewood Ave (both sides) between Jackson St and Boulevard. Project includes removal of existing two‐way left‐turn lane, installation of new centerline striping, bike lanes, on‐street parking, new granite header curb, concrete driveways, concrete sidewalk, stormwater culverts and inlet structures, and utility relocation.

13. Edgewood Avenue Loading Zone Revamp (pictured) - $10,000

    The removal of six parking spaces to accommodate lane shifts and a curbside loading‐ only zone at the corner of Boulevard and Edgewood. Also, bike lane protection will be installed at either end of the block to protect against right‐turning vehicles.

14. Sweet Auburn Wayfinding (pictured) - $15,000

    Creative wayfinding signs along Auburn Ave. to connect multiple historic sites

15. Beg Button Removal - $40,000

    Remove 60 (approx.) signal crossing buttons at the following intersections: Peachtree/Wall; Peachtree/Walton; Peachtree/Forsyth/Carnegie; W. Peachtree/Allen; Allen/Turner; Allen/Williams; Turner/International; COP/International; COP/Luckie; COP/Walton; COP/Marietta; Turner/Marietta; Forsyth/Marietta; Forsyth/Luckie.

16. Stoplight Removal - $125,000

    Study approximately 20 traffic signals Downtown to assess whether they get so little traffic that they can be removed.

17. Sidewalk Furniture - $22,000

    Decorative furniture and benches at the corner of Auburn Ave. and Hilliard St. by the Remerge building