Comments on: DeKalb Avenue Suicide Lane Commits Suicide Again

By: Len

Len — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 23:16:45 +0000

Sorry to hear about your crash. Two years ago my wife spent a month in the Atlanta Medical Center because of the reversible lane. She told me there was a crash this week in the exact spot she was hit.

By: AN2500

AN2500 — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:12:53 +0000

Late to the party, but I gotta say that suicide lane has been and will always be dangerous. It will likely only get worse as more people move into the neighborhoods surrounding Dekalb Ave.

Personally, I think MARTA rail is a good alternative. It will never be as fast as driving, but some things are more important to me than shaving 10 minutes off your commute (like not dying in a fiery car crash). And you can read, surf the internet, or admire the scenery. It might even be cheaper than your monthly parking fee, and it is certainly less stressful than dealing with crazy drivers.

My dream: If more people uses this option, they could convert Dekalb into a two lane rd with a tree-filled median.

By: lumpintheroad

lumpintheroad — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:32:28 +0000

I take Dekalb Ave. every morning because unlike Ponce, it actually moves faster than 5 mph. I’ve never experienced the phenomenon discussed above, or maybe I did and just didn’t realize it. I have been cognizant lately of just staying in the far right lane whenever possible (except for where it crosses the train tracks and they did a really bad job of evening out the dip).

Incidentally (accidentally?), police were routing traffic around a totaled car (right below the Raging Burrito billboard) this morning. I chalked it up to the nasty road conditions since there was only one car involved that I could see and it was in the far right lane, but who knows?

By: Kimberley

Kimberley — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:09:44 +0000

My husband and I were in a head-on collision in the Dekalb Ave reversible lane on September 16 around noon, and it was exactly this sort of situation. We had 3 green arrows in a row, then a red X, and then we slammed into a half-ton pick-up truck which came around the curve (he also had green arrows). The car was totaled, my arm was broken, and both of my husband’s hands sustained dislocated fingers and broken bones. We are lucky to be alive, and deeply grateful that the other driver only sustained a split lip.
My neighbor, a City of Atlanta police officer, tells me that they clean up 2-3 wrecks a month in that reversible lane. The judge who ruled on my case told me that she sees tons of reversible lane cases, said that they are confusing, and advised me to stay out of them– which I will do, trust me!
Since the accident, I have personally seen two more instances of mixed signals in the reversible lane. I contacted 11 Alive’s Commuter Dude in hopes that he would take this on, but he told me that he’s a one-man operation and isn’t able to put the time into this.
It is a TRULY dangerous situation, and it is beyond me why The Powers That Be allow the situation to continue.

By: Robert Lane

Robert Lane — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:42:50 +0000

I called 911 this morning as well, when I noticed a traffic sign in front of the Inman Park MARTA station showing green in both directions. This was around 8:45am.

By: Nelliebelle1197

Nelliebelle1197 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:04:34 +0000

This is interesting. I hope no one dies.

By: Kara

Kara — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:01:52 +0000

I’ll vouch for you – there definitely was a cop and cones in the center lane past Blvd when I turned there around 7:15 this morning. I didn’t notice green arrows in both directions before that point, but I wasn’t looking for them either – so I guess I should just be thankful I made it to work in one piece!

By: Nelliebelle1197

Nelliebelle1197 — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 15:54:05 +0000

I swear there was a policeman putting out cones!