$6 million Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard improvements celebrated but residents call for more investment
Atlanta transportation officials are celebrating a roughly $6 million improvement project along Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard on Thursday as some longtime residents call for similar investments deeper into surrounding neighborhoods.
The Atlanta Department of Transportation will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10 a.m. at Lindsay Street Baptist Church in Atlanta's English Avenue neighborhood.
The project covers Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard between Mitchell Street and Joseph E. Boone Boulevard. The city lists the project budget at about $6.04 million. Work includes sidewalk and ADA ramp improvements, pedestrian crossings, lighting, pavement rehabilitation, drainage work and traffic signal upgrades.
Safety concerns along the corridor date back years. City records used during planning documented 258 crashes from 2013 to 2015, including six involving pedestrians.
Annie Moore, who has lived in the area for more than 15 years, said she has noticed improvements along Lowery and believes the corridor is safer. But she said some streets beyond the project area still have broken or missing sidewalks.
Moore said the issue affects her family. Her mother uses a scooter and cannot safely travel along some sidewalks in the surrounding community.
"We need to come into the neighborhood," Moore said. "I know we do the external part, but we never make it into the neighborhood."
Moore said she has watched vacant properties disappear, new housing go up and other redevelopment take place during her years in the community. She said she welcomes investment but wants longtime residents to benefit from the changes.
"We need all that, but we also need to be able to stay," Moore said.
CBS News Atlanta asked ATLDOT for additional information about the project, including details about new safety features and whether similar improvements are planned for surrounding neighborhood streets. A spokesperson said team members were unavailable Wednesday because of scheduling conflicts.
Construction on the Lowery project began in July 2024, according to ATLDOT.
