Chatter

By What Exit?

January 9, 2009 10:54 AM | Link to this

They should look into the “New Jersey Jug-Handle” - it has been working well for almost a hundred years.

By tom Bianco

January 9, 2009 11:03 AM | Link to this

Try mass transit it has been working for 100 years and not just busses a train that goes somewere

By blackairforce

January 9, 2009 11:07 AM | Link to this

looks like a new way for Georgians to screw-up traffic!

By BravesFan79

January 9, 2009 11:08 AM | Link to this

I think putting this JOKE of a article up in place of the Roswell Robbery is EXACTLY whats wrong with the AJC! How is this important compared to life of death?? How come the media NEVER prints the RACE of the ones who commit the crimes!?? I guess the NCAAP might protest huh! Makes me sick.

By Warrior Woman

January 9, 2009 11:10 AM | Link to this

A reasonable length left turn arrow would solve the problem with much less expense.

By BarryATL

January 9, 2009 11:12 AM | Link to this

This type of left turn is on Verterans Hwy or Airline Hwy (I don’t remember which) in New Orleans. They seem to work.

By EJ Moosa

January 9, 2009 11:18 AM | Link to this

Frankly, this idea stinks.

What needs to be done is to have the left turn signal at the end of the light sequence. You then get a chance to clear out ALL left turning vehicles that are in the lane.

Having all traffic stopped for left turning vehicles at the beginning of the sequence insures the greatest number of vehicles are at a stop, while having it at the end of the sequence shortens the wait times for cars proceeding straight dramatically

By Chief Wiggum

January 9, 2009 11:19 AM | Link to this

Oh, and on the intersection…another interesting idea is the contunuous flow intersection (CFI), also called a crossover-displaced left turn (XDL). It’s here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuousflowintersection

I think that works pretty well, too, although it takes getting used to.

By EJ Moosa

January 9, 2009 11:23 AM | Link to this

Frankly, this idea stinks.

What needs to be done is to have the left turn signal at the end of the light sequence. You then get a chance to clear out ALL left turning vehicles that are in the lane.

Having all traffic stopped for left turning vehicles at the beginning of the sequence insures the greatest number of vehicles are at a stop, while having it at the end of the sequence shortens the wait times for cars proceeding straight dramatically

By George P.

January 9, 2009 11:26 AM | Link to this

Macon has a type of Michigan Lefts all over the downtown area. Nothing new for us.

By Daxter

January 9, 2009 11:34 AM | Link to this

Geez, this is going to be a mess. Take a look at the “North to West” sequence in the DOT demo. A car is traveling North on Burnt Hickory and must get into the right lane, along with all the other legitimate right-hand turning cars. Then, once the light turns green, the car needs to move to the left lane and slip into the median, where they will have to stop and wait for oncoming westbound traffic to pass before they can proceed.

How many cars do you think will be able to make it in one light sequence? Not many. Those who are sitting in the median area will get backed up due to oncoming westbound traffic. That will cause those at the light, waiting to make the right-hand turn to stop, which will THEN backup those who are wanting to go eastbound onto Barrett Parkway.

Sheesh…..just lengthen the time on the left-turn arrows.

By rdhood

January 9, 2009 11:36 AM | Link to this

I have doing the same thing for 20 YEARS to drive around ill timed lights or lights where the left turn lane is packed but only gets a few cars through with each light.

I called it “driving around a light”. Note that this Michigan left only works if the left hand turn lane is 1) long enough to hold traffic and 2) far enough away from the intersection for cars to actually make the left. Unfortunately, I dont trust the idiots of traffic management anywhere in Atlanta to figure this out.

By Don Myrick

January 9, 2009 11:36 AM | Link to this

Each turn will require an additional 1/3 mile of travel for each turn (900 feet past your turn and 900 back). Each turn will require an additional wait at two new traffic signals (one for each direction on Barret Pkwy). Existing traffic signals at the intersection will have to be re-timed to account for the two new traffic stops.

