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Newton County approves $400,000 comprehensive transportation plan after residents urge Highway 36 and 11 safety studies
Summary
The Newton County Board approved a $400,000 comprehensive transportation plan (80% federal funds, 20% local match) on May 19; residents urged adding corridor-specific safety studies for state-owned Highways 36 and 11 so the county can better advocate to GDOT and compete for Safe Streets for All funding.
The Newton County Board of Commissioners voted May 19 to approve a $400,000 comprehensive transportation plan, with 80% federal funding and a 20% local match, after residents urged the board to add corridor-specific safety studies for the county’s busiest state highways.
Monica Segastozado, who said she lives on Highway 213 in Mansfield, told the board she had tracked “at least three car accidents on Highway 36” in the past month, including incidents that led to serious injuries and at least one she said resulted in two deaths. She asked the board to add a safety transportation plan for the entire Highway 36 corridor in Newton County and to recommend design‑policy changes for state Route 11 so the Georgia Department of Transportation will consider studying safety design across those corridors.
Christopher Davis, another resident who spoke during public comment, echoed the request and said including corridor-level safety language in the county plan would help local officials and the city of Mansfield when seeking state funding.
County Manager James Brown told commissioners the plan’s scope includes cross sections and county-level analyses but noted limitations for state‑owned routes: “Ultimately it will fall back onto the state to do those analyses for any type of improvement on those specific highways,” he said, describing the practical boundary between county recommendations and Georgia Department of Transportation authority.
Commissioner David Edwards (Commissioner Edwards) said he has communicated with GDOT about problem intersections on Highway 36 (at Highway 213 and Lackey Road) and on Route 11 in Mansfield, and asked staff to try to ensure the plan flags the busiest state‑highway intersections so the county can advocate for state action and potential funding.
The board approved the plan after discussion. The approved package includes the federal/local funding split described by staff; the transcript records the motion as approved but does not list a numeric roll-call tally in the public minutes.
