RevisedDates_Ashby_MARTA_Station_Connectivity.pdf

EXHIBIT A

GENERAL SCOPE OF SERVICES

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Ashby LCI 2025

Scope of Services

I. General: The work to be accomplished is in support of the following Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) sub-element:

502 CAS - Livable Centers Initiative Investment Policy Studies (LCI)

II. Area covered: All the necessary services provided by the City of Atlanta (Subgrantee) in this subgrant contract will support the study of LCI-related programs and projects surrounding the Ashby MARTA Station area. The Study Area for the Ashby MARTA Station Connectivity Study is located within the City of Atlanta and Fulton County. The study area includes the blocks within approximately a quarter mile of the Ashby Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) station. The study’s focus is on the heart of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive neighborhood commercial district, with an emphasis on connections between the Ashby MARTA station and the adjacent Historic Westside Atlanta neighborhoods—Vine City, Washington Park, Ashview Heights, and Atlanta University Center. The study area is a critical neighborhood commercial and transit center and a place of neighborhood identity.

III. Goal: Portions of the Atlanta Metropolitan Transportation Planning Area are in maintenance for both ozone and PM2.5 standards under the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990. Because of this designation, the region is required to reduce emissions and meet air quality standards. To achieve this, the region must implement improved development practices that encourage the use of transportation modes other than single-occupant vehicles (SOVs). The LCI program aims to improve the use of alternatives to driving alone by supporting transportation projects and other programs that enhance accessibility, diversify land uses, promote transit use, and foster further development in the study area. Evaluating these alternatives should result in project and program recommendations that align with ARC's Livable Centers Initiative goals for safety, connectivity, and walkability. Ultimately, the goal is to increase the use of alternatives to driving alone.

IV. Work Tasks: The City of Atlanta, as the Subgrantee, will prepare a tactical LCI study advancing the vision for a safe, connected, and active Ashby MARTA station. This study is building upon the 2009 Vine City/Washington Park LCI study to:

• Eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries through safer street design, speed management, and other proven safety measures.

• Expand equitable and affordable mobility options through accessibility improvements, bicycle and pedestrian projects, and wayfinding to connect more people with the station’s transit service.

• Connect the nearby neighborhood commercial district and neighborhoods.

• Elevate the historic and public spaces around the station to make public life more enjoyable, functional, and welcoming.

• Increase climate resiliency and sustainability by recommending a range of maintenance activities and new improvements along streets and other public spaces in the study area.

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• Capital project priorities for safely traveling around the station are supported by technical research and public input.

• Urban design concepts co-created with partners and community members for exceptional public spaces where the Ashby MARTA station connects to the area’s sense of place and identity, as well as residential, commercial, and civic activities.

• Recommendations for first and last mile connections, bus and train facility improvements, and transit-oriented development that best connect residents, workers, students, and visitors who most depend on the station.

The work to be accomplished under this subgrant agreement is divided into the following tasks.

Task 1 – Existing Conditions Assessment

This task involves compiling an inventory and analysis of the existing physical, safety, and policy/regulatory conditions in the study area. This effort will provide a better understanding of the conditions that influence how people travel to and experience the area. The assessment will focus on the quality of the public realm and the vulnerability and resilience of the area’s transit, bicycle, and pedestrian infrastructure. This task will support the preparation of concepts and the prioritization of recommendations.

Specific subtasks include:

• Analysis of Existing Conditions Conduct a detailed review of land use/zoning designations, sidewalks, driveways, intersections, streetscapes, and other conditions that influence how people travel to and experience the area. Include relevant findings from the 2009 Vine City/Washington Park LCI study and related reports published since adoption. Identify gaps in pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, as well as prominent “desire paths” and barriers to multimodal accessibility, particularly for transit users and vulnerable populations. Describe any connectivity conflicts at critical locations within the study area, such as routes to school, public facilities, parks, and local businesses.

• Coordination with Implementing Partners Leverage prior planning efforts and recently collected data by implementing partners, including MARTA, Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT), Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), Atlanta Beltline, PATH Foundation, Atlanta Public Schools (APS), MLK Main Street Association, and others.

• Field Survey and Mapping Study the physical conditions affecting travel and connectivity around the Ashby station.

This includes assessing above-ground utilities, existing right-of-way limits, street trees and canopy coverage, and topography and elevation changes. Leverage recently collected data from implementing partners to inform this analysis.