1. How much added driver time, fuel and atmospheric pollution will these extended turns cost county residents annually?

2. What other options were considered and rejected?

Seems a very costly and inefficient solution to a problem that might be addressed with better-timed traffic signals.

When did we start looking to the most poorly administered states for ideas?

Don Myrick

By GaLiberal

January 9, 2009 11:40 AM | Link to this

The traffic situation is a direct cause of the Rethuglicons running the state into the ground. Instead of investing in public transit by expanding MARTA train and bus service, they put all their money into building roads. More roads only means more cars on the roads increasing the need for more roads. Transit gets cars off the roads while transporting more people per mile.

You people continue to put these idiots into office on the specious claims they will cut your taxes. Instead they reduce your quality of living. Yes, you may get to keep $100 more each year, but how many hours do you sit in traffic? How much more do you pay in car insurance? And what about your kids not being able to go outside during our smog alerts? But you saved $100 on your taxes. So continue to vote these liars and con men into office and watch your quality of live continue to deteriorate.

When you vote Rethuglicon, you vote against your own best interests. And Atlanta’s worsening traffic is living proof.

By Jersey Girl

January 9, 2009 11:44 AM | Link to this

Jughandles!! They really do work - except for the people who don’t notice the 17 signs leading up to the intersection and stop in the middle of it to make a left (I wrecked my first car thanks to one of those idiots).

By 48gapeach

January 9, 2009 11:44 AM | Link to this

The problem with Barrett Parkway traffic is not the left turns - it’s the cross over traffic from Stilesboro and Burnt Hickory - widen those streets to allow more cars to pass across Barrett Pkwy and shorten the lights…..

By Dumb Idea

January 9, 2009 11:45 AM | Link to this

Do they actually think someone is going to let me in at that new left turn. You’ll also have to get over a couple of lanes to get to get to the left turn. In my experience too many people around here are in too big of a hurry all the time to care about anyone else on the road.

If anything the New Jersey Jug handle would be a better solution.

By Nick

January 9, 2009 11:45 AM | Link to this

Frankly, this idea doesn’t look very good. What makes anyone think that traffic will pause to let people into the flow of traffic at the turnarounds? Also, what happens when larger vehicles or vehicles towing trailers approach this intersection? I have absolutely no faith in the Cobb County DOT. I live immediately adjacent to that abomination of a roundabout they just built. In the first HOUR of operation we had as many accidents at that intersection as had occurred in the past 15 years with the same number of injuries. We were promised it would be completed before the start of this school year. Guess what, they are still working on it today and we are still experiencing traffic delays. I asked the head of the Cobb DOT at a public meeting why this “social experiment” is being installed in my neighborhood and not in his and he made a lame statement about Cobb County being his neighborhood. The Cobb DOT extorted 40K out of our adjacent neighborhood associations by promising us a light. Instead, they put that monster in. They took out three large oaks and managed to kill another indirectly. We were promised Police in place, which we have NEVER had. This newer plan will work ONLY when people become used to them and conducting yet another bizarre learning experiment on a highway is flat out stupid. Of course, after seeing how they originally sold the idea of East-West Connector/Barret Parkway as a limited access thoroughfare and delivered a stop and go driving hell, I don’t expect the Cobb DOT to care a bit. Why can’t they install these in a less travelled set of intersections so people have a year or two to get used to them, rather than cram them down our throats, ignoring our pleas? Because Cobb DOT doesn’t care. They have the money and they spend it how they see fit, rather than what we really need. Experiment elsewhere.

By TraffEngr

January 9, 2009 11:49 AM | Link to this

Love the comments where people say “just extend the left turn arrow time.” Ummm yeah. Every second you add to one phase of an intersection steals it (or adds to the delay) from someone going in another direction. You can’t just keep adding time to an intersection and expect it to “work better.” I think this Michigan-left concept is pretty sound - glad to see Cobb DOT trying it out. Hope we can get some CFI intersections that ChiefWiggum mentioned here in GA too.

By BigDave

January 9, 2009 11:56 AM | Link to this

All this does is move slower moving traffic to…THE LEFT LANE!!!!

