by Nikki Parris, Senior Project Director - AtkinsRéalis
Your everyday life is influenced by infrastructure, and you might not even realize it. Infrastructure in North Fulton is continuously improving. Since residents, visitors and business owners interact with roads, bridges, trails and sidewalks on a regular basis, these structures influence decisions people make. From where they live and work to how they navigate to doctor visits, schools and grocery stores, well-designed infrastructure projects create greater access, support economic growth and give people more options to get where they want to go.
Think about the last time you left your home. Did you drive to work? Bike to a store? Walk a dog? Take a child to school? Every one of those actions depended on infrastructure. While you may associate infrastructure projects with bridges and roads, in reality the systems that support the daily lives of residents and visitors include a wide variety of projects that most people don’t realize are considered infrastructure. A successful infrastructure project is not only about what is being built but also about the people who will use it and the communities surrounding it.
Infrastructure is Influenced by Residents, Business Owners and History
Infrastructure is everything that helps people get from point A to point B. It also includes the supporting systems people may not immediately notice, such as stormwater infrastructure and utilities. Consider how infrastructure guides your travel routes. Do you avoid a certain road because you know it gets backed up at a specific time of day? Would you walk to a local store if you had safe sidewalks the entire way? How a community navigates the area influences infrastructure projects, which, in turn, continue the cycle by changing how people travel. For example, if a community is congested and new sidewalks are installed, allowing residents to walk instead of drive, that infrastructure project has now changed the way people navigate and experience the area.
Working directly with True North 400 means that infrastructure in North Fulton is a major focus of our daily work. We know that not having the right systems in place can cause stress for residents, business owners and visitors. When people do not have the infrastructure they need to reach their destinations, it becomes frustrating. However, widening a road or adding another lane is not always the answer. That may have been the traditional approach, but more projects are now multimodal to create space for several different ways of traveling.
Besides how the project impacts residents and business owners, engineers must also consider environmental, historical, archaeological and community impacts of each project. Infrastructure in North Fulton could encounter unusual obstacles that can change the course of a project. I worked on a project in Alpharetta where we discovered a very old cemetery in a wooded area. Because the team completed its due diligence, we were able to identify it and design the project around it. Sometimes even the people who live nearby do not realize that history is there. It is rewarding to uncover something that was once part of a community and determine how to preserve or work around it.
Trails and Sidewalks Are Essential Infrastructure
Communities are increasingly moving to multimodal transportation options, so more projects now include plans for walking, biking, transit and trail connections. In a densely populated area, there may be less space for cars but more infrastructure for public transit, biking or walking. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, more communities have invested in trails and have created spaces for additional forms of transportation. In North Fulton, trails like the Big Creek Greenway and the Alpha Loop offer connections that can help residents and visitors navigate the area without using a car.
You can’t always build your way out of transportation problems though. Adding more roadway capacity is not always the best way to address congestion. A wider road may require right-of-way acquisition that may impact property from a home or business, which can significantly increase the project cost. Sometimes transportation problems are better addressed by encouraging a change to travel habits, adjusting commute times, improving transit or making biking and walking more practical.
Small Improvements to Infrastructure Can Make a Major Difference
Infrastructure projects don’t have to be massive undertakings like building a bridge from scratch. They can include small improvements like adding a marked crosswalk, a curb ramp, improved signage or a rectangular rapid-flashing beacon where people need to cross a road. These improvements can be relatively inexpensive but make a significant difference for pedestrian safety.
Some projects aren’t about redesigning a whole area but simply considering how best to help people move through it efficiently and safely while making the community more accessible. Adding features such as curb ramps, accessible pedestrian signals and well-connected sidewalks can transform the experience of someone with mobility limitations.
Traffic-signal coordination often goes unnoticed. However, major corridors signals must be timed to maximize the movement of people and limit wait times. People may think they were lucky enough to get the next green light, but there is a system in place working to get people to their destination in a timely manner. Infrastructure is often most successful when people barely notice it because it allows them to move safely and intuitively.
Good Infrastructure in North Fulton Strengthens the Economy
From small shops to large corporations, businesses always consider infrastructure when deciding where to locate or expand. This can include access to major highways, the reliability of public transportation, walking and biking connections and proximity to trails and outdoor amenities. If the commute is difficult enough to cause someone to decline a job offer or avoid working in that area, the inadequate infrastructure has now limited the local workforce and reduced the economic value of that community.
Many communities and developers are now pursuing live-work-play environments that incorporate trails and other amenities because that is what their employees want. Giving residents, visitors and business owners the ability to leave work and quickly access a trail or outdoor space without driving 20 minutes creates a higher quality of life for everyone, essentially supporting the area’s economic growth. We worked with a business near the Alpha Loop whose employees were already trying to access the trail but had to walk through dirt to reach it. Creating a simple, direct connection made the amenity more usable.
Beneficial Infrastructure is the Result of Great Partnerships
The complexity and costs of most infrastructure projects mean that multiple organizations must work together to create influential changes. These partnerships can include city governments like Alpharetta, Milton and Roswell, the Georgia Department of Transportation, Fulton County, federal agencies, private property owners, engineering and construction partners like AtkinsRéalis and community improvement districts like True North 400. Bringing different organizations into the same room typically produces a stronger project. Relationships are how things get done in the infrastructure industry, and True North 400 has helped build the relationships needed to advance a variety of projects.
CIDs serve as a conduit for local business owners. They hear directly from businesses about the transportation and infrastructure issues affecting them. They can also serve as an important funding mechanism. A CID may help finance a project that otherwise would not move forward, including smaller last-mile connections. Because CIDs are more localized than cities or counties, they can focus closely on the needs of their district and advocate for projects that matter to local businesses. Successful communities continually invest in their infrastructure and welcome partnerships to get projects done.
Unless you never leave your home, infrastructure affects you. It begins the moment you get into a car, get on a bicycle, call a rideshare service or walk to a store. Infrastructure can even influence what time you leave work or schedule an appointment because you are trying to avoid peak traffic. It affects how long it takes to pick up your children, buy groceries, reach a doctor or attend church. When infrastructure is planned thoughtfully, it does more than move people from one place to another; it creates access to everything that makes a community work.