Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Transit Buford Highway's dangers to pedestrians gets PBS treatment
Posted by Thomas Wheatley @thomaswheatley on Tue, Jul 27, 2010 at 1:48 PM
Metro Atlanta's most diverse thoroughfare just so happens to be the most dangerous for pedestrians. PBS takes a look at the problem. According to the program, 30 pedestrians have been killed on Buford Highway since 2000.
One of my earliest CL articles was about a much-needed median "rest areas" and install improved traffic signals for pedestrians along Buford Highway. There was even talk of — gasp — sidewalks.
That was in 2007. Thanks to budget woes, those improvements haven't been made.
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damien, hope you are joking.
Buford Highway has so much transit usage that it may be the only corridor in Atlanta that supports a privately run transit bus line.
In terms of lessening cost burdens to county governments and the environment Buford highway with its high transit and pedestrian activity is a role model. If the rest of Atlanta could get its transportation practices closer to the Buford Highway corridor we wouldn't need a new transportation tax and lexus lanes.
So how do we award those using transit and foot more than anywhere else? By continuing to not supply something as simple as sidewalks.
I disagree its solely thanks to budget woes, its also thanks to politics. DeKalb has built sidewalks in Dunwoody recently and other areas favored by the respective home commissioner, but none on Buford Highway.
And GDOT has control over buford highway but heaven forbid we pry some cash out of them for a sidewalk.
Rather than harrass pedestrians I say narrow buford highway from its 6 lanes and suicide lane to 4 lanes. If the people cutting through from Gwinnett don't like it they can either get on the train in Doraville or pay for the Doraville line to be extended.
Or to use your words take your stinking car off the road already!!!
Btw they also need to provide a route for these buses past the Sidney Marcus bottleneck to Lindberg station
I live between Buford Highway and Peachtree Industrial.
It is funny how Peachtree Industrial will be getting sidewalks for the few Caucasians that walk their precious dogs or jog, but the poorer residents who rely on the Georgia bus line and Marta carrying their groceries can't get the sidewalks they truly need.
Tax payer in Brookhaven sick of the double standard.
Yup a broken system, the sidewalk project on Peachtree in Brookhaven by DeKalb County is to put in "sidewalks, streetlights and other pedestrian enhancements" between Dresden Drive and Ashford-Dunwoody Road.
Apparently DeKalb got $3 million from the ARC's Livable Cities Initiative (LCI) to pay for the work. The Sidewalk is just on the west side of the road since the MARTA tracks are on the other side.
This is also where the new Sembler, I need a tax abatement, Development is going in Brookhaven. Its also a very sparsely populated portion of Peacthree Industrial with light foot traffic.
I liked the old LCI stuff but it does seem like a broken system when we can do "Liveable Community" stuff while still ignoring the need and value of "Liveable Pedestrians"
This is bigger than Gwinnett, or DeKalb. Come on GDOT, Come on ARC, Come on Governor, Come on State Legislature! Buford Highway is a state controlled corridor its time the State changes its antiquated funding restrictions and allow this corridor to have minimal amenities for ALL that use it, not just cars!
WOW State GDOT Engineer says "by law" they have to set speed at that "highest safe and reasonable speed" which is deemed to be where 80% of the cars are travelling at. How circular. But its laughable to call the current conditions safe and reasonable.
And by that 80% number shouldn't GA 400 Speed be set at 80 mph?
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