Most Decatur-area businesses have reopened at this point, so I’m not sure we need to continue the “which businesses are open?” post. However, no one needs me to tell them that the road situation is still a mess.
So, feel free to use this new post to update your fellow neighbors on road conditions in and around Decatur.
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how is dekalb ave? blvd? freeedom? anyone know?
The hubs just drove to Peachtree Center downtown via Dekalb Ave (fromEast Lake/3rd) and said that it was mostly dry ruts but okay to drive.
Westbound isn’t too bad. Eastbound looks much icier as the road is shaded by the elevated Marta tracks.
Cars are moving cautiously but steadily on N. Druid Hills near Willivee.
I drove from Adair to Whitefoord on W. Howard/Adair yesterday afternoon, and while there were certainly some patches of ice, I was able to get there without too much problem. I have a van with front wheel drive, three people in the car, and the driver (me) went to school in Missouri. (But fat lot of good a master’s degree in journalism does me now!)
Don’t know about Freedom.
Got stuck on Melrose trying to help a friend clear a section of the road. I wonder if one can call the city with a special request?
From my forays out this morning down N.Decatur (a bit scary) to Clifton, Clairmont and Scott, nothing much has changed since yesterday.
This was at 7:30am so the ice was rock hard and slick.
The roads, in my opinion, are as bad as yesterday, although there is at least one “lane” (and by that I mean two or three semi-ice free tracks) open on those roads mentioned above.
If you go out this morning, take it slow, be patient, and control (or at least be aware of) your vehicular momentum.
The side streets like mine, are questionable at best.
Agreed. No reason to leave the house if you don’t have to. Why chance it?
Drove in and back from Sandy Springs to Decatur yesterday and about to do the same. Worse part was going down Ponce from 75. Plan to take 78 today.
Both Feast & Farmstead to open today at 5:00. Be careful on E. Howard, for it is still icy.
I was wondering if anyone knew how N Decatur Rd was between Church St and Clairmont Rd?
North Decatur road is sketchy. As of 7:30 this morning, there was one lane open both directions but the hill from Superior to Clairmont is icy.
I liked going down Scott to Clairmont much better. Much better road conditions.
Clairmont, Church, and Scott/Lawrenceville Hwy. are basically clear. N. Druid Hills is one lane in each direction from Lawrenceville Hwy. to Briarcliff. I-85 south is clear all the way to Newnan.
QT at Lawrenceville Hwy. Only had premium gas and the clerk was uncertain when they would get more. Only 4 pumps open. (8 am)
Sorry if this has already been mentioned:
Parts of ponce near adair were closed yesterday.
Paden circle leading up to Dekalb ave closed
Mcdonough train crossing closed
Came downtown on Ponce this morning at 9am. Pretty much as bad as yesterday. Overall, it’s clearer. But there are large patches of ice. Some folks are still driving like idiots, and that’s the main problem IMO. It’s deceiving because you can be going along just fine and then hit a 100′ patch of ice. Also, people getting in a hurry and driving on the uncleared lane (ice) to pass. Just stay home, or go really slow. It’ll be gone in another couple of days.
Side streets are as bad as yesterday.
Oh, and Freedom Parkway is fine.
Are the roads too icy for trash pickup? It’d be nice to know if they already canceled Friday before I go to the trouble of gathering and dragging it all to the curb.
this is from the city’s website:
Sanitation: Regular residential sanitation collection is scheduled for Thursday, January 13, 2011 and Friday, January 14, 2011. However, sanitation employees will use their discretion in determining whether they can safely travel on driveways and side streets in order to access garbage, yard waste and recyclables.
Does anyone know if they have salted/sanded Ponce yet? I thought I read that that was the plan. We need (okay, would LIKE very very very much) to get from Home Depot on L’Ville Hwy to the Fox Theater.
Alternatively, does anyone know what conditions are like from N. DeKalb mall to the Avondale or downtown Decatur MARTA stations (and what sidewalk conditions are like in midtown?) Would we be crazy to take N. Druid Hills to Clairmont to the downtown Decatur Marta?
PMcG – thanks for the detailed information!
I noticed sand/salt on West Ponce near the Ponce/Scott Blvd intersection as I was walking the dog this morning. But I’m not sure Ponce got any. Still seems pretty icy but the traffic is moving -just very, very slowly.
