Another Accident on Commerce, This Time Near Cemetery
Decatur Metro | August 19, 2009Bo writes in…
Just happened. Two cars totalled, airbags deployed, looks like everyone’s ok though. Happened down at the “big bend” near the cemetery entrance. They need speed traps or something down there before someone else dies.
How fast do you normally drive along Commerce?
This alternate route around downtown with it’s shamelessly cliche name has become a traffic nightmare and a physical barrier for downtown. The faster the city can make it one lane, instead of two, the better. A narrowing might even make the Kroger more attractive to pedestrians….that is if the Kroger were attractive to anyone.
Latest from Decaturish
“.that is if the Kroger were attractive to anyone.”
I agree about the traffic on commerce. And, South Columbia.
“This alternate route around downtown with it’s shamelessly cliche name has become a traffic nightmare and a physical barrier for downtown.”
That is some fantastic hyperbole!
What can I say? It’s a gift.
The whole of Commerce through Decatur is problematic. It was meant as a high volume bypass but was built for high speed instead. Except at the corners which are blind, right angles on fast grades.
Oh and I love the hidden launch pad at Trinity in front of the county building. Watch the vehicles bottom out then launch into the air through the intersection. Just like dem Duke Boys on the teevee!
The traffic light timing for Commerce really adds to the fire. That would be a good place to start a calming effort. Then work up to speed traps.
Yeah, that launch pad is a killer. To make it even more fun, people who are familiar with it slow WAY down, and the people behind them get all bent out of shape because they have to go SLOW!
And you’re right about the light timing. The backup at southbound Clairmont (Clairmonte? Claremont? Claremonte? Clairemont? How the hell do you spell that, anyway?) to turn left on Commerce gets really ugly. Ditto the backup to turn right from Commerce onto Church or Clairmont north. I HATE when people zip in front of you from the left lane to turn right on one of those streets. A road rage incident just waiting to happen.
I think it’s Clairemont Ave. starting at the intersection with Ponce, but it inexplicably changes to Clairmont Rd. somewhere around the N. Decatur Rd. intersection. That “e” (or lack thereof) can really mess up non-residents following directions from Google Maps.
The name changes at the City limits near the Y.
You know what make the launching pad even more fun? The metal plate just down the road from it at the entrance to the Callaway Building. Knowing that it’s there, I now go straight from the right lane and then merge left after the tire cruncher. It’s usually not a problem because people slow down for the dip and then again for the plate, so you can zip past them. But the fun comes when an unsuspecting non-local hits that launch pad at 40 mph, just about loses control and then immediately freaks out when they see the metal plate and swerves to the right. I almost got taken out by a Tahoe doing that the other day!
I gave up on that stretch of road a long time ago and avoid it all costs. I know it’s the quickest way to Fellini’s from Clairemont, but I still cut through downtown just to avoid it. N. Candler is a good bypass of that curve, too.
Right up until you hit the light at N. Candler and E. Ponce and then the blind left turn in front of the Kroger.
The #1 route to get downtown from Commerce (on the east) is to go under the bridge and drop onto Howard (at Fellini’s), then merge onto Trinity across from the DQ. If you’re going across town to W. Ponce, stick with Trinity past the launch pad until Swanton or that road next to the post office.
Perhaps we should learn from Raleigh, NC citizens and arm citizens with paintball guns.
‘Tag the speeder’
http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/5814998/
Tell me where and when, and I’m THERE!
Now that sounds like fun! I’m in.
Best Kroger comment ever.
Wow. I’ve been driving on Commerce for 17+ years and can’t fathom the angst it has seemingly inspired!
That’s the point. you wouldn’t. It’s a completely inappropriate speedway in an urban area. The problems with Commerce are mostly experienced by those that have to cross it. twice. to get anywhere in Decatur.
Anyone ever take 75S to 85N on their way home from Ikea? That curve on the HOV exit ramp from 75 to 85 has enough bumps, stripes, and warnings of imminent death to keep most even-halfway-awake drivers from killing themselves on that exit. Perhaps we need something like that on the Commerce curve at the cemetery.
Just to get back to the original subject for a second…I have been in some very near-collisions at the ‘big bend’ on Commerce at the cemetery. More often than not it’s due to east/south bound cars (coming from Church toward Ponce in the inside of the curve) crossing over the double yellow line. Just this morning I was almost in a head-on from someone crossing that line! It’s the worst when it’s a bus or a big truck that’s hard to avoid.
The COD wanted to force traffic onto Commerce, so this should not be a surprising result. They wanted to force traffic off Ponce since it intersected Downtown and the traffic flows inhibited people from safely crossing the Ponce. Well the traffic is where they wanted it, on Commerce.
The COD cannot then turn around and narrow Commerce. If they do that, then they may as well call Decatur, Virginia Highlands because the traffic will be as bad if not worse. Clogging all the arteries will not alleviate traffic.
The city needs to have an extensive traffic study done of the entire COD. All of the lights, traffic timing, traffic flow (schools open vs. closed), etc. I know one was recently done, but it seems the emphasis is on walkability as opposed to flow and safety.
Another example of poor traffic planning, turning left from College onto Candler is a NIGHTMARE because there’s no turn arrow. So every morning or afternoon when I’m going to pick up my little one from College Heights it’s traffic derby.
The COD can do better.
I may be wrong on this but I don’t think “COD” does traffic infrastructure or light timing. Isn’t that a Dekalb County function?
It must be tough working with existing infrastructure. Vehicles have developed in size, speed and numbers. Expectations of convenience rise to the detriment of other road users.