Community Q&A: If traffic fixes were known, why weren’t they done before approving more high-density housing?
At our Turn Up the Volume Woodstock Town Hall on September 17, frustration boiled over around traffic and growth. One neighbor put it bluntly:
Q: If traffic fixes were known, why weren’t they done before approving more high-density housing?
A:
That’s the question a lot of us have been asking for years. The truth is, city leaders have approved housing developments knowing full well where the bottlenecks are — Highway 92, Towne Lake Parkway, Main Street, Neese Road. But instead of requiring fixes first, they often let projects move ahead on the promise that improvements would come later.
Here’s why it happened:
Funding gaps. Traffic projects in Woodstock often depend on county SPLOST sales tax dollars, GDOT partnerships, or federal grants — not just the city budget. Leaders leaned on those outside timelines instead of holding developers accountable for immediate fixes.
Developer leverage. When a developer comes in with a rezoning request, they know the city wants growth and tax revenue. Too often, the city approved density without requiring strong upfront traffic commitments.
Reactive planning culture. Woodstock has historically treated transportation plans as “wish lists.” Even when traffic impacts were obvious, the city approved housing first and hoped projects like the Ridgewalk Diverging Diamond or Towne Lake interchange would catch up later.
My approach is different:
Traffic fixes first. If a development adds hundreds of cars, the traffic improvements must be designed, funded, and on the construction schedule before occupancy permits are issued. No more blank checks.
Match growth to what’s funded. We already have projects in motion — like the Neese Road enhancements (finishing in 2025), the Towne Lake/I-575 interchange improvements (starting fall 2025), and the Highway 92/Trickum Road overhaul (2025–26). Going forward, I’ll push to only approve high-density projects when residents can see those kinds of funded fixes moving forward.
Public accountability. Right now, traffic studies sit in consultant reports. I’ll make them public, in plain English, so neighbors can see if the math adds up before council votes.
Balance growth with livability. Woodstock can grow, but it has to grow smart. That means spacing density where infrastructure is ready, not rubber-stamping projects that leave the rest of us in gridlock.
For too long, housing came first and traffic fixes came later — if at all. I believe Woodstock deserves the opposite: roads ready before the rooftops.