I can confirm that Ponce from Clifton down to Peachtree is relatively safe. The left lane in either direction looks to have been plowed and there are remnants of sand/salt. The right lanes have driveable tracks but a large path of ice down the middle. There’s a large ice patch in the right lane right at Peachtree that had snagged one car when I went by about 10:00 am.
Peachtree from Ponce to 10th was safe with the right lanes still having more ice than the left. But there was a lot of gravel/sand covering all lanes.
We went from Oakhurst to Crawford Long last night via Ponce.Ponce is salted/sanded but still slick. One lane open each way. Saw an accident and a spin out.
NellieBelle, I hope everything is ok and it was just a sigh seeing visit to Crawford Long!
Anyone know the condition of College Ave. between Kirkwood and Avondale?
College not bad–made trips out last night and today from E. Dec station to Memorial and it was all right–icy in spots, but drivable (if you’re careful and slow, etc., etc.)
Anyone tried to make the trip from Decatur Heights (sycamore) to the Dunwoody area yet? Also wondering how the intersection and Church and North Decatur is looking.
Do not get on Dekalb Ave in either direction.
Found myself completely frazzled driving from downtown Decatur to Midtown this morning. Stay home.
My wife drove into downtown on Dekalb Avenue this morning and said while there were patches of ice, otherwise it was a pretty good drive if you went slow and were very careful.
Most roads are easily passable. I’m in Norcross, and it was only a little logner than normal. the worst part is overly paranoid drivers hitting their breaks or worse stopping(!) at exactly the wrong times.
If you can steer clear of the white knuckle or inexperienced drivers, you’ll be fine.
Oh, and if you do go out, don’t be an idiot – clean the snow off your car first. I’m amazed at how many people simply cleared off a small space in front of the driver’s view.
Drove in from Dunwoody. 285 East was fine as was Lawrenceville Hwy. Church Street had at least 1 clear lane all the way from L’ville Hwy to E. Trinity Place, no problems at all. Trinity and N. McDonough Street going down hill from Chick-Fil-A also had at least 1 driveable lane in each direction.
Thanks for all the info. I’m headed to downtown ATL up Dek Ave shortly, more worried about getting out of side streets but know Dek Ave coming back home later will be worse bc of marta shade. I’ll post once I get downtown.
I’ve walked down Clairemont to MARTA every day this week and the sidewalks seem to be getting progressively worse. Most places are a solid sheet of ice, and the footing was treacherous even with heavy hiking boots. If I owned crampons I’d use them. I was tempted to walk in the roadway, which is much clearer, but there was too much traffic for that. Treking poles saved me from busting my keester a couple times this morning.
I just drove to downtown ATL on DeKalb Ave. I will not be driving back, I’ll take Marta instead. Too much black ice in the tire grooves. Too many icy patches on hilly areas next to Marta stations (Oakdale especially). The new pencil factory lofts throw shade that has made an entire block nothing but ice. People couldn’t get moving again from the red light there.
There is sand on almost every street downtown, but there’s a Mart event going on this week, and it’s a nightmare.
Oh, and I’d say it’s worse than it was yesterday, when a lot of the stuff on the road was the crunchy/snowy stuff, which tires can grip. Evidently there was some melting yesterday afternoon, then refreezing, which means a lot of slick ice that wasn’t there yesterday.
Dekalb Ave from Decatur to town is essentially ok, EXCEPT where TeeRuss notes the new loft building, that is right up against the street on the edge of downtown ATL.
Downtown is well sanded from GSU to Capitol to Fed’l buildings.
Looking for alt route home.
How is Ponce from Clifton to Decatur? (earlier report said it was clear to Clifton)
Anyone been on Memorial from downtown?
My husband just drove down College to the Avondale MARTA station. He said College is good; although the MARTA lot still has patches of ice.
My husband said more or less the same. College is mostly fine getting to Avondale on College (grain of salt; he’s used to driving in snow/ice). But watch the turns into the Marta parking lot as they’re still very very icy.
Yea, if you’re headed to Avondale Marta on College, turn at the light rather than the entry next to the used car lot. If you take a left into that lot, accellerate BEFORE the light ice on the hill, you’re fine once you get into the turnaround.
Beware, however, because they’ve put down a pretty generous coating of gravel that makes it slick–but no where near as slick as ice.