• ARC and the City of Atlanta anticipate preparing an Action Plan as the primary deliverable from this study. This Action Plan will include the following:

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A-3 and intersections near the station, in coordination with implementing partners. The analysis informing the study should be tailored to effectively support Task 3 deliverables.

This analysis may include current and projected peak hour volumes, speed data and crash history with details on severity and location trends, turning movement counts, Level of Service (LOS), as well as pedestrian and bicycle activity and potential conflicts. Again, leverage partner data when possible.

• First/Last Mile Travel Behavior to/from the Ashby MARTA Station The Existing Conditions Assessment will examine the travel behaviors of individuals commuting to and from the station, with a particular focus on the first and last mile of their journeys. This assessment will summarize the number and types of trips taken in the study area and highlight potential barriers that discourage people from using public transit at the station. Additionally, it will address safety concerns for the most vulnerable travelers within the study area.

Deliverables: Drafts of Existing Conditions Assessment with supporting analyses and studies (in PDF format)

Task 2 – Community Involvement

The goal of this task is to conduct an inclusive planning process that encourages broad participation and resonates with implementing partners and community members. Special emphasis will be placed on outreach to local businesses, workers, students, visitors, residents, and transit riders within the study area. Efforts and accommodation will be made to include community members who have traditionally been underrepresented in decision-making or who will be most directly affected by the recommendations. This may consist of tailoring activities to engage with elderly people, individuals living with disabilities, those experiencing homelessness, low- to moderate-income earners, service industry workers, renters of housing, and small businesses in the study area, as well as providing language translation and interpretation services.

The ARC Project Manager must be included in all discussions and/or email communications regarding meeting dates to ensure their availability, including Project Management Team (PMT) meetings, Study Advisory Groups (SAGs) meetings, and community engagement events. The community involvement process shall, at a minimum, include the following components:

• Project Management Plan (PMP) The PMP will identify the Project Management Team and the roles of members, outlining how the Team will work together to execute the agreement between the City and the Consultant, as well as carry out the specific tasks detailed in the Project’s Scope of Work.

• Community Involvement Plan (CIP) The Community Involvement Plan expands on the specific Community Engagement Activities and activities during the planning process.

• Multimodal Traffic and Safety Study The Subgrantee will perform a multimodal traffic and safety study for important corridors

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A Project Management Team shall be formed with representatives from the City of Atlanta, the Consultant, MARTA, and ARC. This team shall meet or hold a conference call at least monthly to discuss study progress and provide advice on public involvement and other planning process issues.

• Study Advisory Groups The Subgrantee will seek input and comments from implementing partner agencies and community organizations that should be involved in the study’s overall direction and planning process, given the critical nature of their financial, technical, and/or political support. To facilitate this process, the Subgrantee will establish two Study Advisory Groups: a Technical Advisory Group and a Community Advisory Group.

The Subgrantee will convene a Technical Advisory Group consisting of key partners with direct technical expertise and implementation responsibilities to accomplish the study’s goals, including Atlanta Department of City Planning and ARC representatives, and representatives from Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT), Atlanta Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR), Atlanta Department of Watershed Management (DWM), Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Resiliency (MOSR), Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs (OCA), Mayor’s Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (MOEDI), Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT), and MARTA.

Possible Community Advisory Group partners include Atlanta City Council members, the Martin Luther King Jr. Main Street District (MLK Main Street District), the Atlanta University Center (AUC), the Atlanta Preservation Center, Neighborhood Planning Units (NPUs), and local neighborhood organizations.

The Study Advisory Groups will have a critical role in community outreach by publicizing meetings and distributing information to the public.

• Community Engagement Activities The public engagement process should include a variety of methods, times, and techniques to reach the broadest range of community members possible (i.e., workshops, charrettes, forums, surveys, open houses, pop-up events, small group or intercept interviews, demonstration projects, etc.).

A minimum of three (3) community engagement activities shall be conducted in a format determined by the Project Management Team. The following topics/milestones should be covered (at a minimum):

o Provide an overview of the study process, the goals of the study, key dates, and opportunities for public input;

o Seek input and consensus on a preferred overall concept for the study area as well as the study recommendations; and

• Project Management Team (PMT)

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Virtual meetings and/or digital engagement activities can be used to meet the above activities.

