[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6121864,"mediaKeyId","2699004-373af5f8d52f805486d63666b445ccc3","parentId",2699004,"title","Sandy Springs unveils Safe Streets action plan with goal of zero fatalities by 2050; short‑term projects prioritized","audioSeconds",414,"startMs",1703000,"endMs",2117000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2699004-373af5f8d52f805486d63666b445ccc3&start=1703&end=2117","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2699004-373af5f8d52f805486d63666b445ccc3/thumbnail_1703000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6121864/Sandy-Springs/Fulton-County/Georgia/Sandy-Springs-unveils-Safe-Streets-action-plan-with-goal-of-zero-fatalities-by-2050-shortterm-projects-prioritized","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6121864-4e9e67b5fb195b9ed5bcd35dad45cb35/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166206&Signature=HEyDre~oe1p-E4xChbq0pzsyRyWuMb2Oo~Uphji9TBlSbf3pWIlfl73PnhcysgfXJZRe3Hw8f4-A6Xzs5~~71rzBAb8wAZITaM5QLLEdYxMzVSNFq8d12bscenqbpHhydjgE1YLgM0ZfdaiNHpRNDANzVX1Xs6Au~FmI3ehlNIkXB9252MJHs4btGzubpki8IDkY2Wdvm8aHMPpk6AqYn~JeIejYFVphOQytbD8F-4KYkxV7rfIaR2umsE96HUwTJJuWA0oevFu-14IKLVRd649hHSiz-KM-O2RUu1WWcfEyYv2h00NtUCDoJC4RgvTP1qdLjRKC4KTeLUNp8UTnPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-19T13:21:07Z","article","City transportation staff and consultant Gresham Smith presented a draft Safe Streets and Roads for All safety action plan to the Sandy Springs City Council on March 18, outlining a prioritized program of infrastructure countermeasures and recommending a city goal to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on city‑owned streets to zero by 2050.

Kristen Wescott, who led the city’s Safe Streets work, told the council the plan pairs communications, enforcement and education strategies with physical countermeasures targeted to locations with the highest rates of serious crashes. “Addressing places that lead to serious injury or death on our roads… is going to take a lot of different ways,” Wescott said, and staff coordinated the plan with police, fire, communications, community development and GIS staff.

Nathan Gomez, project manager for Gresham Smith, described the plan’s data‑driven process: staff assembled crash and traffic‑volume data, identified a high‑injury network, and prioritized locations by crash frequency, crash rate, traffic volume and societal cost. The resulting constrained work program lists 21 infrastructure projects: five short‑term projects (deliverable in 1–5 years), five mid‑term projects (5–15 years) and 11 long‑term projects beyond 15 years. Short‑term recommendations include corridor and intersection countermeasures on Roswell Road, Dunwoody Place and Glenridge Connector; the plan also identifies projects that were already programmed in previous local studies.

The plan recommends two targets: (1) adopt a goal of zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2050 on city‑owned streets, and (2) work with the Georgia Department of Transportation to set an annual 5% reduction target for state routes within the city. Gomez told the council the short‑term program is financially constrained and that the final draft is posted for public comment.

Staff said the draft plan has been uploaded to the project website for public review and will remain available for comment through a public comment window that staff described as running “from the twentieth towards April 15.” Wescott and Gomez said staff plan to return to council with the final draft for adoption at an upcoming meeting (staff indicated the next council meeting in April as the planned adoption date).

Councilmembers asked about measuring outcomes and funding. Councilmember Michael Batten asked staff to analyze the performance of previously completed projects (for example, Glenridge at Roswell Road) and to present before/after crash and volume data; staff said that task is feasible but requires normalization for traffic volumes to compare crash rates. Councilmember John Paulson asked about funding sources; staff listed options including the city capital program, the city’s SPLOST (special purpose local option sales tax), federal discretionary grants (via the Atlanta Regional Commission), and other federal programs such as BUILD/RAISE. Staff said participation in the Safe Streets program can help position projects for federal infrastructure funding.

Public comment included remarks from resident Bill Griffith, who urged faster action on problem corridors such as Roberts Drive and questioned the 2050 timeline. “25 years to achieve 0 serious injury crashes on city‑owned streets — that’s not good. Make that a goal by next year,” Griffith said in public comment, citing numerous single‑vehicle crashes on a residential stretch of Roberts Drive.

