Nearly a year ago Valdosta and Lowndes County agreed to participate in a jointly funded study of the impacts of truck traffic in Downtown Valdosta and how to mitigate those impacts. On Tuesday, May 10 from 5p-6p the public will be able to see the alternatives analysis conducted by the consultants hired to make recommendations for improvements to Downtown Valdosta. Members of the public are invited to attend an open house on Tuesday, May 10, from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on the second floor of Steel Magnolias restaurant located at 132 N. Patterson Street in Downtown Valdosta.
 
The Southern Georgia Regional Commission as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (a federally designated transportation planning agency) for the Valdosta and Lowndes County community has worked with a consulting team from Cambridge Systematics to analyze existing truck traffic patterns and future forecasts of truck traffic.
 
Alternatives analyzed included a ‘Western Perimeter’, a ‘South Bypass’, a ‘Savannah Ave Parkway’, and ‘South of Savannah Ave’. Each of these alternatives were analyzed for their potential to mitigate the impacts of trucks in Downtown Valdosta. Those impacts include noise, congestion, safety, and an overall quality of life that is desired in the community.
 
The recommendations from this study will be presented to local officials to determine if a project is suitable to build. Any future projects will be included in the Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan Planning Organizations’ 2040 Transportation Vision Plan.