Community Q&A: How will you ensure traffic planning keeps pace with new housing instead of reacting after problems arise?
At our Turn Up the Volume Woodstock Town Hall on September 17, traffic came up again and again. One of the sharpest questions was this:
Q: How will you ensure traffic planning keeps pace with new housing instead of reacting after problems arise?
A:
Right now, Woodstock’s growth often outpaces its roads. Anyone who has tried to get down Towne Lake Parkway at rush hour, or sat at Highway 92 after school lets out, knows what I mean. Too often, traffic fixes come after people are already stuck in gridlock.
The problem:
Housing approvals aren’t tied tightly enough to infrastructure timelines. Developers can get the green light for projects, and only later does the city start looking seriously at whether the surrounding roads can handle it.
Our transportation plans exist—but they’re too often treated as wish lists. The Woodstock Transportation Plan 2025 includes roundabouts, intersection upgrades, and major interchange redesigns. But projects depend on funding and coordination with county and state partners.
Public input is sidelined. By the time residents see the traffic impact, the deal’s already inked.
My approach:
Tie housing to traffic fixes up front. If a development will bring hundreds of cars, improvements should be designed and funded before occupancy, not years later. Yes, requiring developers to contribute can increase costs—but the alternative is worse: taxpayers footing the bill after gridlock sets in. I’ll fight for a balance that keeps housing attainable while making sure growth doesn’t come at the expense of everyone else’s commute.
Match approvals with action. We already have millions in projects moving forward—funded through SPLOST sales taxes, state/federal grants, and partnerships with GDOT and Cherokee County, not new property taxes. These include the Neese Road Southern Segment (supposed to finish fall 2025), the Neese Road Northern Segment with sidewalks to Dupree Park (slated for 2026), the Arnold Mill/Neese Road roundabout, the I-575 Ridgewalk Parkway Diverging Diamond, the Towne Lake Parkway/I-575 interchange improvements (supposed to start fall 2025), plus major upgrades at Highway 92/Trickum, Highway 92/Main Street, and Dupree/Main downtown. My promise is simple: every time we greenlight new housing, I’ll show you what’s moving forward on this list and keep pressure on council and staff to deliver.
Set clear timelines. Some projects will wrap up in months; others, like the Ridgewalk diverging diamond, are multi-year undertakings. I’ll be upfront about which is which, so expectations stay realistic.
Make traffic studies public. Right now, impact studies live in consultant reports most residents never see. I’ll push to post them online in plain language so people can weigh in before it’s too late. (Right now, residents technically can see the studies, but usually only if they know to request them. They aren’t easily accessible or translated into plain English for the average person.)
Measure success. We can track average wait times at intersections like Highway 92/Main, accident rates where roundabouts replace signals, and even commute times through Towne Lake. I’ll fight to make those numbers public so you know whether changes are actually helping.
Address opposition honestly. Some developers will argue that contributing to road improvements makes their projects harder to pencil out. But the truth is, if we don’t require it up front, the costs land on you later—either in taxes or in wasted hours of your life stuck in traffic. Growth should pay its fair share for the impact it creates.
Coordinate regionally, advocate locally. Some fixes—like the Ridgewalk diverging diamond—require county and state leadership. The mayor doesn’t control GDOT, but I can amplify community voices, show up at those tables, and make sure Woodstock isn’t left holding the bag for regional traffic without regional solutions.
Growth is inevitable—but gridlock is a choice. If we keep approving housing without tying it to traffic solutions, we’re choosing gridlock. I choose smarter growth.
