Mount Vernon Road Corridor Improvements

The City of Dunwoody is planning for improvements to the Mount Vernon Road corridor from Corners Drive to Mount Vernon Place.

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO WATCH A VIDEO ABOUT THE PLAN:

Project Location: Mount Vernon Road between Corners Drive and Mount Vernon Place (Click to view map)

Since becoming a city, the City of Dunwoody has paved and completed bicycle and pedestrian improvements on Mount Vernon from the western city limit near Lisa Lane to Corners Drive. The city is currently designing improvements for the segments on either side of Tilly Mill. The section of Mount Vernon Road between Corners Drive and Mount Vernon Place is the last remaining segment for improvements between the west end and Jett Ferry.

Project Purpose: The goal of this project is to continue with pedestrian, bicycle and turn lane improvements on Mount Vernon Road as recommended in the city’s Transportation Plan and Sidewalk Improvement Program. Right now, there are no accommodations for bicycles and no sidewalk on the south side of this section of Mount Vernon. 

There are currently no left turn lanes for the side streets on this segment despite the number of left turns exceeding 400 vehicles per day at each side street.  At Vernon Lake Drive the number of crashes and injuries is above average for the corridor.     

Options under consideration: All three concept plans under consideration include a shared-use path for bicycles and pedestrians on the north side of road and a new sidewalk on the south side. The differences in the plans involve how the existing roadway is configured for vehicle traffic, as described below. 

Click here to view a table comparing the alternatives below.

Alternative 1: Click the image above for a closer look.  A link for the full layout can be found on the sidebar and at the bottom of this page. 

Left turn lanes would be added at Vernon Lake Drive  and Meadowlake Drive where the turning volume and/or the crash rates justify dedicated turn lanes to improve safety and traffic flow.  The existing extra westbound lane approaching Forest Springs would be reduced to a shorter right turn lane. A short center turn lane and pedestrian refuge island with flashing beacon would be added between Vernon Lake Drive and Forest Springs  Drive. The refuge island is designed to slow down traffic and give pedestrians a safe place to wait in the middle to make sure drivers see them and stop.

Alternative 2: Click the image above for a closer look.

The primary difference between Alternative 2  and Alternative 1 is that  the existing interior  westbound lane near Forest Springs would be converted to a two-way left turn lane and the outside lane would be converted to a through lane instead of being converted to a short right turn lane  This would serve the residential driveways on both sides of Mount Vernon in addition to providing turn bays at the side streets as in Alternative 1. Alternative 2 most closely aligns with the recommendations for Mount Vernon Road in the city’s Transportation Plan.

Alternative 3: Click the image above for a closer look.

This alternative keeps the travel lanes on Mount Vernon Road as they exist today, deferring turn lane improvements to a future long range project. The shoulder on the north side of the road would be widened to accommodate the new shared-use path and the shoulder on the south side of the road would be built up for the new sidewalk on that side. Though this alternative does provide accommodations for bicycles and pedestrians, it does not allow for refuge islands for pedestrians at crosswalk locations.  It also delays the safety improvements recommended in the transportation plan for left turning vehicles.  While this alternative may be less expensive in the short term, it could result in future repetitive work in some areas that would make it more expensive in the long term . 

Conceptual maps:

Alternative One: Left Turn Lanes Added

Alternative Two: 2-Way Turn Lanes

Alternative Three : Multi-use Path and Sidewalk with Future Left Turn Lanes

CLICK HERE TO TAKE A SURVEY AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THE OPTIONS LISTED BELOW. *The survey will close on October 23, 2020.

Once public input is gathered the concept plan will be presented to the Dunwoody City Council before moving into the final design phase. The project is currently scheduled for construction funding in 2025 in Dunwoody's 5-year capital project budget.