AJC Atlanta Forward: Making the case for regionalism (Marietta, Dunwoody: neighborhood, to live in)

[bu2]

Originally Posted by jero23

Nope, I meant inside of all of the urban core, not just the City of Atlanta exclusively. This is a problem with many of the non-Atlanta locations as well.

DeKalb can't handle any higher residential density north of I-20.

[jero23]

Originally Posted by bu2

DeKalb can't handle any higher residential density north of I-20.

If they redevelop areas that have decline or are declining then that wouldn't be the case.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by jero23

If they redevelop areas that have decline or are declining then that wouldn't be the case.

You're missing my point. The area is strangling on traffic. There simply isn't the capacity for more people.

[jero23]

Originally Posted by bu2

You're missing my point. The area is strangling on traffic. There simply isn't the capacity for more people.

I knew what you meant, but that is due to their poor planning on road infrastructure. Some of the roads in that areas need to be straighten out and possible realigned, but that doesn't negate the room for increase density by upzoning some of the key corridors and commercial areas.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by jero23

I knew what you meant, but that is due to their poor planning on road infrastructure. Some of the roads in that areas need to be straighten out and possible realigned, but that doesn't negate the room for increase density by upzoning some of the key corridors and commercial areas.

If they do that first, they could support more density. But Decatur/Druid Hills are two of the toughest areas to sell that on. They're right in the middle of east/west and north/south movement.

Briarcliff, Clairmont, LaVista, North Druid Hills, Ponce de Leon and North Decatur all need improvements. There's also poor connectivity north-south because of I-85 and the railroad tracks. There needs to be something between Clairmont and 285. There are only a couple of narrow roads connecting Lawrenceville Hwy and LaVista, let alone I-85.

[bu2]

Some of those roads need to be widened, but I don't see that happening. They're doing the opposite.

All of the roads need more, longer left turn lanes and better signaling.

[jero23]

Originally Posted by bu2

If they do that first, they could support more density. But Decatur/Druid Hills are two of the toughest areas to sell that on. They're right in the middle of east/west and north/south movement.

Briarcliff, Clairmont, LaVista, North Druid Hills, Ponce de Leon and North Decatur all need improvements. There's also poor connectivity north-south because of I-85 and the railroad tracks. There needs to be something between Clairmont and 285. There are only a couple of narrow roads connecting Lawrenceville Hwy and LaVista, let alone I-85.

Well, this is where GDOT's investment in improving the road network comes into play. Most of the major corridors inside of the I-285 Perimeter are state routes or U.S. highways, which means they are under GDOT's control, so it's not much of a stretch for them to do this at all. DeKalb County has a number of long-range plans to upzone and place overlay zoning a variety of areas to encourage a variety of principal uses and mixed uses, but the implementation of these has been incremental due to their economic hardships in the past decade.

[bu2]

The left turn on Scott Street at Clairmont is backed up to the elementary school, a couple hundred yards every morning. It leads to a LOT of red light running and dangerous conditions, despite regular Decatur police patrols. North Decatur starting about 3 is backed up from Clairmont back beyond Druid Hills HS, about a half mile. People can't get out of their streets or driveways unless people are nice and let them-and it also leads to hazardous conditions with people trying to do left turns without being able to see clearly. Clairmont, North Druid Hills and LaVista are just awful around Toco Hills in morning and afternoon rush hour. Briarcliff is pretty much a parking lot, sometimes both directions, from North Druid Hills down beyond Ponce where it becomes Moreland.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by bu2

The left turn on Scott Street at Clairmont is backed up to the elementary school, a couple hundred yards every morning. It leads to a LOT of red light running and dangerous conditions, despite regular Decatur police patrols. North Decatur starting about 3 is backed up from Clairmont back beyond Druid Hills HS, about a half mile. People can't get out of their streets or driveways unless people are nice and let them-and it also leads to hazardous conditions with people trying to do left turns without being able to see clearly. Clairmont, North Druid Hills and LaVista are just awful around Toco Hills in morning and afternoon rush hour. Briarcliff is pretty much a parking lot, sometimes both directions, from North Druid Hills down beyond Ponce where it becomes Moreland.

People should not be doing left turns in heavy traffic, across a double yellow line, if they cannot see on coming traffic. Just because someone waves you thru, the driver of the left turning car is responsible for yielding when entering a roadway.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by jero23

Well, this is where GDOT's investment in improving the road network comes into play. Most of the major corridors inside of the I-285 Perimeter are state routes or U.S. highways, which means they are under GDOT's control, so it's not much of a stretch for them to do this at all. DeKalb County has a number of long-range plans to upzone and place overlay zoning a variety of areas to encourage a variety of principal uses and mixed uses, but the implementation of these has been incremental due to their economic hardships in the past decade.

Well they have allowed Decatur to reduce lanes on Ponce and Clairmont. Briarcliff got some extra much needed sidewalks and an unneeded bike lane, but the only improvement for auto traffic was repaving. Brookhaven appears intent on allowing major development in Executive Park without any suggestions for improving the traffic flow there at N. Druid Hills, Briarcliff and I-85. Traffic there sometimes backs up through the various traffic lights from Briarcliff to the North side of I-85. The exit ramp off I-85S is dangerously short, creating a bad situation with crossing traffic between those exiting I-85 and those on the frontage road and sometimes backing traffic onto I-85.