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From  WTOC-TV:

“My biggest concern is that some neighbors may have to be uprooted,” said Irene Hines of Tatumville, an area that would also be affected by any changes. Others were concerned about their neighborhoods being disturbed, or the noise from the extra lanes of traffic.

Read more and watch video here.

The community meeting was the first public workshop to examine development along the midtown east-west connector. And while it is the third study attempted in about a decade, this one began with citizen input and assurances that traffic considerations would be weighed against the need to protect the neighborhoods and the desire to create more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly pathways.

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Some of the people being asked to support the latest study have been some of the most ardent critics of past efforts. Count Su Su Cox among them. In 2005, the study called Connecting Savannah sought out residents, then disregarded their input in recommending a widening plan that called for razing homes, she said.

Some residents felt so used in the process, she said, they formed Preserving Savannah Neighborhoods, a community group that began closely monitoring zoning and development. She is skeptical of the new effort but willing to participate - up to a point - if it means there is a chance for neighborhood beautification.

“It is not about widening,” she said. “I am not participating in this if widening, elevating or tunneling is part of the process.”

She sees this latest study as an opportunity for the city to show it is committed to preserving neighborhoods.

Read more here.

From WSAV-TV:

Project Derenne is supposed to be different. “Number one,” says Kinstler, “it is supposed to be about what to do about the entire corridor, enhance the livability of the corridor not to just widen it gratuitously for traffic.” The idea is to view the road, the homes, the businesses and the people as one organism realizing that changes to one part will affect all the others.

Read more here.

A number of mature pine trees have already been removed from the side yard of a home zoned single-family residential. Scheduled to be done soon, the removal of several new trees planted by the City as well as moving a large utility pole with lamp, power lines, and a crosswalk signal.

The protest is designed to raise awareness and prevent action that compromises a current $300,000 City study on the use DeRenne.

With gas prices at near record highs, Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue today challenged state agencies and businesses to continue to expand commute alternative programs. “Gas prices and long commutes are a challenge for many employees,” said Perdue. “Many employers, including state government, have developed a range of options for workers that help them save on fuel costs and enjoy stress-free commutes. Continuing to offer these programs and expand them where possible is a great way to reduce congestion and help employees deal with the burden of high gas prices.”

Read more here.

One major misconception is that the presence of trees near roadways increases the likelihood of traffic crashes and deaths. Over time, this idea has resulted in trees being removed or setback from roadsides in the name of transportation safety. Early research on trees and transportation safety was done on rural high speed roads. Multiple studies of the last decade have focused on urban streets and have not found the claimed level of safety risks, including studies by the City of Toronto, Texas A & M University, University of Washington and Georgia Tech.

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