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DDA urges pedestrian-focused approach as GDOT bypass is debated
Summary
At its June 17 meeting, the Watkinsville Downtown Development Authority reviewed survey data and expressed support for a GDOT bypass design that prioritizes pedestrian safety and reduces through-truck traffic downtown; members asked staff for more local travel data before taking a formal position.
The Downtown Development Authority of Watkinsville discussed a proposed Georgia Department of Transportation bypass on June 17, with members stressing pedestrian safety as the top priority. Chair Christine Tucker presented survey data and the DDA said a bypass should help make downtown safer for people walking and shopping.
Paul Lancaster asked for clearer counts on how many vehicles traveling U.S. 15 stop in Watkinsville versus continuing through, saying that breakdown would affect whether the bypass should route local cars or primarily divert trucks. Mellony Adkins described the traffic she sees near her business as part of the operational context informing the DDA’s view. The DDA’s discussion concluded with general support for a bypass “that helps promote safety of pedestrians,” though members did not adopt a formal resolution and requested additional data from staff and partners before any formal endorsement.
The conversation drew on survey results Tucker shared from earlier outreach; Lancaster and other members emphasized the need for empirical travel patterns to distinguish local stop-and-stay traffic from through-traffic. Next steps recorded in the meeting minutes call for the DDA to seek the specific traffic-count information Lancaster requested before returning the item for policy consideration.
