The Decatur City Commission at its Aug. 5 meeting will consider a plan to fix the Atlanta Avenue intersection by extending Adair Street to West College Avenue.

“This represents the best railroad crossing location alternative considering the totality of the community’s goals and objectives, especially safety,” a presentation given to the City Commission says.

Commissioners discussed the proposed fix at their July 15 work session.

As with any proposal, there will be benefits and drawbacks.

The benefits include improving access at Adair Street, keeping the existing railroad crossing open during construction, simplification of traffic movements and reducing signal delay.

The drawbacks? It could encourage cut through traffic on Mead Road, affect residential driveways on College Avenue and may require regrading to accommodate the railroad crossing elevation.

Also, residents at Olympic Place are not happy about not having a designated signal.

Residents told civil engineering firm Landis-Evans & Partners that losing the light there would make it “impossible” to take a left turn there.

“It would cause Mead Road to become a certain death trap for the children at Oakhurst,” one comment said.

Bruce Landis, with Landis-Evans & Partners, said the company will try to work through the concerns about Olympic Place.

“We’ll address the Olympic Place residents’ concerns about there not being a signal there,” Landis said. “We’ve gotten feedback from [The Georgia Department of Transportation.] We don’t think they would allow a redundant signal there that close to another signal.”

Mayor Pro Tem Tony Powers said changes at that intersection would be welcomed.

“Having traveled that intersection since I was a child, anything is better than what exists,” he said.

Assuming the City Commission signs off on the plan, the next steps will be the preliminary design which would attempt to alleviate problems at Olympic Place and incorporate bicycle and pedestrian options. The city would need a preliminary review from GDOT and CSX railroad. Sales tax money will pay for the construction of the intersection improvements.

To see the presentation from the July 15 City Commission meeting, click here.

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