Consultant unveils Hoschton's first Master Transportation Plan, flags State Route 53 safety and sidewalk gaps

Alex Simmons, traffic engineering group leader at Kekenwood, presented Hoschton City's inaugural Master Transportation Plan to the council, outlining safety, mobility and policy priorities for a community experiencing rapid growth.

The presentation said the plan assessed traffic operations, safety and existing infrastructure citywide and drew on 600 public survey responses and stakeholder meetings. Kekenwood found heavy reliance on motor vehicles, disconnected sidewalks and multi-use paths, limited public awareness of transit options and several corridors with speeding and sight-distance concerns. Simmons said near-miss reports collected from residents helped flag intersections for proactive fixes.

The plan organizes projects into three priority tiers. Tier one (short-term, high priority) includes traffic calming on Peach Tree Road and sight-distance improvements at the Peach Tree Road/Deer Creek Trail intersection. Tier two identifies several State Route 53 intersections as potential signal candidates subject to GDOT signal-warrant thresholds; tier three lists longer-term, grant-dependent projects.

Councilors pressed Simmons on cost estimates, which he said appear in the report appendix, and on whether the study accounted for planned nearby developments and schools; Simmons said the team considered those developments and recommended improvements for impacted intersections. Multiple councilors noted that GDOT controls signals on State Route 53 and that previous signal requests were denied; Simmons said the plan recommends evaluating future signal warrants and working with GDOT and developers to ensure warrants are met when growth occurs.

On near-term safety measures, Kekenwood recommended supplemental improvements to existing mirrors and vegetation clearing, and the use of flashing beacons or warning signage on major approaches to alert motorists to side-street traffic. The consultant also recommended continued speed monitoring and clearer sidewalk and multi-use path connectivity requirements in the unified development code to reduce gaps.

Next steps outlined in the presentation include prioritizing projects for grant funding, completing engineering-level cost estimates for tier-one projects, and continuing stakeholder coordination with Barrow County and GDOT. Simmons noted that grant writing and long-term funding pursuit are not part of the current contract but offered to assist in future work.

The council asked staff to make the appendix cost tables and signal-warrant data available to members and confirmed the plan will be used to guide project selection and potential grant applications.