Sandy Springs will build 850 feet of new sidewalk along one of the city's most dangerous pedestrian corridors after the City Council unanimously approved a $465,000 land deal on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

The purchase from the owner of the ReNew Chastain apartments in south Sandy Springs gives the city the construction easements and right-of-way it needs to begin the Roswell Road Streetscapes Improvement Project's first phase, Rough Draft Atlanta reported. The price is 12% above the city's appraised value.

Public Works Director Marty Martin said the project will "significantly improve a very deficient sidewalk system" in that section of Roswell Road, where pedestrians walk with no dedicated path. A car flew off the road nearby and split a utility pole in half less than a year ago.

Construction between Windsor Parkway and Long Island Road, on both sides of Roswell Road, is expected to begin this fall. Wide sidewalks for pedestrians and cyclists on the east side could start taking shape up to I-285 by early 2027, though city staff said more right-of-way acquisitions are still needed.

Federal dollars split the bill

The project's funding reflects two federal programs targeting different needs on each side of the road. MARTA's Federal Transit Administration grant covers 80% of east-side costs north of Long Island Drive, connecting bus riders to improved infrastructure along the corridor. The west side is funded through Community Development Block Grant dollars, which target lower-income communities near the Atlanta-Sandy Springs border.

The MARTA/FTA grant has been in place since at least August 2022, when the city held a public input meeting on the project. That original scope included ADA curb ramps, bus stop shelters, lighting and brick pavers.

Why this stretch matters

Between 2020 and 2024, Roswell Road accounted for more than 40% of all pedestrian crashes and nearly 30% of bicycle crashes in Sandy Springs, according to Appen Media's reporting on the city's 2026 Transportation Master Plan. Nearly 8% of city households have no access to a personal vehicle.

Council Member Mary Ford, who represents residents on the east side of Roswell Road south of I-285, said successful negotiations with a large property owner are crucial to creating a continuous pedestrian path along the corridor. The same consent agenda included a second right-of-way acquisition at 5641 Roswell Road, across the street from The Prado.

Council Member Andrew Chinsky, who represents the west side, said he wants a public update meeting so he can answer residents' questions about the project. In June, during a presentation on the broader Transportation Master Plan, Chinsky said he was "hesitant to keep spending so much on car-oriented travel thinking it's going to solve the traffic problem when it's not going to."

Fulton County separately approved the transfer of about 3,044 square feet of property and a temporary construction easement at 5025 Roswell Road on July 15, clearing another piece of the corridor for the city's work.

The three-phase project stretches from the Atlanta-Sandy Springs border near Chastain Market north to I-285. No date has been set for Chinsky's requested public update.