By Phffbbt

January 9, 2009 12:05 PM | Link to this

This is just what Cobb needs - more traffic lights. Seriously, does someone in DOT get a kickback for every traffic light installed?

However it’s nice to see Cobb county looking somewhere other than Mayberry, N.C. for all their traffic answers. After all, Andy Griffith’s DOT staff had to be the ones that designed the lighting system for this “one-horse town” of several million drivers (sorry Aunt Bea - no disrespect intended).

And adding more lights means that Cobb County (and Atlanta, for that matter) is one step further removed from ever utilizing the concept of three simple and effective words - Synchronized Traffic Lights. They’ve talked about them for years, but can’t seem to get past the hurdle of the roads not being on a “grid” (it’s the excuse heard every time this matter is discussed with someone connected to DOT).

But there is one glimmer of hope - the installation of roundabouts in West Cobb. They’ve been used in other countries for, oh, a couple of decades. Hold your breath, everyone!

By BobDog

January 9, 2009 12:06 PM | Link to this

While they are at it, if they could synchronize some traffic lights that would make a huge improvement throughout metro Atlanta.

This type of intersection looks like something that has been proven to work. Give it a chance. But nothing is going to totally solve the underlying problem: TRAFFIC VOLUME

By CJ

January 9, 2009 12:08 PM | Link to this

Obviously nothing Georgia comes up with on its own works to resolve the traffic problems in the area, so I’m encouraged that they are looking outside our borders for solutions!

I can’t possibly let another traffic congestion-related story pass without saying we need more mass transit, specifically commuter rail like the Northeast enjoys!

By Sean

January 9, 2009 12:11 PM | Link to this

It’s a bad idea. Michigan has been doing this since the 60’s when the population of the state was down significantly from the 10M (+/-) it is now. They’re going to do this on a major thoroughfare in Cobb County where the population is growing daily from the last census had Cobb County at 679K. Michigan has 20 to 30 years of practice at this thing. Most of the people in Cobb County aren’t capable of dealing with simple lane changes in daily traffic due to the phone being stuck to their ear or some other distraction.

Seriously… this is a bad idea.

By PinkoNeoConLibertarian

January 9, 2009 12:23 PM | Link to this

This wasn’t invented in Michigan. New Orleans has had this “innovation” for well over 20 years.

By Scrappy

January 9, 2009 12:24 PM | Link to this

Being from Michigan, I know these really do work at keeping traffic moving. Problem is we will need at least 5 year of experience for the idiot drivers down here to figure it out. Here are some tips:

1- if you know you will be making a left, get in the left lane

2 - do not stop at the light, proceed thru it to the left lane that enters the median

3 - when at the light in the median, proceed thru when traffic is clear

4 - to the cars that are approaching the median from oncoming traffic - DO NOT stop all of sudden to left people merge in, you are not being nice, you are causing traffic delays and accidents on your side of the road.

By Drew

January 9, 2009 12:27 PM | Link to this

The article linking to this page says people routinely wait three minutes (gasp!) to make a left turn. So they want to spend $2.5 million to make people drive an extra 1800 feet (which probably takes nearly a minute anyway)… thus saving drivers two minutes (tops) at rush hour, and probably adding travel time at off-peak hours? Only in Georgia…

By Jennifer

January 9, 2009 12:43 PM | Link to this

Here’s a good link for CFI:

[http://www.abmb.com/cfi-testdrive.html]

By Patrick

January 9, 2009 12:44 PM | Link to this

I grew up in Michigan and the lanes work. It helps alot. Traffic is smoother than the left turn lanes. Perhaps a bit more openmindedness would help. I agree that mass transit is needed. But that should be in addition to these turn solutions not in lieu of.

By Jennifer

January 9, 2009 12:49 PM | Link to this

Sorry … let me try that link again…

(http://www.abmb.com/cfi-testdrive.html)

By Steve

January 9, 2009 12:52 PM | Link to this

.

How about synchronized traffic lights?

