Car Sewers Need Love Too
Decatur Metro | April 5, 2010Though it keeps its distance from the U.S. Interstates, Decatur’s got its fair-share of car-catering roads. These stretches of 40+mph joy are what hip and snarky transit buffs like to call “car sewers”.
Scott Boulevard, Commerce Drive, Howard Ave, and College Ave are Decatur’s biggies. These are the roads that exist with one goal in mind: to get you from Point A to Point B in the shortest amount of time possible.
“Hooray!” says the afflicted commuter. “Phooey!” say the ladies and fellas trying to promote and build communities around these auto flush-lines.
But one thing’s for sure, facilitating car sewage ain’t cheap. Decatur’s City Commission will be reminded of this tonight, when they vote to approve or deny $47,600 in repaving costs along 700 feet of notorious North Decatur Road (along with around $33,000 for milling and repaving costs for sections of 2nd Ave and Superior in preparation for GDOT paving this summer.)
“Huh?”, you may be thinking. “Decatur’s city line doesn’t stretch up to North Decatur Road!” Au contraire mon frere.
You forget our city’s handy little northern tab, (which makes the city easier to pick up).
What’s so wrong with this stretch of roadway?
Assistant City Manger David Junger describes the section of road as in “extremely poor condition and creating a traffic hazard.” Junger goes on to say that the road is literally “failing, and needs deep patching and repairs in order to stabilize the sub grade prior to resurfacing.” Amongst the materials for tonight’s meeting are a couple photos of the dying street, and despite their horrible, photocopy-quality, you can still see the failure that Junger describes above.
If and when this work is completed, I hope commuters will tip their hat to Decatur residents for that lovely, smooth, momentary 700 feet.
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Using taxpayer money to fund public roads? Sounds socialist to me.
Also of note is that this stretch of road is traversed by most of the sick and injured in DeKalb county heading to DeKalb Medical Center, Emory University Hospital, Children’s hospital or from Emory to their new orthopedic hospital. I recently rode in and ambulance with my Mom-in-law, who’d broken her hip, and every one of those bumps was pure agony. Fix it, please!
How long have you been waiting to write
“Au contraire mon frere”?
OK, guess I spend more on taxes than on tires and alignment–but it still tears up my car/wallet. Hooray for road repairs! Please include the tragic DeKalb Avenue – one of only two ‘car sewers’ (including Ponce) into downtown from Decatur.
Uh, wasn’t this stretch of N Decatur just repaved a couple of years ago? (2006 or so?) I remember they milled it down about 4 inches and only repaved the City portion. But it already has potholes…bad paving job? The rest of N Decatur hasn’t been touched since then. Someone should check into that. Also, I dont think DeKalb County has repaved a major non-state route street since the HOST was inacted. That may be harsh, but really…they don’t do much.
see Jones, Vernon