Comments on: Burying The Traffic Problem

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:00:40 +0000

City agrees with you David. See page 25 of the Streets section of the Community Transportation Plan to see the plan for Commerce. (spoiler: one 11' (instead of current 12') auto lane each way, on-street parking and a bike lane) Also included in that plan section are redesigns of the intersections of Commerce/Clairemont and Commerce/Church. Of course all of these redesigns of our least pedestrian-friendly roads/intersections depends on getting funding.

By: David

David — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:32:33 +0000

I’m trying to imagine a less pedestrian friendly road in Decatur then Commerce Drive. A mini 285 for the ages.

Be careful when you try to involve the paving arm of government in anything. The money is used to flowing that way and you may get more then you bargained for.

By: Decatur Metro

Decatur Metro — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:25:15 +0000

What Scott describes is correct. E Courthouse Square used to cut through to Sycamore, while what was once W Courthouse Square (with many of the same two story brick commercial still found on E Courthouse) is now Quizno’s Plaza. That road also cut through to Sycamore, thus creating an actual “Courthouse Square”.

The original argument to tear down the old Courthouse back in 1959 was to connect Clairemont and McDonough. This plan was a big part of the reason the new courthouse is located where it is. Instead of a plan which would build a new courthouse on top of the old, they decided to build along McDonough. Then when it was complete they could just move all the judges and whatnot across the Square, tear down the old courthouse and connect the roads.

By: Nancy

Nancy — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:09:46 +0000

It also doesn’t help that there is only one option for turning south off of Ponce (Church St) between Commerce (on the west) and Commerce (on the east) if you are trying to get over to Howard or College Avenue. North Candler Road is of course one way going north between Howard and Ponce.

Maybe we should tunnel under the Old Courthouse … ha, ha, ha!

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 22:43:45 +0000

McDonough never intersected Ponce. It terminates on the south side of the courthouse, where you used to have the option of turning left or right on Sycamore. Clairemont terminates on the north side of the courthouse. The courthouse used to occupy a block (square) of its own, with Ponce and Sycamore connected on both sides of it (to the east with what is now, I think, E Court Square next to Brick Store and to the west with what is now a plaza for the glass building).