ADVOCACY ALERT: Submit comments on Tybee Island Project

The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is seeking feedback about a proposed solution to reduce crash frequency and severity on US 80/SR 26 from Lazaretto Creek to Tybrisa Street on Tybee Island, Chatham County.

The proposed improvements, which can be seen on the GDOT website, would improve safety and accessibility and reduce the frequency and severity of vehicular, pedestrian, and bicycle crashes along the corridor. They would also allow for improved emergency response times and provide better connections to the Bull River and Lazaretto Creek bridge replacements.

Bike Walk Savannah is in support of the project, with the following modifications to increase the safety of people walking and biking:

  • Instead of parking stops and flexible bollards, protect the cycletrack with a continuous curb and armadillo bumps at intersections.
  • 2nd Ave. is part of Tybee Island’s official bike route, but lacks a safe crossing at the intersection. Jones Ave. has a signal, but bicyclists have to go through a parking lot to get to it. This area needs better planning for safe travel.
  • People driving should not cross a cycletrack to back in to parking spaces. Additionally, the proposed design requires a two-phase crossing at N Campbell Ave., which is the main way to get to North Beach, and also has businesses on 3 corners that frequently see vehicles entering and exiting parking lots. During peak times this intersection sees many turning cars, which would reduce the opportunity for safe crossings for people walking and biking. Instead, the crossing should be moved closer to McKenzie Ave. or Byers St., which see a much lower number of turning vehicles.
  • If the crossing remains at Campbell Ave., parking should be parallel and be placed between the motor vehicle lane and the cycletrack as protection.
  • Recommend adding a crosswalk at 6th Ave. to facilitate safer pedestrian crossing opportunities.

GDOT is accepting public comments through April 8, 2024. View the project presentation and find out more information at us-80-tybee-safety-improvements-0019699-gdot.hub.arcgis.com, and click here to take the survey.

Have your say on the Truman Greenway! Comments must be submitted to GDOT by Dec. 14

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Thank you to everyone who attended the Dec. 3 Truman Linear Park Trail Public Information Open House at Jenkins High School. If you weren’t able to attend, you can review the plans for Phase IIA, which connects Lake Mayer Park with DeRenne Avenue on the Chatham County Department of Engineering webpage. You can also read coverage of the meeting from the Savannah Morning News. Long-awaited Truman trail unveiled anew

Please provide your comments to the Georgia Department of Transportation by Monday, Dec. 14, by using any of the following methods:

1. Online at GDOT Public Outreach website.  Follow these steps:

  1. From the menu, select the county in which the proposed project is located and click Go;
  2. Then select Truman Linear Park Trail – Phase II;
  3. Then, click Comment and follow the instructions to leave your comments.

2. Mail in your comment card to Ms. Hiral Patel, P.E., Georgia Department of Transportation, 600 West Peachtree Street NW, 16th Floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30308.

3. Email your comment to: ProjectComments@dot.ga.gov. This is a general mailbox so be sure to include the County, PI Number 0007631 and meeting date in the subject line so that the email gets to the right project team.

It’s important to let GDOT know how important this project is to your family and how you plan to use it. We need strong support from the public to move forward on this important project, which has both recreational and transportation uses. If you need assistance in composing your comments, we’ll be glad to help. Just let us know!

It’s time to show your support for the Truman Greenway! Project open house set for Dec. 3

 

trumantimeChatham County and the Georgia Department of Transportation will hold a Public Information Open House concerning the Truman Linear Park Trail On Thursday, Dec. 3, at Jenkins High School, 1800 East DeRenne Ave. The Open House will be held from 4-7 p.m. It will be informal, and the public is invited to attend anytime during these hours. There will be no formal presentation.

This project proposes to construct a 10-foot wide multi-use trail from Lake Mayer Park to Jenkins High School. The City of Savannah is responsible for building the second part of the trail, which will connect DeRenne Avenue to the existing Police Memorial Trail. The complete project will link Lake Mayer Park to Daffin Park

It is critical for trail supporters to attend this meeting and tell Chatham County and GDOT that this is a much needed project and is long overdue. Communities all over Georgia have completed trails while ours has been stuck in limbo. 

GDOT will be accepting written comments until Monday, Dec. 14. Comments should be sent to:

Ms. Hiral Patel, P.E.
State Environmental Administrator
Georgia Department of Transportation
600 West Peachtree Street, NW – 16th Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30308

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Information: The meeting site is accessible to persons with disabilities.  Accommodations for people with disabilities can be arranged with advance notice by Nathaniel Panther at (912) 652-7800.

 

 

Public invited to provide input on proposed replacements for US Highway 80 bridges, Nov. 17

Screen Shot 2015-10-27 at 3.33.00 PMThe public is invited to view design proposed replacements of the existing Lazaretto Creek and Bull River bridges and provide feedback on Nov. 17, from 4-6 p.m. at Tybee Island City Hall. The event is hosted by the Georgia Department of Transportation and is informal in structure, meaning anyone interested can drop by at any time between 4 and 6 p.m.

The roadway is the only connection between Tybee Island and the mainland. US 80 is designated as a hurricane evacuation route on the Georgia Hurricane Plan, as well as a future bikeway in the Coastal Region Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Long Range Plan. From a memo announcing the meeting:

The proposed project would replace the bridges at Lazaretto Creek and Bull River with a two-lane bridge that includes bike and pedestrian improvements. Additionally, it would improve the roadway from Johnny Mercer Boulevard to Old US 80 on Tybee with paved shoulders and turn lanes. These changes have been determined to to accomplish the purpose of this project, which is to ensure the integrity of the US 80 bridges and improve travel between Savannah and Tybee Island.

The purpose of this meeting is to provide the pubic with an opportunity to view the proposed project, ask questions and comment on the project.

Written comments may be submitted until Dec. 1 to:

Andrew Cobb
Transportation Environmental Planner
Office of Environmental Services
Georgia Department of Transportation
600 W. Peachtree St., 25th Floor
Fax: 404-631-1588
Email: acobb@dot.ga.gov

For more information, visit the GDOT project page. You can also download information distributed at the meeting: PI 10560 GDOT US 80 PIOH handouts 11-17-15