Photo provided by the city of Decatur

The city of Decatur wants to change the look and feel of West Howard Avenue.

In May, the City Commission approved a $58,210 professional services contract with ALTA Planning+ Design, Inc. The company is tasked with producing designs for roadway safety improvements on West Howard Avenue from Paden Circle to North McDonough Street.

[adsanity id=35971 align=aligncenter /]

The plans will address concerns about pedestrian and bicycle safety on the road. The city’s Community Transportation Plan identified West Howard Avenue as a city corridor, a memo from Assistant City Manager David Junger says. The goal is to have more people walking and biking along the PATH trail, Atlanta Avenue, Howard Avenue and College Avenue. The improvements are also intended to “increase the frequency of people walking to and from downtown and neighborhoods to the south and southwest of downtown.”

“The Reimagine West Howard Avenue project will solicit input from the community with the goal to promote more access, and slower vehicular speeds, and increase walking and bicycling,” Junger’s memo says. “This project will develop complete street designs for reconfiguring West Howard Avenue to increase safety and comfort for all users while adding placemaking elements and visual interest to the corridor.”

There will be a community information meeting about the project today, June 1, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. It will be held at Atlanta Friends Meeting, 701 W Howard Ave, Decatur, GA 30030.

“A study is underway to examine solutions that will transform Howard Avenue into a more lively street, using public art, landscaping, street furniture, lighting, and programming,” a press release from the city says. “The community is invited to join an open discussion on project ideas that have already been received, and to share additional thoughts and ideas about how to improve this corridor.”