Atlanta Braves traffic beware — a ‘Transportation Task Force’ is coming

For three years, concerns have swirled about what will happen the day the gates open for the first time at SunTrust Park. It hasn’t been a question of a Braves win, but how traffic from the game will impact the area.

Now, with less than two months remaining until opening day, a variety of stakeholders is getting really serious about tackling the traffic before it begins.

According to Reporter Newspapers, the “Transportation Task Force” — comprised of a wide array of public and private organizations including the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber of Commerce, the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, Fulton County Schools, Kennesaw State University, the Georgia Motor Trucking Association, Home Depot, Arby’s Restaurant Group, and local hotels — will be considering creative solutions to help relieve congestion on roads around game times.

With input from agencies like Atlanta Regional Commission, Georgia Department of Transportation, Cobb and Sandy Springs government staff members, and four area Community Improvement Districts, the participants are weighing a host of options.

Ideas include things like flexible work schedules for those in offices around the stadium, ride-sharing programs to minimize the number of cars on the roads, and longer-term solutions that are yet to be devised.

Base image via wowamazing.com

When up to 40,000+ fans stream into the stadium and The Battery — next door to the already busy interchange of interstates 75 and 285 — businesses, residents, and those passing through are anticipating gridlock.

While different ideas have been proposed to combat the traffic, and some people close to the Braves organization feel there won’t be any traffic at all, the uncertain future for the area has resulted in feuds spanning county lines.

Last summer offered some of the tensest moments in the saga, though Sandy Springs and Cobb officials quickly addressed resident concerns promising to work together toward a solution. As of December, that solution wasn’t entirely clear.

Now, with the kumbaya of sorts, it seems that unity is finally happening. But those alliances will surely be tested on April 14.

• Sandy Springs, Cobb Chambers form stadium traffic task force [Reporter Newspapers]
• Cobb County takes Braves to task about traffic [Curbed Atlanta]