FLOWERY BRANCH — With roads first laid out in horse and buggy days, Flowery Branch is looking to solve some modern-day transportation woes — and city officials want the public’s help.

The city has scheduled a public forum for 6-8 p.m. Oct. 22 to get input on such issues as roadway widths, safety improvements, on-street parking and easy access to Interstate 985 from McEver Road.

"We’re really hopeful that folks who live, work, drive through this area or just have an interest will come and talk about their issues or concerns," City Planner James Riker said.

Norcross engineering firm Pond & Co. is conducting the $30,000 study, funded by a $20,000 Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization grant and $10,000 city match.

"One of the reasons they give us the funding is they see our downtown area as a potential growth center," Riker said.

The study area stretches from McEver Road in the north to Mulberry Street in the south. It doesn’t include such busy roadways as Thurmon Tanner Parkway and Spout Springs Road, which have been figured into other plans.

"Essentially, what we’re hoping to get out of (the study) is to inventory the transportation system within our downtown area, provide some recommendations on certain transportation improvements (and) identify funding sources (for the improvements)," Riker said.

The city then would turn that document into a "capital improvements program" for future use, he said.

"As part of our comprehensive plan in 2006, we identified the need to ... do some additional plans for the city in terms of a transportation study," Riker said.

The issue that served as a sort of kick-start for the study was traffic issues at Jones Road, a road about the size of a driveway that ties into the vast Tide Water Cove subdivision.

Complaints about the 12-foot road that connects Gainesville Street, also 12 feet wide, to two-lane Mitchell Street prompted city officials to explore potential fixes.

Another longtime problem for city travelers has been simply getting through town in a quick and easy fashion.

Even though it is based on a grid and the town has an interchange off I-985, the road network doesn’t allow for a straight shot between main arteries, notably McEver Road and Ga. 13/Atlanta Highway.

Motorists find themselves dog-legging their way through streets, such as Gainesville and Main, as well as Lights Ferry Road, to reach main highways.

"It’s a real shame we don’t have that ability," City Manager Bill Andrew said, pointing to a city map. "It’s a real pain to turn here, here and here."

Riker said the city also is asking that Pond "look at potential pedestrian and bicycle improvements ... and try to coordinate that with some long-term plans that we ... and the county have."

Paying for the improvements is another matter.

"That’s a very important part of this study," Andrew said. "Something we’ve stressed with the consultant is having a really nice plan to show all these things need to be done on the shelf without having any way of paying for it is rather useless."

Historically, the city has relied on the state’s Local Assistance Road Program, but that funding is miniscule and requires some investment by the city.

"The answer for where we’re going to find the new money is something for us to explore as a community," Andrew said.

Brian Bolick, Pond vice president, said funding is critical, but "knowing where you want to go is the first step."

"Once you have that plan, you have the opportunity to take advantage of whatever funding or construction opportunities that come your way," he said.

The city could require a developer to include certain improvements, already laid out as part of an overall transportation plan, in construction plans, Bolick said.

City officials said they want traffic to move smoothly without forsaking the town’s quaintness.

"We don’t want to lose the character of the town, but we want to make it safe," Andrew said.

The study is expected to wrap up in mid-February.