Over the years, Peachtree Corners has been rising in population and will continue to boom due to the businesses and corporations that have been built in the popular city. Many large businesses have developed, and the new upcoming RaceTrac is no exception. While there are many popular places that students often visit after school, a question arose: Will RaceTrac become the new place to hang out or will QuikTrip continue to be the most popular gas station for snacks and gas after school? The new RaceTrac is currently being built and will be a 5,000 square-foot store that will sit on eight acres of land. It is expected to be finished being built, in 2020.
A survey was completed by 100 Wesleyan high school students depicting to the new construction to answer many common questions about the new gas station. The survey asked if QuikTrip will continue to be the most popular gas station after RaceTrac is built; 51% of the students responded “yes” that QuikTrip will be most popular, while 13% responded “no,” meaning that RaceTrac will be more popular and 36% said that they will both be popular. When asked if QuikTrip or RaceTrac will become more popular amongst the Wesleyan community, senior Emma Kate Means said, “I think that RaceTrac will definitely become more popular over QuikTrip.” Junior Alex Cardile said, “I think that RaceTrac will become more popular because it is newer, bigger and better.” The survey also asked, “How often do you go to QuikTrip?” and “How often do you go to RaceTrac?” There was an obvious favorite between the two because people said that they visit QuikTrip between two and three times a week. Unlike QuikTrip, RaceTrac was visited zero to one time a week. After receiving results, the clear favorite was QuikTrip, but the question comes up, when the new and closer RaceTrac is built, and will the survey results change.
While new and improved businesses are beneficial for Peachtree Corners to continue to thrive, there are also some concerns, such as traffic that develop. The city of Atlanta is well known for their hectic traffic, the outskirts of Atlanta seem to have more and more traffic every day, especially around five o’clock. When asked if the new RaceTrac will affect traffic, Cardile said, “Traffic will become way worse and will cause more congestion in the afternoon.” While Means agreed and said, “It will cause more traffic but there won’t be a huge difference.” Wesleyan English teacher Cameron Alexander said, “I don’t anticipate a significant change in traffic. My only concern would be about people attempting to cross 141 to turn left out of the parking lot, but I’m sure they’ve got a plan!”
Although there may be a change in traffic pattern, it may alleviate the traffic at QuikTrip since some people will continue to go to QuikTrip, but others will use RaceTrac as their new go-to gas station. Peachtree Corners will continue to grow, and the new RaceTrac will definitely be beneficial to the residents and people traveling through as well. The Wesleyan community seems to be excited about the new gas station that will be completed next year.
