Woodstock’s Comprehensive Transportation Plan

In 2021, the downtown Woodstock shopping district had more than three million visitors, which ranks it among the most frequented downtowns in the southeastern U.S., and it ranks the center of our city as the No. 1 destination in Cherokee County. We have built a place where people from all around the nation want to be.

With Woodstock's popularity, many residents want to know how our city will handle traffic concerns. Although it is important to keep in mind that increased traffic and pedestrian presence are problems that only come with the highly enviable condition of being a city that people want to visit, traffic remains a genuine issue that policymakers in Woodstock need to focus on addressing.

If the story of Woodstock were a dramatic movie, this would be the scene where a heroic protagonist appears. For this topic, Woodstock's Public Works Assistant City Manager Rob Hogan would fill that role. After years of work by Hogan and his team, the City Council recently adopted Woodstock's first comprehensive Transportation Plan.

Woodstock's Transportation Plan is "designed to plan and forecast major road projects, corridor enhancements, and resurfacing projects, as well as sidewalks, crosswalks, parking, and other improvements, over a revolving cycle updated annually."

The Plan, which includes all major transportation network improvements slated for Woodstock's future, their funding sources, and their anticipated impacts, is set to be updated every year to ensure our city is always planning ahead. Don't miss the significance of this 97-page document. It represents a level of planning and execution that is often absent from cities the size of Woodstock. It provides policymakers and those executing the Plan with the tools they need to see where our city has come from and where it is going, and it sets us apart to state and federal government as well as private entities looking to invest in our transportation network.

Speaking of transportation projects, many of you have noticed dirt being moved at the intersection of Towne Lake Parkway and Mill Street. Among the many major projects outlined in the Plan, this project is identified as the "Hub Transformation Project," which is a first-of-its-kind, city-led state and local partnership that broke ground a few months ago.

The impact you're seeing at this stage is making room for the roundabout, which will serve as the crux of the project, in addition to a new left-turn lane at Main Street and a two-way conversion on Mill Street. The Hub Transformation Project will directly improve the traffic flow of seven streets in the heart of downtown, encourage traffic away from main arteries, and dramatically improve pedestrian walkability. All of this will be accomplished with minimal change to the footprint while bringing about huge gains for our citizens and those passing through Woodstock. It is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2023.

The Hub Transformation Project and Transportation Master Plan represent a new chapter in Woodstock's transportation initiatives. We are actively working to ensure that the quality of life for each citizen remains exceptional, and building a best-in-class transportation system is among my top priorities. Our city's comprehensive transportation planning effort will serve as a critically important tool in accomplishing that goal.

If you have any questions regarding this Plan, please don't hesitate to reach out to me.