The Town Center Community Improvement District (CID) recently kicked off two exciting initiatives: the Freight Cluster Plan and the LCI Electrification Study.
These two initiatives, while locally focused, highlight the Town Center community’s unique character and regional significance. As one of the last concentrated, economic centers in north Georgia before heading out of state, Town Center serves as a gateway for commuters, freight operations and travelers to and from Metro Atlanta via I-75 and I-575. It is also home to a complex mix of retail, residential, university services, manufacturing, warehousing and industrial uses.
“With the Freight Cluster Plan, we have the opportunity to create a positive regional impact on freight movement. Also, with the LCI Electrification Study, we are preparing for Town Center’s continued role in a regional and national Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure (EVCI) Network, with a future focused on continued growth, quality of life, and economic competitiveness,” says Tracy Styf, Town Center CID’s Executive Director.
The Freight Cluster Plan
The Town Center CID Freight Cluster Plan will provide an understanding of how the road network in and immediately surrounding the CID is being used for freight movement, how these uses are projected to change in the future, and what this means for the Town Center community. It will establish a framework for encouraging smart growth and improving mobility, taking into account the need to accommodate freight traffic while working with the community to ensure a high quality of life.
The plan is being developed as part of the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Freight Cluster Plan Program, which was created to address the need for local, small-area freight planning in the Atlanta Region. This program provides local governments and CIDs funding for local planning with a focus on freight movement. Funding for the plan includes $250,000 from the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) via the Freight Cluster Plan Program, and the CID will provide the required 20 percent match.
The LCI Electrification Study
The Town Center LCI Electrification Study was born out of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program (NEVI), established by the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, enacted as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The goal of the NEVI Program is to deploy a national network of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations that provide a convenient, reliable, affordable, and equitable experience for all users.
Georgia has an FHWA-approved Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Deployment Plan, which allows federal NEVI funding to be released, and the ARC is starting work on a Regional Electrification Plan. As a next step, the ARC is funding a pilot program for Livable Center Initiative (LCI) areas to study how to prepare for community vehicle charging. Town Center CID applied for and received an LCI grant of $120,000, and the CID will provide the required 20 percent local match.
Ultimately, the Town Center CID LCI Electrification Study will be a tool for property owners and surrounding agencies to better understand green infrastructure and growth opportunities in the area and to work together to provide electric charging services to the community. This study will include recommendations for code and policy considerations at the County level.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to be a front-runner in planning for this crucial technology,” said Alisha Smith, Director of Projects and Planning for the CID. “We’re already on the map with existing NEVI-compliant charging stations in the district. This effort will help stakeholders understand the positive efforts of EV infrastructure and encourage discussions for installation.”
When completed, both the Freight Cluster Plan and the LCI Electrification Study will support and inform ARC’s regional planning efforts, while providing a local strategy to reduce traffic congestion, accommodate changes/emerging technology in the automotive and freight industry, and improve safety and mobility in the Town Center Community.
