Transportation Committee Gets Citizen Feedback, Update On Rail

Citizen feedback on the draft MACORTS 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan was wide-ranging, but positive comments on the inclusion of bike and pedestrian facilities on road projects, particularly in Oconee County, were dominant.

The Technical Coordinating Committee of MACORTS, the federally mandated metropolitan planning organization for the region, received a summary of the feedback before approving the draft 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan at its meeting on Wednesday morning in Athens.

The feedback came from three public meetings held on Sept. 9 and 10 and from public comments received during the 30-day comment period that ended on Sept. 17.

The Plan now goes to the MACORTS Policy Committee, which will meet Oct. 9 in the Public Meeting Room in the Madison County Government Building in Danielsville.

The Technical Coordinating Committee also received an update on the proposed high speed passenger rail line from Charlotte to Atlanta.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is seeking feedback on the environmental impact statement for three different routes for the rail line, one of which would pass through Athens.

For more on the story, with a video of the MACORTS Technical Coordinating Committee meeting, please go to Oconee County Observations.