Traffic Planners Present Lane Reduction Plans

Fear not bicyclists: The Athens Transportation and Public Works Department is recommending a plan to add bicycle lanes to Pulaski Street.

The plan would turn the four-lane road into a three lane road – one lane going in each direction with a turn lane in the middle – making room to add 5-foot bike lanes on both sides. The road is currently traveled by more than 10,000 vehicles daily, according to a study from the department.

“I think they're going to love this,” said Steve Decker, traffic engineer, during the public forum for the projects Monday night. “It's going to be so much smoother, so much safer.”

The money is coming from a $650,000 allocation from the state designated for resurfacing roads, said David Ayers, pavement management coordinator. He said there are six projects that will use the money, three of which were studied for possible lane adjustments and were discussed Monday.

The other projects are similar conversions to three lanes – plus bike lanes – on Hawthorne Avenue from Prince Avenue to Oglethorpe Avenue, and on Athens West Parkway. However, the department's study on the roads found that traffic volume is expected to rise to more than 20,000 vehicles per day on Hawthorne Avenue, so they decided to drop that project from their recommendation to the mayor.

The next step: City Hall. 

Following the public forum, the department will write up their recommendations before sending it to Mayor Nancy Denson and the commissioners.

The jobs, which Ayers said will likely occur overnight during a period of one to two days, are expected to begin in August.

And there could be an uptick for the local economy.

“There's a 99.99 percent chance the materials will come from Athens,” Ayers said, adding the projects are awaiting bids from private companies, which may get their materials locally.

Decker said nearly 200 flyers were passed out around the areas considered for modifications. He said the public's perception seemed mostly positive.

In fact, only one citizen was moved to come to the public forum.

Hal Cofer, 83, moved Cofer's Home & Garden Showplace from downtown to the corner of Athens West Parkway and Mitchell Bridge Road more than 15 years ago. Now the business owned by his son, Stuart. Hal Cofer said the conversion to three lanes could hinder deliveries from tractor-trailers.

“We're always of the opinion 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it,'” he said.

He said bicyclists don't use the road, and that a reduction in lanes could cause a bottleneck situation when tractor-trailers make deliveries. These occur three to five times weekly during the spring.

“That hill will never be biked up,” Cofer said. “If that's the case, is there any real reason for this?”

Decker said cars could use the turning lane to bypass the trucks, but that he'd still head to the site to take a look.

The plan Decker is most excited about, however, is the Pulaski Street modification. He said more efficient lanes and modifying streetlight timing could reduce frustration, speeding and pollution – and the 13 average crashes reported yearly on Pulaski Street alone.

“I can't wait to get this in place,” Decker said. “The public's gonna love this.”

 The other projects not discussed at the forum because they involve only resurfacing, not lane modifications, are:

- Portions of S. Lumpkin Street from Milledge Avenue to Riverbend Road.

- Hancock Industrial Way

- Sunset Drive from Prince Avenue to Oglethorpe Avenue.