• Final Plan Review and Transportation Coordinating Committee Meeting A presentation to the ARC Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) is required before finalizing the LCI study priorities, concepts, and recommendations. To ensure the preferred actions are feasible, the coordination meeting should include all affected organizations (such as the City of Atlanta, GDOT, MARTA, ATLDOT, etc.).

The final plan review may be conducted virtually or at the ARC offices to discuss the plan process, address any issues or unique activities that arose, and outline future projects necessary to implement the Action Plan once the study is completed and adopted by the City of Atlanta.

Deliverables: Project Management Plan, Community Involvement Plan, PMT Meeting Summaries, Study Advisory Group Meeting Summaries, Presentation to the TCC and Feedback (in PDF format)

Task 3 – Action Plan

The goal of this task is to prepare an Action Plan for a safe, connected, and active Ashby MARTA station area. The Action Plan should include priorities, preferred urban design concepts, and recommendations for neighborhood connectivity, safety and accessibility improvements, bicycle and pedestrian projects, wayfinding, and climate resiliency and sustainability. Preparing the Action Plan should align with other completed studies and be coordinated with other implementing partners and their projects and programs. At a minimum, the Action Plan will include the following:

• Capital Project Priorities Using technical analysis and robust community engagement, the Action Plan will identify capital project priorities that improve access to and around the Ashby MARTA Station.

Projects will be shaped by public input, with a focus on eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries, expanding first/last mile options, and creating meaningful public spaces.

Prioritized capital projects will reflect findings from Tasks 1 and public input from Task

2. Each identified project will include an overview of feasibility, preliminary cost estimates, implementing partner(s), and potential funding sources.

• Urban Design Concepts The Subgrantee will prepare two (2) to five (5) detailed urban design concepts for specific intersections and corridor segments. These concepts should emphasize community ideas for a safe, connected, and active public realm around the station and illustrate priority public (and private) projects that achieve the study’s goals.

o Present the final overall plan concept for the Ashby MARTA Station LCI study area, as well as the recommendations and implementation strategies.

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Prioritization will be supported by public input and technical analysis completed under Tasks 1 and 2. The concepts should be co-created with implementing partners and community members to ensure that the portrayed outcome is an exceptional public realm where the Ashby station connects to the area’s sense of place and identity, as well as residential, commercial, and civic activities. Emphasized in the concepts are spaces that elevate the area’s arts, culture, history, and nature; first and last mile connections to conveniently travel around and through the station and nearby neighborhoods; bus and train facility improvements; and transit-oriented development that best connects residents, workers, students, and visitors who most depend on the station.

• Recommendations for Projects and Programs The final Action Plan will include a set of data-driven, community-supported recommendations that support long-term implementation. These include:

o Street-level design improvements with a focus on reducing vehicle speeds, improving pedestrian crossings, and adding multimodal infrastructure that supports ARC’s Livable Centers Initiative program for safety, connectivity, and walkability, resulting in increasing alternatives to driving alone.

o Programmatic insights for supporting modal shift to walking, biking, and using transit.

o Connectivity projects to improve travel between Ashby Station and major corridors such as MLK Jr. Drive and the Westside Beltline Trail.

o Wayfinding and signage recommendations to improve navigation to and from the station, highlighting nearby neighborhood destinations and the neighborhood commercial district.

o Placemaking strategies rooted in local identity, prepared through participatory arts engagement during the community involvement process. Possible outcomes of these strategies will be prominent in the Urban Design Concepts. Furthermore, this study will focus on using art to improve community identity and navigation.

Recommendations for connecting the station to nearby commercial and residential areas may include artist-led designs featuring the creative use of signs, sculptures, banners, lights, bus shelters, standalone benches, trash cans, and other enhancements to the public realm, aimed at enhancing safety, clarity, and legibility. Community participation is key, with artists leading some community involvement activities to gather local input.

o Projects entailing green infrastructure and stormwater solutions, such as permeable paving, rain gardens, and bioswales, integrated into streetscapes and public plazas to mitigate flooding, address risks associated with extreme heat, improve nearby waterways, and enhance aesthetics.

o Preliminary implementation guidance, including needs within the public right-of-way, potential utility conflicts, possible impacts to residents, businesses, transit users, and the environment, as well as reviews of construction feasibility.