Nothing worse than getting a Green light and driving 100 yards to the next light, only for it to turn Red …

That same improvement needs to be done on Camp Creek Parkway, too … .

By Mark H

January 9, 2009 1:02 PM | Link to this

This is exactly what we need. I too grew up on Michigan and for the past 23 years I’ve been in Atlanta I’ve questioned why these weren’t being used here.

Telegraph Rd, Gratiot and Woodward Avenues in Detroit are able to carry significantly greater traffic volumes, improved commute times, with much greater safety.

To work properly though, they need a much wider median than currently found on Barrett Parkway.

This concept should be incorporated into Cobb Parkway’s redesign, as well as Hwy 92 and other material arteries.

Until you’ve actually tried these, don’t knock ‘em!!

Just imagine driving from Cumberland Mall north on Cobb Parkway to the Big Chicken without once having to stop for a red light. With these road designs, its entirely possible (and proven for over 40 years in similar cases in Detroit).

By Russ

January 9, 2009 1:05 PM | Link to this

I grew up in Michigan, and began driving at 16 in 1969. These turn lanes are everywhere in Michigan, and handle traffic extremely well. Even during rush hours in Detroit and its suburbs, these turn lanes work fine. Seldom saw an accident at an intersection because traffic is not crossing in front of oncoming traffic.

By P

January 9, 2009 1:06 PM | Link to this

Hey Scrappy! You should know that “most of the idiots” driving here are NOT FROM HERE!

By Jason

January 9, 2009 1:16 PM | Link to this

Jug-handles are the way to go.

By Scrappy

January 9, 2009 1:22 PM | Link to this

Don’t care where you are from, just wish people could drive better. Anyone not from Michigan struggles with these “Michigan Lefts” and the learning curve will be high.

I still worry about those that think southern hospitality includes random stops in the middle of the road to “help” others.

By Scrappy

January 9, 2009 1:27 PM | Link to this

Maybe the next thing we could import from North is roads that work in a grid pattern! :)

By Mark

January 9, 2009 1:27 PM | Link to this

Another fantastic waste of taxpayer resources!!

By fwheine

January 9, 2009 1:28 PM | Link to this

The NJ Right-to-Left has always worked. Also, In Arizona, the left turn light is last and not first. This helps traffic.

By Mark

January 9, 2009 1:30 PM | Link to this

Another fantastic waste of taxpayer resources!!

By Maleis

January 9, 2009 1:30 PM | Link to this

Another totally dumb idea by the incompetents with the Ga transportation department. Their idiocy never ceases to amaze even me.

By Teddy

January 9, 2009 1:37 PM | Link to this

I grew up in Michigan and these really do work.

By Frustrated

January 9, 2009 1:40 PM | Link to this

What fool designed Barrett Pkwy in Kennesaw in the first place? Every shopping center dumps out onto Barrett Pkwy. There are no back roads for traffic to leave.

Then, they put a “round-a-bout” on West Sandtown. Of course, since this is America, no one cares to yeild so you dodge getting hit daily.

Now this? Here we go again!

By RUKIDDING

January 9, 2009 1:41 PM | Link to this

=Who’s the dumb ass who thought this up=. With the amount of cars traveling on barrett parkway, trying to make a U turn will be =impossible=. I can’t believe they’re even considering this. OMG!!!

By Rod

January 9, 2009 1:44 PM | Link to this

I do the ‘Michigan Left’ turn on Peachtree Pkwy and it saves time.

By TC

January 9, 2009 1:53 PM | Link to this

I drive in Michigan quite often. It works great up there.

By Steve

January 9, 2009 2:04 PM | Link to this

DETRIOT? Have you been to detriot? Cobb needs to abandon the car-only-boondoggle and becaome a pedestrian oriented county with sidewalks, streetcars and bike paths. Places built like that are the most succesful.

By Steve

January 9, 2009 2:07 PM | Link to this

DETRIOT? Have you been to detriot? Cobb needs to abandon the car-only-boondoggle and becaome a pedestrian oriented county with sidewalks, streetcars and bike paths. Places built like that are the most succesful.

