Watkinsville Transportation Study

In May 2019, the City of Watkinsville kicked off its Transportation Study. The following citizens served on the Transportation Advisory Committee:

• Lee Morgan

• Dana Blaire

• Jon Kirkpatrick

• Steve Brown

• Samantha Purcell

• Mark Jennings

These citizens were joined by Mayor Dave Shearon and Council members Brian Brodrick and Christine Tucker, along with City staff and over the next five months worked diligently to use their knowledge of the community to help bridge paths (literally) to the future and identify lifestyle enhancements that would improve the quality of life in our small town. 

Ultimately, the City's goal was to provide improvements that address not only safety, but also connectivity to downtown and its restaurants, shops, popular festivals, special events, and road races, and hopefully decrease the amount of local automobile traffic.

The Committee was tasked with not only a great opportunity, but also a serious challenge to find a way to maintain the wonderful elements so essential to our ‘small town’ community, while bringing them up to the lifestyle needs of our modern world.  Some of the key elements for ‘growing’ Quality of Life Development involve ways to enhance person-to-person outdoor interaction, pedestrian access to destinations, individualized low impact recreation, and integration of traffic patterns; those on foot, bicycle and motorized. 

This was an ambitious and comprehensive study that covered all modes of transportation and required committee members to assess, maintain, enhance and improve connectivity within the City. Their participation was not only essential, but also invaluable to this process and we are grateful for their service.  As a result, the City has a master plan that provides guidance on identifying priority bicycle and pedestrian transportation projects and addresses vehicular congestion at key intersections. 

A presentation of the Transportation Study was given to the public on Thursday, September 26 at 7 PM at City Hall (191 VFW Drive). At the Mayor & Council's October 16, 2019 regular meeting, the Council voted to accept the Transportation Study Report. To view the Transportation Study Report, click here.