Comments on: Get a First Look at the Clairemont/Commerce/Church Ped/Bike Improvements Next Thursday

By: Bobby

Bobby — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:02:41 +0000

On a recent errand (by car), I felt an experiential clarity about these proposed changes: I had chosen my route exactly because of the car-favorable facilities of Commerce Drive. If you revert to slower corners and likely stops, my crossings will go through instead of around.

By: Toml

Toml — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:39:24 +0000

I always seem to have to answer this question: Every day to and from work, and often on weekends. I even saw another cyclist waiting at one of the MARTA stops along Ponce this morning. Greetings, as always!

By: QueenB

QueenB — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:36:05 +0000

I agree that Church Street isn’t popular with cyclists, but I walk at least 4 kids to school every day on that route and I can attest that I feel much safer on that sidewalk with the buffer of that extra lane. Before the change, big delivery trucks would speed by with their mirrors just inches from us and the traffic moved much more quickly. It was a horrible experience. Now, we can actually talk to each other without the roar of vehicles going by at 45+ mph – very few people obey the school zone speed limit there.

Yes, vehicles turning left often back traffic up and when I’m in a hurry, I find it just as frustrating as I’m sure everyone else does. But before closing the side lanes, Church Street was simply not walkable in a safe manner.

By: Frankie & Johnny

Frankie & Johnny — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 02:40:30 +0000

It seems to me that Decatur is shooting itself in the foot with some of these projects. How many bicyclists use the new lanes on Ponce? I have not seen one in my occasional use of that section. But I have noticed traffic is more impeded now. Is that really our goal, to just make Decatur harder to get around in? Several recent changes on Decatur streets force turning vehicles to block through traffic now. Are we using some kind of data analysis to see how functional these ideas really are before moving on the the next step? I do agree that we need better pedestrian access at places like Commerce and Clairmont. But I hope we’re doing some real evaluations and not just pursuing some idealized pie in the sky trendy city.

By: Scotty

Scotty — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:14:47 +0000

I walk through the Clairemont / Commerce intersection every day and it could definitely use some more pedestrian friendliness, particularly crossing the right turn lane off of Clairemont onto Commerce in front of the Baptist church. There is a crosswalk on the pavement there, but no pedestrian signal – you have to cross there to get to the pedestrian signal. People don’t slow down or yield there at all. That being said, I am always impressed by Decatur’s initiative when it comes to encouraging pedestrian and bike friendliness on the roads.