Executive Director's
Update
Published Friday, May 4,
2007
Are medians bad for business?
Studies provide insights into economic impact of medians
 As
most know, the motivating factor that led to the formation of the
Evermore (formerly Highway 78) Community Improvement District was
the Georgia Department of Transportation’s announcement of
construction of a median on U.S. 78. All agree that a median will
greatly improve safety, but business owners fear a negative impact
on commerce.
A growing number of
state and local transportation agencies are adopting regulations aimed
at managing driveway access and incorporating raised medians into
roadway projects in urban areas. The purpose is to reduce traffic
conflicts, protect driver safety, and improve traffic flow. To the
great credit of the visionary property owners on U.S. 78, over 400 of
them, and the cooperation of the Georgia DOT, Gwinnett County, and the
City of Snellville, the Evermore CID has made substantial improvements
to the planned median construction project that should reduce any
perceived negative impact on business.
But what are the
economic impacts of access management (including raised medians)?
Several studies,
conducted in the 1990’s, provide some details on the economic effects
of access management.
In 1999, the Kansas
DOT studied 15 businesses that had filed inverse condemnation lawsuits
against the DOT on access related issues. In all but one of the cases,
the claimant was still in possession of the property and still
operating the business. The results provide strong anecdotal evidence
that except in extreme factual situations, changes in access or
traffic patterns did not cause a change in the highest and best use of
the properties.
A Texas study in the
mid-1990s focused on the impact of left-turn restrictions similar to
those we will experience on U.S. 78. Researchers conducted prearranged
on-site interviews with property and business owners to solicit
perceptions and actual impacts. The findings were as follows:
Ø
Perceptions of business owners before the median was installed were
more pessimistic than what actually happened.
Ø
Business owners reported no change in pass-by traffic after median
installation.
Ø
Most
business types (including specialty retail, fast-food restaurants and
sit-down restaurants) reported increases in the number of customers
per day and gross sales, except for gas stations and auto repair
shops.
Ø
Most
adverse impacts were realized during the construction phase.
Ø
Employment within the corridor experienced an upward trend.
Ø
About
94% of business owners reported that their regular customers were at
least as likely to continue patronizing the business after the median
installation.
Ø
The
vast majority of land values remained constant or increased.
A statewide study in
Iowa in 1996 revealed that corridors with completed access management
projects performed better in terms of retail sales than the
surrounding communities. Business failure rates were below the state
average. Eighty percent of businesses surveyed reported sales at least
as high after the project and the same percentage reported no customer
complaints. In all cases, 90 to 100 percent of motorists surveyed had
a favorable opinion of the improvements and thought the roadway was
safer and traffic flow improved.
Two studies by the
Florida Department of Transportation addressed the economic impacts of
raised median reconstruction projects. In Ft. Lauderdale,
seventy-percent of the merchants indicated that the median changes had
no adverse effect on truck delivers and over 60% perceived no change
in business activity. In an Orlando study of five corridors, 43% of
business owners reported volume declines while 57% indicated that the
value of their business was unaffected or increased.
The results generally
indicate that with proper planning and advance communication, the
median projects have little overall adverse impact on business
activity. Destination type businesses, such as certain restaurants and
specialty stores, appear less sensitive to access changes than
businesses that rely primarily on pass-by traffic, such as gas
stations.
Presently on U.S. 78,
poorly designed vehicular access not only adversely impacts the
character and efficiency of the corridor, but also its economic
vitality over time. Well designed, functioning, and attractive
corridors with access management including inter-parcel access,
parallel roadways and raised medians appear to perform well and that
is the Evermore CID’s goal for U.S. 78.
The Evermore CID,
representing over 1,500 businesses, continues to work closely toward
that goal with the Georgia DOT and others to insure that the
construction contract, with a bid opening scheduled for May 18,
2007, will enhance our businesses and community at large. The
U.S. 78 project will remove the confusing and dangerous reversible
lane and light system and replace it with a landscaped, center median.
Ample access to business is preserved over the length of the 7-mile
corridor via fifteen signalized intersections, all with decorative
mast arms and illuminated street signs, and an additional eight median
openings.
New technology
including fiber optic cable, closed circuit cameras, volume monitoring
and video detection devices will coordinate and synchronize the
traffic signals from the DeKalb County line to Grayson Parkway
improving the flow of vehicles on the corridor. Inter-parcel access
and new parallel roads will also play an important role improving
driver safety and providing increased mobility and access.
A combined investment
of $30 million in these enhancements and others, such as fourteen
miles of new sidewalk along with a pedestrian bridge over the Yellow
River, on U.S. 78 will positively shape our future for many years to
come.
AJC article by Susan
Gast:
Do medians affect your shopping decision?
Finally, as
always, thanks for visiting the Evermore CID website and
don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns and remember to . .
.
Shop 78.
Brett Harrell, Executive Director of the
Evermore CID, is an Atlanta native, former Mayor of Snellville, and has
owned and operated businesses on the U.S. 78 corridor and vicinity for
over 20 years. |