By dre

January 9, 2009 2:19 PM | Link to this

Frustrated…the man responsible for this Barrett Parkway, unmitigated disaster is Ernest Barrett, the hero of a Cobb Commissioner who had pretty bad planning vision, hence no MARTA. I avoid that area like the plague and will continue to do so.

By Dave

January 9, 2009 2:48 PM | Link to this

**So, if I need to simply turn left onto Burnt Hickory, I’ll have to possibly sit through the intersection traffic light, be in the far left to U-turn, then have to cross over THREE LANES (Barrett is being widened to 3 lanes) in about 150 feet to turn right onto BH. Also, if the intersection light has turned red, I’ll likely have to sit through it (possibly again) due to the back-up on Barrett.

So basically this story tells me that county commissioners are getting complaints about some lengthy left-turn waits onto BH, so they’ve come up with this plan to ENSURE it’s a lengthy, and now much more complicated process! Ridiculous!**

By Joey

January 9, 2009 2:51 PM | Link to this

Great work Cobb! It is about time someone thought outside of the box! As a previous person stated, he is correct, you cannot just add time to a left turn arrow- that time must be taken from another approach, which increases delay elsewhere- robbing Peter to pay Paul, so to say. It corrects one problem while creating another.

I think that Cobb County is one of the better areas regarding traffic progression, and ideas such as this is the reason why. If you don’t think so, come down and drive in Atlanta where I live!

By tom

January 9, 2009 3:01 PM | Link to this

hey fool, it’s spelled detroit! DETROIT! and yes, new orleans has these left turns too, but michigan had them first. dumb ass…

By AnotherPerspective

January 9, 2009 3:06 PM | Link to this

My husband sent this to me because I have often said, “we need to implement Michigan Lefts here, it would really open things up.” I, for one, am happy that the government is looking to proven and time-tested solutions to this problem. Haven grown up in Michigan, these really do work, they are not difficult, and they save time and gas money because you can usually move continuously without having to break at lights (in the demo they assume you get stopped at every light - usually you don’t).

By Dumbing Down

January 9, 2009 3:20 PM | Link to this

Welcome to the 60s Georgia! Now you decide to do something about the traffic instead of widening! Now I know why you are last in SATs, last in graduation rates and cannot buy beer on Sunday. Get real.

By notPC

January 9, 2009 3:21 PM | Link to this

Yes yes and yes. I lived my teen and young adult years in Michigan and this type of turnaround WORKS! I wish Georgia would pick up more tips from the yankee’s, like timing lights appropriately on major thoroughfares (think 41 and 92).

By Jim

January 9, 2009 3:34 PM | Link to this

The Michigan Left rules. I was driving around Grand Rapids at Xmas wondering why we don’t use them down here. I’m glad somebody finally is.

By abc

January 9, 2009 3:38 PM | Link to this

A true traffic disater in the making!!!!! When any traffic flow is not intuitive - all you end up with is confused drivers, more congestion, & more serious accidents. Bad Idea Period.

By ace dancer

January 9, 2009 3:38 PM | Link to this

increased costs, unneeded confusion and increased delays vs having the turn arrow stay up for 15 more seconds - tough decision

By cartersmom

January 9, 2009 3:41 PM | Link to this

As some others have said - the Michigan Lefts do work. I lived up there for a year, and never saw an issue. I drove Telegraph Road in metro-Detroit all the way up to the suburb of Pontiac every day for work. That road is full of Michigan Lefts and it was a breeze. Seriously, it will work. However, I do agree some of the idiots around here will find a way to screw it up. I do think ATL has some of the most arrogant drivers who clearly think “Its all about me.” I live right around the Burnt Hickory area, so this will be amusing to watch, for sure.

By itsame

January 9, 2009 3:45 PM | Link to this

Requires 3 turns instead of one. Increases opportunites for accidents by a factor of 3. Does it really benifit those northerners?

