Mayor Curt Wilson and city transportation leaders on Saturday described completed and planned street and pedestrian improvements near Roswell High School, including a new right-turn lane on Woodstock Road and a multi-use trail the city says will be extended toward Hard Scrabble and Canton Street.

The improvements are intended to reduce congestion and increase walkability along the corridor that serves Roswell High School and nearby shopping areas, officials said.

Council Member David Johnson, the City Council’s transportation liaison, said crews “We added, right turn lane on northbound Woodstock Road onto eastbound 92. It alleviates some of the traffic due to the heavy volumes on Woodstock Road turning right onto 92. We added this multi use trail, which will be extended later this year all the way to Hard Scrabble.”

Jeff Littlefield, Roswell’s director of transportation, described the multi-use trail work and timing for additional segments. Littlefield said phase 1 will run from Highway 92 to Crabapple Middle School and is expected to enter construction later in 2025. He said phase 2 will require right-of-way acquisition later in 2025, with construction scheduled for 2026.

Littlefield also said the city will seek a crossing permit from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) at Highway 92 as part of further trail connections. He added that the city has many projects under way: “We probably have, over 20 projects active in some form of either construction or design right now.”

Wilson, the mayor, said the City Council approved last week a plan to build an 8- to 10-foot multi-use trail along Hard Scrabble that will reach a shopping area near Target. He framed the projects as part of a broader effort the city calls “slow down in Roswell,” aimed at reducing vehicle speeds in residential neighborhoods, improving pedestrian protection, and shifting some short trips from cars to walking or biking.

Officials said completed work at this location already includes the right-turn lane from northbound Woodstock Road onto eastbound Highway 92 and a new segment of multi-use trail in the immediate corridor. Future segments described by officials would create continuous multi-use routes from the Woodstock/92 area to Crabapple Middle School and eventually to Canton Street, subject to the right-of-way and permit conditions described by staff.

The officials repeatedly emphasized walkability and traffic-calming goals, saying fewer short car trips and physical separation for pedestrians should reduce congestion and speeding in neighborhoods. City staff did not provide dollar amounts, detailed construction schedules beyond the year-level timelines, or formal council vote tallies in the presentation.

Members of the public or property owners with questions about crossing permits or right-of-way acquisition were not given specific contact information during the presentation; staff said they will submit required documentation to GDOT and proceed with right-of-way negotiations in 2025.