Deliverable: Drafts of the Action Plan (in PDF format and available for online public review and comment)

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Task 4 – Final Project Deliverables

The goal of this task is to compile the results of the whole planning effort—data collection, public engagement, technical analysis, infrastructure priorities, urban design concepts, and recommendations—into complete, accessible, and implementation-ready final study documents for the Ashby MARTA Station LCI Study. The documents will reflect community values, technical recommendations, and a clear path forward for future action. The final study documents shall include the following:

• Final Existing Conditions Assessment from Task 1 After presentations and feedback from the Project Management Team, Study Advisory Groups, and the ARC Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC), the Subgrantee will finalize the Existing Conditions Assessment from Task 1. This brief but thorough report will be organized as follows:

o Study introduction and background.

o Analysis of existing conditions.

o Coordination with implementing partners.

o Field survey and mapping.

o Multimodal traffic and safety study.

o First/last mile travel behavior to/from the Ashby MARTA Station.

o Conclusion supporting the Study’s proposed capital project priorities, urban design concepts, and recommendations for projects and programs.

o Appendix with raw data and related materials, for example, full-page surveys and maps, multimodal counts, traffic safety/crash data, and assessments of level-of-service, etc.

• Community Involvement Summary from Task 2 o Description of the planning process and general community involvement outcomes.

o Overview of the study’s methodology to incorporate public input into the findings.

o Documentation of all community involvement activities, including both summaries and an appendix, which will include raw community involvement materials (e.g., sign-in sheets, survey analyses, photos, and meeting notes).

• Final Action Plan from Task 3 The primary deliverable for this study is an Action Plan that will guide both near-term and long-term projects aimed at enhancing the public realm and improving transit and pedestrian connectivity within the study area. The Action Plan will include the following:

o Capital project priorities.

o Urban design concepts (full-page illustrations in the Action Plan and supporting materials in an appendix).

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The final Action Plan should reinforce implementation by organizing the above components in the following way.

o A phasing strategy for the capital project priorities and key projects and programs, which highlights costs, impacts, and feasibility, and identifies near-term (quick wins), mid-term, and long-term projects. The phasing strategy should list early implementation actions within the first 100 days after the City adopts this LCI study. These early implementation priorities may include low-cost safety improvements, signage, demonstration projects, and temporary activations.

o Details tables with estimated cost ranges and potential funding sources and implementing partners for the proposed capital project priorities, urban design concepts, and projects and programs (these may be included in an Appendix).

o Implementation roadmap, including potential funding sources, permitting requirements, and roles and responsibilities of implementing partners.

o Specific strategies for pursuing public/private partnerships, philanthropic support, or local/state/federal funding for identified projects.

o This study will not heavily focus on future land use and zoning recommendations;

however, the Subgrantee acknowledges that the mix of land uses and zoning districts in the study area has a significant impact on the public realm and connectivity with the Ashby MARTA station. These relationships should be analyzed and discussed in the final Action Plan to inform the urban design concepts and recommendations of the study, especially considering the City of Atlanta’s new land use approach as outlined in its recently updated comprehensive plan and the new zoning ordinance, which is currently in draft form and awaiting adoption during this LCI planning process.

Format of Deliverables:

• PDF file of the final Community Involvement Summary, Existing Conditions

Assessment, and Action Plan, along with their appendices and supporting materials.

• Electronic files in their original formats with supporting graphics and GIS or other data files (Excel, CAD, etc.).

Key Dates The following are key dates to ensure the LCI study is completed on time. ARC staff will assist the LCI recipients as needed to meet these dates.

• Advertisement - TBD

• Consultant Selected - TBD

• Consultant Contract Submitted to ARC - TBD

• First Public Engagement Event - TBD

• Study Complete - July 2027

• Final Invoice and Study Documents - October 31, 2027

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Exhibit A Project Location Map

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Exhibit B

Budget Estimate

Task 1 – Existing Conditions Assessment: $50,000

Task 2 – Community Involvement: $70,000

Task 3 – Action Plan: $100,000

Task 4 – Final Project Deliverables: $30,000

Total Cost: $250,000

ARC Share (80%): $200,000 Local Share (20%): $50,000

* Note: The estimates listed above are preliminary and actual costs by task may vary so long as the total contract value does not increase. Any change to the budget estimates shown above must be requested in writing and approved by ARC’s Cognizant Center Director.

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