By Russ

January 9, 2009 4:05 PM | Link to this

My first reaction to this was similar to a number of the responses here, “It won’t work”, “We need another solution”

Then I started thinking about it.

The “no left turn” allows for more time for through traffic at each light. Sounds like a bonus to me. More time for through traffic means more time for these “Michigan lefts” to actually work.

The concern I have is the rest of the lights in the area. If you attempt to fix one intersection, you need somewhere for this additional traffic for the 900 feet of left-turn traffic to go. If the roads are congested in these areas, and no place to go, I don’t see the traffic problems going away.

I don’t know the particular intersection personally. But I know a large problem with intersections with a large flow of traffic is people partially blocking intersections because they’re not fully out, causing opposite directions to back up.

By ab

January 9, 2009 4:09 PM | Link to this

We should follow the example of Texas: 1. State funding for public transit (unlike MARTA) 2. Adequate funding of roads in major cities (unlike Atlanta) 3. Tollroads (unlike GA) 4. Design access roads on highways and “Texas Turnarounds” (found only at 85 and Clairmont)

By roadrager

January 9, 2009 4:14 PM | Link to this

Great idea! Don’t forget to install cameras so you can cash in on all the red light runners too!

By Nate Gilbert

January 9, 2009 5:06 PM | Link to this

Please tell me this is a joke. If not, spend the money on something else.

By Cobb Wife

January 9, 2009 7:49 PM | Link to this

Hey, Cobb DOT!! While you are changing things along Barrett Parkway please increase the speed limit along the stretch between Dallas Highway and Powder Springs Road. There is very little development through there and a lot of swamp. The 45 mph limit is frustrating. Heck, it’s 55 on Dallas Hwy. out to Paulding County with many more traffic lights and shopping centers. It seems Barrett Parkway is a big money maker based on the many radar traps I’ve seen out there. I avoid using Barrett Parkway in that area because of the speed limit.

By MI Snow-bird

January 9, 2009 8:44 PM | Link to this

We came from MI & after living now in GA for 14 years we can tell you we’d much rather wait in a left hand turn lane than do the turnarounds. They just need to lenghten the left turn lane times. MI has started to use the turnarounds with few accidents. We need to see more of them here.

By ngabe

January 9, 2009 11:44 PM | Link to this

Don’t see how this will work. Traffic traveling west on Barrett Pkwy is constantly backed up during afternoon rush time. Once the driver makes the right from Burnt Hickory and then wants to go left onto Barrett, I don’t see the driver being able to make it into the Barrett traffic. I travel this intersection frequently (live half a mile from here)and just don’t see it working.

By Don Myrick

January 10, 2009 8:27 AM | Link to this

If, as they say, the problem is people running yellow lights, why not have the lights go through a short four-way red cycle?

Don Myrick

By Ann Zelonis

January 10, 2009 9:36 AM | Link to this

There is a roundabout on St Simons Island GA - you have to be a mental giant for the first half dozen uses before you figure it out.

By dixiewife44

January 10, 2009 9:59 AM | Link to this

I agree with the “Jersey jughandle”. I lived in Jersey for 7 yrs and used that kind of turn around all the time.

By Dennis

January 10, 2009 10:21 AM | Link to this

I have been going to the Detroitarea for the past 38 years, and find the “Michgan left” a very convienient feature.

I applaud this innovation in our area

By blair890

January 10, 2009 2:26 PM | Link to this

This is just dumb. Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

By RoswellEnviro

January 10, 2009 6:24 PM | Link to this

RIDICULOUS! I can see traffic backing up WORSE waiting to make the U-turn until the light in the opposite direction turns green. Synchronize the traffic lights to allow better traffic flow. Improve safety by changing the traffic signals to left on arrow ONLY. Don’t waste taxpayer dollars on this abomination.

By Jay

January 11, 2009 9:39 AM | Link to this

In the demo “movie” the cars are making illegal turns. When turning right you turn into the lane closest to you not the far lane. You change lanes after traveling in the right hand lane a distance. The car that needs to turn left at the U to continue on Burnt Hickory also crosses the line before you are supposed to. Is 900 ft. enough space to legally turn, change lanes and enter the U-turn lane? New Jerseys “Jug Handles” seem safer. I do like the round-abouts Cobb is starting to add.

