Nelson Ferry's Traffic Trouble
Decatur Metro | October 2, 2008Moving this out of the “About” page…
DJ writes in about existing traffic problems in my own neighborhood.
Has anyone else noticed the daily traffic jam on Nelson Ferry near the intersection with W Ponce?
Why don’t the police enforce the posted No Parking ? Why do they allow parking on both sides of the street by the park? What happens if an emergency vehicle can not get through? What a mess!
I’d like to add “why is that light so long in favor of Ponce drivers?”
But I think in this instance, for every person that complains about the traffic at that intersection, you’ll find a parent that drives their kids to that park and wants a place to park. The popularity of that place blows my mind.
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The Police will ticket illegally parked cars if you call the non-emergency number 404-373-6551 and ask. Give the location and description of the car(s). Obviously, it’s not at the top of their radar, but they will cover it. My experience with response time for these thing has been 2 to 20 or so minutes. The area you mention is outside the jurisdiction of the PALS.
As for the traffic light timing, direct those comments to .
That’s a good point, DM, and opens up the discussion of perspectives. Parking on both sides of the street there is definitely slowing and even idling traffic. If you’re looking to shave some time off your commute, that’s bad. But if you’re taking your kid to the park, it gives a little peace of mind that he or she won’t be killed by a car.
For someone hit by a car traveling 20mph, the survival rate is 95%. At 30mph, it’s 60%. At 40mph, it’s 20%.
Maybe if the city extended the length of the light but continued to allow the parking on both sides of the street?
My wife and I use that park all the time…this is the one near Dancing Goats, correct?
However, we usually walk from Oakhurst to get coffee and then go to the swing set, mostly on the weekends.
The park is great…lots of random toys for all the lil ones to play with, and everyone is usually going through the same things so you can chat up with most everyone about random kid stuff.
Anywhoooo…..
Are there really “No Parking” signs near the park?
I walk down that street multiple times a day and have never noticed any. But maybe that’s why…I’m not looking for a place to park.
The other factor in this messy situation not yet stated is all the folks that use Coventry as a cut-through to get over to Druid Hills/Emory. They’re contributing as much to the problem as the parking parents and church-goers.
Which brings up the question of, if the park and church-goers have a stake in the neighborhood and the commuters don’t, who should our policies favor?
The park goers could park in the ample parking lot behind the church and walk a very short walk to the park
A look at Google Street View shows No Parking signs…though I can’t read the hours. I still think its funny I never noticed them.
Keep in mind those cars act as a barrior between the sidewalk and the road as well. I would feel a lot better having 2000 lbs of steel between me and slow moving traffic (as it is now) than having nothing but air between me and faster moving traffic (if we enforced the parking rules).
Why can’t the parking just be on the park side of the street. It will allow better traffic flow and cars don’t have to worry about hitting kids getting out of the cars on the non-park side and crossing the street. That way kids get out onto the sidewalk by the park. The cars could wrap around Coventry safely (except they would block the view from the crosswalk crossing Coventry but that is often already blocked).
Ah yes, driving to the park. Only in ‘Murica.
I agree with Cathy and altmod. Allow parking on the park side of the street only, and use the parking lot behind the church. If you’re taking your kids to the park for exercise, then a short walk from the parking lot shouldn’t matter. There’s a pedestrian crosswalk right there at the end of the church’s driveway to cross Nelson Ferry to the park side of the street.
Just to clarify…its only “no parking” on the park side of the street nearest to the intersection. Everything else is legal.