I’m headed back out (hopefully before the sun goes down) to pick up my better half–I’ll post again then.
Anyone know what Emory’s campus is like? Specifically, the roads on campus and the sidewalks?
So far, Emory has been the sane university and stayed closed. GT opened at 10 this morning and the word from campus is that the sidewalks haven’t been cleared at all and undergrads are busting their a**es left and right. UGA opened while their gov’t. officials were still telling people to stay off the roads and please not drive. What moronic decisions.
College is decent Eastbound from East Lake to Candler. A few icy patches, but not severe. From Candler to the Avondale MARTA station is in great shape, both directions. Headed back westbound, from Candler to East Lake is pretty icy – definitely need to slow & be cautious there.
we just came back from east lake publix (nicely re-stocked) and there were icy patches everywhere…especially going up second ave towards hosea williams.
Went to work slowly and painfully, after a push up an icy hill where I had to stop before ascending, only to be sent home again. Sigh.
My observations:
– It was an excellent idea to keep schools closed given how bad certain residential streets still were this morning!
– Sloping residential streets without ruts down to the pavement are scarey horrible unless they’ve been sanded.
– Sand is starting to show up on some residential hills around Decatur. Thanks City of Decatur!
– Parking lots can be quite dangerous. I did a 90 degee skid on a slope in one and it’s only good luck that I did not hit the garbage can on one side or the concrete embankment on the other but just slid to a stop to the amazement of folks around me. And I was going deliberately slow, slow, slow, and careful after seeing a car skid ahead of me.
– What they sell as “all weather” tires here in the South are not as good as what I was used to out West. Does anyone know where one can get true all weather tires for a minivan? What are they called and how does one ask for them to make sure they get the real deal?
– The only way I could get some folks off my tail when I drove slowly in the ruts on roads was to put on my hazard lights!
Go to Tirerack.com for the tires.
GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Media Alert
For Immediate Release:
Contact: Mark McKinnon or Jill Goldberg
Thursday, January 13, 2011 (404) 635-8093 or 8094
Metro Atlanta Area Northward…
PUBLIC ASKED TO RETRIEVE ABANDONED VEHICLES ASAP
WHEN: Immediately
WHERE: Throughout the Metropolitan Atlanta area and north Georgia
WHAT: Abandoned vehicles on roadways are hampering clean-up efforts. Effective ice removal cannot occur while vehicles remain in highway travel lanes and on shoulders. As temperatures warm and ice melts today, it will become imperative to clear shoulders so runoff will drain properly and not pool in roadways to refreeze tonight.
Georgia DOT implores motorists to remove their abandoned vehicles as soon as possible.
State law (A.C.C.G. 32-6-2) stipulates vehicles considered by the Department and law enforcement agencies to be impeding the flow of traffic are to be removed by law enforcement if necessary.
N. Decatur Rd is safely drive-able at slow speeds now. Just went to the Shamrock Plaza Publix and back.
Turning onto and pulling out from side streets is a little dicey, however. Make sure the person behind you is not on your $ss if you have to slow down and turn.
Anyone driven Candler from 285 into Decatur?
Friend just drive in from St. Augustine Fl and lives on Kirk. A few ice patches on 285, memorial ok, Candler ok but icy. Just slow going with fast drivers.
They partially “plowed” Erie Ave. with a backhoe from Clairemont Elem. to Clairement Rd. about ah hour ago, but partially is the key – still mostly covered in ice – and the guy was doing a great job until he just drove off behind a DPD car. Will be interesting to see if schools are open tomorrow.
I’d like to second the question about Ponce between Clifton and Decatur. It is awfully shaded there so I’m wondering how clear it is. Also It is sunny and above freezing right now so even my little side street is down to pavement except for the shady spots (mostly shady). I’m wondering how wet the roads are and wondering if they are going to turn to black ice after the sun goes down for rush hour.
Just walked into downtown on McDonough. The sidewalks are horrible to walk on! Kudos to the City of Decatur who has workers clearing the snow and ice around the square. It’s much better once you reach downtown.
About to go home via DeKalb Ave– will report on its condition once I’m there. Stay safe, peeps!
It’s 7:49 pm….how’s the commute? 3 hrs and counting.