By Barrett Pkwy RESIDENT

January 11, 2009 8:25 PM | Link to this

While we’re at it:

1. East/West Connector - This road was proposed and sold to us as a “Limited Access” road. So what do they do? They make it connect Smyrna to Kennesaw and run speed traps on it to generate even MORE revenue… Then, they put a public use soccer complex on it. DUH!

2. Barrett Pkwy widening - Way to go, take what was originally a 1 lane farm road, make it 2 lanes, widen it to 4 lanes with a median connected through to Ridgeway Rd, now widen it to 6 lanes AND add “Michigan Lefts” without seeing what effect the 6 lane widening project will have on traffic. Oh, and forget completely about the fact that this soon to be 6 lane road goes through a RESIDENTIAL area where some of the houses in the subdivisions off of this road average between $300-$600k…so much for our property values. If we wanted to live next to an interstate, we would have bought property next to one.

3. Villa Rica Rd @ Sandtown Rd Roundabout - What a joke. Replacing 4 stop signs with a set of red lights wouldn’t have worked? Come on. This idea was as bad as the city of Kennesaw tearing up asphalt as smooth as glass to lay brick pathways across the road that knock your front end out of alignment even if you do the 25 mph speed limit on Main Street…(aka, Hwy 293/Old Hwy 41…a State Hwy)

4. Why is it that nobody has thought of the idea of overpasses over Stilesboro and Burnt Hickory on Barrett Pkwy? This would alleviate the backup of traffic on Barrett Pkwy created by the people who live in Brookstone that are currently turning right off of Barrett Pkwy onto Stilesboro & Burnt Hickroy during the evening rush hours. Ever heard of “Through Traffic Keep Left”? CSX railroad (A private company) seemed to have no problem raising the railroad tracks to go over Barrett Pkwy when it was extended from Old 41 to Stilesboro Rd.

5. Seems the “Historic Society” successfully blocked the widening of Whitlock Rd AND the idea of making Whitlock and Polk Streets “one way” roads in each direction to and from the Square in Marietta. This would have easily resolved alot of the problems with traffic backing up from the Square to John Ward Rd, where it widens out to a 4 lane divided highway.

6. The speed limit on Dallas Hwy in front of The Avenue at West Cobb…55 instead of 45…this needs to be fixed. 55 is WAY too fast and dangerous to pull out into from the side roads and the strip malls.

Seems Cobb DOT and the County Commission don’t get it when it comes to public safety, property values or open minded thinking.

Just keep getting the SPLOST approved with false promises, put up your little signs thanking the tax payers for their money and keep wasting it. You’re doing a GREAT job of that.

By LibsMom

January 12, 2009 1:12 PM | Link to this

This is a BIG price tag for a problem that only lasts 60-90 minutes in the mornings and evenings. Surely, there is a better solution? Unless the widen Barrett Pkwy, large trucks will not be able to make the U-Turn. What are they supposed to do when only certain roads are able to support large trucks? As for the 3-minute left turn light wait, it is actually much longer because often the turn arrow from Barrett (northbound) to Burnt Hickory doesn’t operate correctly. I have sat through 3 light cycles before we finally received a turn arrow. How can Cobb DOT that the lights in the medians will work properly. Also, I don’t see many drivers letting u-turners into traffic and then allowing them to cross lanes, especially during rush hour.

By Eric Keiser

January 16, 2009 6:04 PM | Link to this

I feel as others do. Improve length of original left turn lane, and have left turn arrow at end of sequence instead of beginning.Less chance of a red light runner getting hit.

By Jeff

January 26, 2009 6:42 PM | Link to this

Does Cobb County know how people drive in Georgia? How is crossing 2 lanes with 55mph traffic( I know the posted speed is 45) from a stop sign safer than left turn signals. This will create carnage.