Next steps: staff said the draft plan will remain available for public comment and that the plan will return to council in April for consideration of adoption and incorporation into the city’s short‑term programming and transportation planning updates.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Sandy Springs City Council Meetings - 6 p.m.","oneSentenceSummary","City transportation staff and consultant Gresham Smith presented a draft Safe Streets and Roads for All safety action plan to the Sandy Springs City Council on March 18, outlining a prioritized program of infrastructure countermeasures and recommending a city goal to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on city‑owned streets to zero by 2050.","taxTitle","Sandy Springs, Fulton County, Georgia","taxId",2960,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6121868,"Sandy Springs council previews three public-safety ordinances on solicitation, property access and worship buffers",1511,43000,1554000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2699004-373af5f8d52f805486d63666b445ccc3&start=43&end=1554","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2699004-373af5f8d52f805486d63666b445ccc3/thumbnail_43000.jpg","/articles/6121868/Sandy-Springs/Fulton-County/Georgia/Sandy-Springs-council-previews-three-public-safety-ordinances-on-solicitation-property-access-and-worship-buffers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6121868-97c356e2354934f6f1b3e3271790e241/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166206&Signature=EwHabzWpWlNOF7O0aknsBD97fOBxwVBtuXL4a7NeHYbxU08i1~cKP~yhR5xKyKxmQziTsTTv3Yo4k0ZpMwIT4hD~pgya6wZj3mUu6QKEMji7K2TYXQMQBI-mkltx~R4lOA-SK9iJLCyheHqR8egSBtBwFcAP60TCnMh78YgXsrwnntAz~zJpd687mahx0FIs6ne4V9YSQGwpIzIRFTVuivU7NKD5Fm~AEUu7411Jh7DbYW~qemtZ7uQQ6ZkPxdSyggR8JhSAaJEkyD9yyQcWtWX7oiKUFwDgApGWLDZUaQZohxGkIz41XeVI2B996G9XL0H53GncN1qr8yz8XoZSpg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Sandy Springs City Council heard a presentation March 18 on three proposed ordinances that would (1) limit overnight door‑to‑door solicitation and canvassing, (2) set rules for ingress and egress that protect private property access during protests, and (3) create buffer zones around campus places of worship and similar facilities.

City Attorney Dan Lee said the proposals are intended to clarify the city code on where and when canvassing and solicitation can occur and to guide police enforcement in situations where protest activity could interfere with access to private property. He described the ordinances as content‑neutral rules about time, place and manner, not restrictions on message.

The Anti‑Defamation League’s Ryan Pelfry, senior associate regional director for ADL Southeast, told councilmembers the model ordinances were developed in response to an increase in extremist and hate‑motivated incidents. “We have seen a nearly 900% increase in these incidents over the last decade,” Pelfry said, and he cited ADL data finding a 115% increase in anti‑Semitic incidents in Georgia in 2023. Pelfry said ADL has shared model language with other jurisdictions and urged Sandy Springs to adopt protective, content‑neutral measures.

City staff described details of each draft: the overnight solicitation ordinance would prohibit canvassing at private residences between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.; the ingress/egress ordinance would establish a distance (staff described a 50‑foot radius for some private‑property access situations) to prevent blocking vehicle or pedestrian access; and the campus/place‑of‑worship buffer ordinance would adopt principles consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Colorado v. Hill to prohibit approaching unwilling listeners or handing unwanted leaflets in certain controlled zones.

Councilmembers raised constitutional and enforcement concerns. Councilmember Jody Rochelle asked whether the ordinances have been litigated elsewhere; Dan Lee said the local wording has not itself been the subject of litigation but that courts have upheld similar time‑place‑manner limits and cited Colorado v. Hill as precedent. Rochelle and others asked whether the rules should extend to commercial properties; staff replied the drafts focus on private residences because incidents commonly occur at night when homeowners are indoors.

Councilmembers also discussed practical enforcement limits. Staff and the city attorney said enforcement depends on catching violators in the act or having evidence such as video; members noted that daylight distribution of unwanted materials would remain difficult to police under a time‑of‑day approach.

Rather than act on the ordinances that evening, councilmembers asked staff to place each of the three drafts separately on the public‑hearing calendar so members of the public can comment at that hearing. City staff said the ordinances will be returned to council for public hearings and further consideration.

Supporters, staff and council members framed the packages as attempts to balance constitutional speech rights with protections for residents, places of worship and visitors who should not be physically accosted or blocked from entering property.

