As commuters vented and raged over travel time to work, the Atlanta Regional Commission took steps in 1999 to try and provide other alternatives to driving and cleaning up the region's air.

In the next 10 years, the transportation infrastructure of Coweta County will be extensively changed.

The ARC is the planning agency for 10 counties in the Atlanta region. While Coweta County is not a member of the agency, the agency is overseeing many of its projects because the county is included in a 13-county non-attainment area for bad air quality.

“This transportation plan will help the region conform to federal air quality standards,” said assistant county administrator Eddie Whitlock.

One of the biggest changes in the transportation arena will be the option of commuter rail. ARC officials estimate a commuter rail line will be up and running with a station in Senoia by 2010.

By 2020, more than 2,500 commuters will board the rail daily in Senoia for a trip north into Atlanta. The rail also will have boarding stations at Peachtree City, Tyrone and Red Oak. ARC projects that by 2025, more than 10,000 riders will be boarding the train at the four stops.

One of the biggest traffic headaches currently is the Ga. Highway 34 corridor between Newnan and Peachtree City. Work already is being done on the section of the road from Ga. Highway 154 to Interstate 85.

Coweta County Commission Chairman Lawrence Nelms announced late this fall the Atlanta Regional Commission has agreed to move the completion date up five years for the widening of Ga. highways 34 and 54 from Newnan to Peachtree City.

The road will now be completed in 2005, instead of 2010, which officials with the state Department of Transportation said is a workable date.

Nelms met with Harry West and Joel Stone of the ARC, along with Fayette County Commission Chairman Harold Bost, Peachtree City Mayor Bob Lenox and Coweta County administrator Theron Gay.

Nelms thanked everybody for working together to speed the project up. Now that ARC officials are going to help alleviate one of the biggest traffic headaches, county and ARC officials can focus their efforts on some of the other projects.

ARC officials estimate the cost of the widening at nearly $24 million.

Other major projects in the ARC proposal include:

• The building of the Newnan bypass from Hwy. 34 to U.S. 29.

• Widening of the bridge at Ga. Highway 54 and Line Creek from two to four lanes.

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