A Traffic Signal at West Broad Street and King Avenue?

Developer Don Sumner made a case recently at a meeting of the Athens Clarke County Commission for the installation of a traffic light at what's becoming a very busy intersection: West Broad Street and King Avenue. 

Athens Orthopedic and the Athens Spine Center are two medical firms in the area. Athens Orthopedic is building a multi-story facility you can see from Broad. The new Longhorn Steakhouse is west of the medical buildings. And across the street is the ever-popular Steak 'n Shake.

According to Sumner, the Athens Clarke County Government wants the physicians to pony up $25,000 to help pay the $70,000 price tag for a signal. He says the physicians have already spent $14,000 on a study to determine if a traffic signal were warranted.

County manager Allan Reddish told the commissioners during their agenda-setting meeting that the county didn’t require such a study. He said he thinks that a signal will be a good thing for the intersection—but not until traffic volumes increase. The number of cars is adequate on West Broad but “not on the side streets,” he said.

When asked why the county is requesting money from the doctors and not from officials at Steak ‘n Shake, Reddish said that an analysis of left hand turns showed there would be more people turning left into and out of the doctors’ offices than the restaurant.

 Commissioner George Maxwell acknowledged that part of Broad Street is becoming more built up and busier, with much more traffic. He said he would hate it if there were an accident because of a lack of a signal.