Description
There is no pedestrian access to this new grocery store (Publix) during construction of the adjacent apartments. Both Ponce and Dekalb Industrial have entirely too many lanes for vehicles, given traffic volumes... Surely we could take one car traffic lane adjacent to the new construction on both streets to allow for the THOUSANDS of renters and homeowners nearby to WALK to the grocery store that should be a safe, 5 minute walk from Avondale MARTA rail station. The City of Decatur annexed this land to make this development possible... but who is being prioritized here? Not those residents of Decatur who want to or NEED to walk / not drive a block to the grocery store. Please advise as to the thoughts/efforts the City is considering to address this completely unnecessary lack of pedestrian access to a vital community asset. It's only a matter of time before a pedestrian trying to make it to Publix is hit and killed by a car speeding downhill on Ponce.
15 Comments
Decatur, GA (Verified Official)
Sam (Registered User)
Connor (Registered User)
Decatur Public Works - O Clay (Verified Official)
Ed C (Registered User)
Ed C (Registered User)
Rita (Registered User)
Ed C (Registered User)
Ed C (Registered User)
Connor (Registered User)
Sam (Registered User)
Acknowledged Decatur Public Works - J Maximuk (Registered User)
Dear Resident
Public Works is very much aware of the pedestrian situation around the new Publix store. When complete, there will be sidewalk access on Arcadia and on E. Ponce for pedestrian access. We did not anticipate the amount of time between the completion of Publix and the completion of the rest of the site. Construction requires most of the space where the sidewalk will be located. Currently, Public Works is looking at options for providing temporary pedestrian access including all considerations for pedestrians, cost to the City, construction impacts, and maintaining traffic flow. For more information, please contact me at 678.553.6570.
Ed C (Registered User)
Mr. Maximuk,
Thank you for your response. I honestly can see only two reasonable/feasible temporary solutions:
1. Taking and barricading off the northmost (westbound) lane on E Ponce adjacent to the construction from the Publix driveway to the existing sidewalk at the corner with Arcadia - This would create a "walk lane" adjacent to the construction that would provide continous protected pedestrian access to MARTA and the surrounding communities.
2. Painting and signing (ideally signalizing, but I know that's not a quick fix) a crosswalk across E Ponce at the Publix driveway that would connect the existing sidewalk leading to Publix on the north side of E Ponce to the PATH on the south side of E Ponce. Ideally, a "State Law Requires Vehicles Stop For Pedestrians In Crosswalk" sign could be placed in the center turn lane of E Ponce to supplement a brightly painted, reflective, highly visible crosswalk with reflective signage - with the potential to place a HAWK signal as population (and thus people wanting to walk) continues to increase in the area.
I think we all would be interested in hearing what you and Public Works are considering - either in this forum, or another - it would be much appreciated and helpful for us to hear your progress on this issue in a public forum like this one.
Thanks for your consideration, and thanks for your work towards making our city safer!
-Ed Caddell
Ed C (Registered User)
Also, Mr. Clay or Mr. Maximuk - I know the City of Atlanta has a tactical urbanism guidebook/application process:
https://www.atlantaga.gov/home/showdocument?id=48429
Does Decatur have anything like this? This would probably relieve some burden on the City by allowing approved crowd-sourced quick fixes like this one to be carried out by community members. I'd certainly be happy to provide some manpower or other support to make this area safer and I imagine that our community could come together around this.
Thanks again for your consideration!
Connor (Registered User)