Oh, sh!tballs! I completely forgot to report back, till I logged back onto this thread! Sheesh– some reporter I am. Not that it will do any good at this hour, but the grooves in the road along DeKalb/Decatur Ave. that had still been frozen over this morning had mostly thawed, giving us some more traction. Notable exceptions at the Pencil Factory Lofts (as noted by a couple of others above), and the intersection at Decatur/DeKalb Ave. & Oakdale (some guy in a construction company PU tried to make the turn too tightly, got stuck, and spun his wheels, forcing folks in the right lane to either sit behind him fuming or get into the left lane). On into Decatur, grooves made things pretty passable until the patch of Commerce right before Clairemont– was beginning to freeze back over & get really slick again. Will report again tomorrow, and will do a better/more timely job of it!
Oh, and it took us about 40 minutes to get from downtown over to Church…not bad.
Does anyone know if Decatur is planning some kind of sanding/ploughing like the City of Atlanta? I know a lot of people who have been asked to move their cars off their residential streets, and I am wondering if we will end up needing to do that…
Last I heard, they continue to sand – I saw a lot of sand trucks today – but the city doesn’t have access to plows.
Hill on Glenn Cir sanded overnight.
Be very careful if you need drive through briarcliff just north of north Druid hills. The road is very slippery if not downright dangerous. That part of briarcliff is under full shade so it’s going to take awhile for the ice to melt.
Downtown ATL to Decatur –
Couldn’t get on Carter Parkway
Easy trip down Piedmont, 30 minute wait to get on Ponce.
Ponce clear and slowly running ok to Moreland.
After sitting half hour at Springdale, cut to McLendon.
Very few ice patches on McLendon, good from traffic circle across Rocky Ford to College.
2 large ice patches on College betw R Ford and Atl Ave.
Total travel time 2.5 hours. That’s a record for me. Nice glass of wine waiting though and made it in one piece so feel lucky!
Update 4p. City of Decatur plowed the “big hill” where Ponce enters Decatur (just E of the Post Office). Thanks to Super Stud David Junger and his Engineering Department peeps.
2.5 hours from 14th and Peachtree to 3rd and Leyden- 5:15-7:45 PM
45 minutes Peachtree to Ponce
1.75 hours on Ponce
Bumper to bumper traffic entire trip
Lots and lots and lots of ice (black and regular) on Ponce- slid several times going under 10 mph
Right lane generally better than left
Intersections seem particularly bad, esp. right before East Lake
Worst. Commute. Ever.
Big, fat glass of wine= happy at last
I will be back on MARTA tomorrow- very glad kiddos will not be out trying to get to school
It took my husband 3 hours to get home going the same way. (peachtree to ponce to clairemont. (leaving work at 5:30) crazy!! he’ll be trying dekalb ave tomorrow.
Was at 3 Marta stations today and, though I recognize that they are short staffed, shouldn’t clearing steps and walkways of ice be a priority over emptying trash and telling people which way to go (the only two things I saw being done)? The steps I saw had not been touched and had several inches of ice on them.
I have picked someone up from Avondale for the past 2 nights. The exit towards Sycamore where people walk out has been a treacherous skating rink both nights. There was a sizable crowd exiting and everyone was sliding. How could they not notice this very obvious safety hazard?
List of DeKalb street closings this evening from AJC:
http://www.ajc.com/news/dekalb/dekalb-closes-about-two-803556.html
Attempting to reach Abernathy and 400 tomorrow– three possible routes: 1) DeKalb Ave to connector north to 85 north to 400 (my usual way in); 2) College to Arcadia/DeKalb Industrial to L’Ville Highway to 285 north to 400 (my usual way home in reverse); or 3) Marta (with a decent walk on each side). I am thinking route 2 is the best bet based on what I’ve seen– thoughts?
East Lake MARTA station parking lot most clear of ice (except for near entrance); there is also a single file path/rut across the pedestrian bridge. Stairs looked mostly clear. Pretty quick travel time to downtown Altanta.
Everyone please remember that the gift mart is going on in Downtown ATL, so that brings a whole batch of people not entirely aware of our current conditions (overheard on the train this morning, from several women w/ big suitcases clearly here for the Mart-, upon looking at all of the bundled up passengers- “oh, it looks like it’s cold here.”). These visitors have the potential to really clog up the traffic downtown- train for me again.