The grassroots movement cited specific pedestrian-vehicle collisions, two recent incidents in which railroad crossing guards were hit by vehicles, and a fatal traffic accident last month at the intersection of East College Avenue and Commerce Drive. is calling on city and state officials to immediately implement safety improvements. We will take action in the City of Decatur and provide a long-term fix as soon as possible.
Leaders of a new group called Calm Decatur formally submitted a Change.org petition to the Decatur City Commission this week, outlining five changes they believe will help curb “vehicle violence.” .
The petition was created on November 7th and has gathered over 700 signatures as of this writing. It was addressed to Georgia Department of Transportation Secretary Russell McMurray, Decatur Mayor Patty Garrett, and other city officials, including several commissioners.
Calm Decatur feels that several major arteries in or near downtown Decatur are particularly problematic and dangerous. Scott Boulevard, Claremont Road, College Avenue, Columbia Drive and South Candler Street.
Last month, four pedestrians were hit in one day in the city in November. Including the aforementioned fatal accident, according to Calm Decatur.
The group praises city leaders who have built multi-use corridors, added sidewalks and improved crosswalks in recent years, but problems with speeding drivers, crosswalks and traffic lights remain baffling. It is claimed that
“We don’t have to live in fear in our cities, on our streets, in our homes,” the petition says. “[City and state leaders need to] Prioritize safety and take concrete steps to make Decatur safer for people on foot, on bikes, in wheelchairs, and in cars…No more business as usual. ”
Specifically, Calm Decatur is calling for a citywide speed limit of 25 miles per hour to be implemented on all roads other than state highways. They are calling on city leaders to require GDOT to also lower speed limits on “dangerous highways” and change the “outdated” methodology for setting speed limits in the first place.
Other requests include the installation of red light cameras and the construction of better sidewalks, multi-use paths and crosswalks. Calm Decatur is also calling for the city to adopt a Vision Zero initiative that would eliminate vehicle-related fatalities within the city limits.
“There is no time to waste,” the petition says. “There are new collisions on the roads almost every day, and the urgency is clear. How many more people will have to be carried away on stretchers?”
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