Council action/direction: Council requested staff to schedule three separate public hearings on the proposed overnight solicitation and canvassing ordinance, the ingress/egress ordinance, and the campus/place‑of‑worship buffer ordinance; no ordinance vote or adoption occurred March 18.

","City attorneys and the Anti-Defamation League outlined three proposed ordinances aimed at restricting overnight door-to-door solicitations, defining ingress/egress near private property, and creating buffer zones around campus places of worship; councilmembers asked staff to schedule each ordinance for a public hearing.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6121857,"Council approves two public‑works contracts: High Point Road drainage and I‑285/GA‑400 mowing",622,3421000,4043000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2699004-373af5f8d52f805486d63666b445ccc3&start=3421&end=4043","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2699004-373af5f8d52f805486d63666b445ccc3/thumbnail_3421000.jpg","/articles/6121857/Sandy-Springs/Fulton-County/Georgia/Council-approves-two-publicworks-contracts-High-Point-Road-drainage-and-I285GA400-mowing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6121857-954d9ac853aecb7bd3febb2d224c0666/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166206&Signature=WHX5iYk6Za9jnY7EA2GnNbUZ3KuIZ2gTYdwMP9petaHvrY1nvbAwZj1xlY1w3BjxIVs94Q80fMt040GIqCVC2xObslGjUO5MF8ZJBvWOKekCRScjB0o1LLPLlUXjBAdL1KEArQZ3xHXI~BESZ4S9JXLTgjcvmn9MnFYQlb07zQUYqOm7r9tmwhfVZyUTzGedagDOhYwX8fSPbtLCCzWFjarybUPkQz9bze8NqqqHgF4uE7crXW2RkfnDmQQZUvaSDgqIR-~ylsdxA9-wjyYnw0PXIXI6h0kME~kSONTOxyBs-ccWiOg9zPr~kTI6ykj54MRaUoHxKuKIa3ODRiRdcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Sandy Springs City Council approved two procurement actions March 18: a construction contract to repair stormwater infrastructure under High Point Road and a maintenance contract to mow portions of Interstate 285 and Georgia 400 right‑of‑way.

High Point Road drainage: Public Works Director Marty Martin recommended awarding the 5030 High Point Road drainage improvement contract to GS Construction, the lowest responsive bidder. Staff reported six bids, with one bidder (NSEW Incorporated) deemed nonresponsive because it lacked GDOT prime‑contractor prequalification. The apparent low responsive bid from GS Construction was reported as $285,430; staff noted the engineer’s estimate was $215,800. Councilmember Andy Baumann moved approval; Councilmember John Paulson seconded. The council approved the award on a voice vote with affirmations from Mayor Rusty Paul and councilmembers present.

Public works staff said the project includes replacing deteriorated corrugated metal pipe with reinforced concrete pipe, replacing two double‑winged catch basins, building two concrete headwalls, regrading shoulders and restoring the roadway surface. Staff explained the higher bids relative to the engineer’s estimate reflected the difficulty of the work zone, traffic control needs and work on adjacent properties.

I‑285 / GA‑400 mowing contract: The council also approved a contract with United Land Services to provide right‑of‑way mowing along accessible segments of I‑285 and GA‑400. The full seasonal price for all contract areas was listed by staff as $103,950.95; staff recommended a partial‑year award of $34,854.47 to cover the remainder of the current fiscal year’s mowings. The procurement is for a base year with four optional renewal years; if all options are exercised the extended value would be materially higher. Dr. Mel Lee Kelly moved approval; Councilmember Melissa Mueller seconded. The council approved the contract on a voice vote.

Both awards were described as within the city manager’s purchasing authority for the base periods; staff noted the GS Construction team has worked for the city previously and United Land Services’ references and current sites were inspected before recommendation.

","Council awarded a $285,430 construction contract for storm‑drain replacement at 5030 High Point Road to GS Construction and approved a mowing contract for I‑285/GA‑400 to United Land Services with initial FY allocation of $34,854.47; both motions passed on voice votes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Sandy Springs unveils Safe Streets action plan with goal of zero fatalities by 2050; short‑term projects prioritized

Sandy Springs council previews three public-safety ordinances on solicitation, property access and worship buffers

Council approves two public‑works contracts: High Point Road drainage and I‑285/GA‑400 mowing