ATLANTA -- Imagine walking from Piedmont Road along Peachtree Street to Lenox Square. Unthinkable for all but the most hardy walkers.

For years, this most expensive half mile of real estate in Georgia has prepared to gamble on a new strategy for beating traffic. Buckhead leaders are calling the half mile, twenty million dollar project "Peachtree Boulevard." It runs from just south of Piedmont to the Marta station on Peachtree Road. They're wagering that nice sidewalks, benches and trees may entice drivers from their cars. State and Atlanta tax money came up with three fourths of the improvements here, and local property owners taxed themselves 5 million dollars to build the new street scape.

Tuesday afternoon, pedestrians saw for themselves if the gamble was worth the money.

Atlanta taxpayers paid a million dollars, state and federal taxpayers another $14 million and the property owners themselves poneyed up the rest -- over $5 million.

New oak trees and buffered median give walkers a safe respite halfway across Peachtree Road. Drivers have fewer crazy left turns to wait out. And Mayor Franklin herself led the way opening a bicycle lane with a snip of some three-foot scissors.

In the past, congestion fighting has meant more high speed multi lane highways. But when Georgia 400 came through 14 years ago, traffic on Peachtgree Road almost doubled, overnight. Property owners had a few choices: live with the congestion, try adding a lane to Peachtree, or find a better way.

The choice was hard fought. Consultants and real estate developers convinced city, state and neighborhood traffic planners to cough up the plans to involve everyone in giving up money and roadway for foot and bike traffic. Today, eleven foot sidewalks, 80 specially designed benches, a five foot wide bike lane, and a fancy Marta entrance gleam in the October sun.

Drivers get a better deal than before, too. Traffic moves more smoothly because cross-cutting, left turning drivers are thwarted by the median. U-turns at intersections allow more calm movements across the street. Says Business Improvement District leader Scottie Green. "We have widened the road to accomodate bicycles, extra turn lanes, a median, pedestrian refuge and cut back on turning accidents."

David Allman, developer of several projects on Peachtree Road says the area is ripe to be a model for other small towns burdened with too mcuh traffic. He likes what he sees here as people come to visit and experience places that have character.

And the once-least likely celebrant? That's Sally Silver. She long opposed plans for Buckhead, especially the Georgia 400 idea. She was the last protester standing when that massive highway project opened. Now she's beaming at the ribbon cutting.

"It's easier to work with folks at getting the best outcome than to just stamp your foot and say no," she admits.

Of course, some Buckhead travellers don't think it's perfect. Carrie Podber, from Pharr Road, says the trees are nice but she'd rather have another lane of asphalt. She says "I'm more about efficiency than looking pretty. I think it could have been another lane there." But other coffee sippers at Caribou Coffee disagree. A midtown resident, in Buckhead for a business meeting, wonders what misery would be happening if Buckhead had not planned for this future.

"If we don't gamble, what's the alternative? Are we just going to be congested all the time? At twelve and at five like in buckhead with the gridlock we currently have?" Gary Carter, Geographics Company.