The City of Cedartown has been awarded more than $7 million in federal and state funding to make some of the city’s busiest roads safer, improve pedestrian access, and prepare key corridors for future growth.
“This is the largest amount of grant funding the City of Cedartown has been awarded in a single fiscal year,” said Cedartown City Manager Edward Guzman. “That’s a testament to the importance and relevance of the projects we have on our radar and a reflection on our staff’s hard work in writing grant applications.”
City Commission Chair Sam Branch expressed both excitement and appreciation for the historic level of grant funding. “We are extremely excited to receive this much funding for projects that will have a direct impact on our residents and visitors traveling through Cedartown,” Branch said.
“I want to thank all of our staff that had a hand in researching, applying for and securing this funding. Our people are the absolute best at identifying opportunities that will bring back more of the residents’ tax dollars into the community. Instead of funding projects for other cities and towns and in other states, we are ensuring your tax dollars are being spent in your backyard. All of that is made possible by our great staff.”
While the City plans on moving as quickly as possible regarding the identified projects, residents should understand that these enhancements won’t take place overnight, Guzman explained.
“Securing grant money, especially federal funding, means that a lot of the work on a project is behind the scenes. Paperwork, documentation, and other processes must be strictly followed before much of the visible work can start. Once that is complete, our residents can look forward to future traffic flow upgrades, increased pedestrian safety, and streetscape improvements on some of our busiest roadways.”
The largest grant comes from the Safe Streets and Roads for All program, totaling $4 million.
This grant will fund a large-scale, two-phase project that will improve pedestrian infrastructure along Main Street north of East Avenue and cover improvements to vehicle traffic flow at the intersection of East Avenue, College Street, and Wissahickon Avenue.
Phase I of this project will enhance safety for pedestrians and motorists by improving five high-traffic locations along North Main Street | U.S. 27 Business.
Planned improvements include pedestrian-activated Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs), advanced warning signage, enhanced pavement markings, illuminated signs, and upgraded roadway lighting. This phase of the project is expected to decrease rear-end and angle collisions while creating a safer, more accessible transportation corridor for all roadway users.
KSI (Killed or Seriously Injured) crash rates indicate that North Main Street | U.S. 27 Business experiences a disproportionately high number of serious crashes compared with the rest of the city, making targeted safety improvements a critical need.
Proven safety countermeasures, including RRFBs and enhanced lighting, have demonstrated significant crash reductions. Studies estimate that RRFBs can reduce rear-end and angle collisions by approximately 69 percent, while improved lighting can reduce overall crashes by an estimated 21 percent.
Phase II will provide traffic calming improvements to the East Avenue | Wissahickon Avenue | College Street 4-way intersection.
Cedartown is one of twelve Georgia cities that received more than $54 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, which supports projects proven to reduce traffic crashes and serious injuries.
Funds awarded to Cedartown from the Rural and Tribal Assistance Program total $1.5 million. Also a U.S. Department of Transportation initiative, this program award will complete preliminary engineering and design for safety and accessibility improvements along approximately 0.95 miles of South Main Street, extending from the Silver Comet Trail to the South Main Street | Cason Road intersection, including the intersections with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Canal Street, and State Route 100.
This corridor was identified as a priority during a 2025 Road Safety Audit conducted by the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) in partnership with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Georgia Bikes, Georgia Safe Routes to School, Main Street America, Rails to Trails Conservancy, the City of Cedartown, and Project for Public Spaces. The audit identified 44 safety concerns and documented 359 crashes within the project area between 2018 and 2024, highlighting the need for targeted safety improvements.
The design will include upgraded and ADA-accessible sidewalks on both sides of South Main Street, replacement of curb and gutter to improve drainage, and consolidation of driveway entrances to reduce conflict points and improve traffic safety. Plans will also incorporate roadway narrowing where appropriate, enhanced pedestrian crossings, including improvements at the Silver Comet Trail crossing, upgraded street lighting, and milling and resurfacing of the roadway.
By completing the design phase, the City will be positioned to pursue construction funding for a corridor that is safer, more accessible, and better connected for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, and trail users.
Cedartown will receive $1 million from a FY2026 Congressional Appropriations program awarded by former 14th Congresswoman Marjorie Greene. This grant funding will be used to widen a 1,200-foot-long section of Davis Road.
The widening of Davis Road will allow for roadway improvements such as industrial freight access, increased motorist safety, and promoting future connectivity to the area.
Although current conditions are acceptable for residential and light commercial traffic, the anticipated increase in freight operations by incoming industries will result in expedited infrastructure deterioration and increased safety risks for a roadway not initially designed for heavy use. This funding is for Phase I of a multi-phase project, which will include future road improvements to an approximately 1.8-mile section of Davis Road between its intersections with Pine Pitch Road and Syble West Brannon Parkway.
The final grant award comes from the Transportation Alternatives Program, an initiative spearheaded by the Georgia Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration.
Totaling $640,000, the grant award will help continue the transformation of central and south Cedartown by building on improvements made over the past two decades.
This project includes approximately one-half mile of South Main Street, from the Silver Comet Trail to Cobb Street, including the intersection with Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard | Canal Street.
Based on recommendations from the 2022 Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Safety Audit, the grant will fund engineering and design services to replace sidewalks on both sides of South Main Street, upgrade curb and gutter, improve drainage, and consolidate curb cuts to enhance ADA accessibility and better define commercial driveways.
Through the engineering and design services project, pedestrian safety will be improved through the addition of a center refuge median and a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) at the Silver Comet Trail crossing, as well as a new RRFB-equipped crosswalk at Central Street.
The project also encompasses the replacement of outdated wheelchair ramps and crosswalks with ADA-compliant facilities, the installation of new street lighting along the corridor, updating traffic signals at the Main Street | Canal Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard intersection, and milling and resurfacing the roadway with new pavement markings and signage.
“Together, these projects will make Cedartown safer, more connected, and better prepared for future growth,” Guzman said. “We’re excited to move from planning to implementation and look forward to the lasting improvements these investments will bring to our community.”
