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Thursday, February 7, 2008
Road improvements and creative driving
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Time for a shout-out.
And a bit of a “shout-at.”
Both involve Snellville traffic.
If you’ve never tried to maneuver through our city during evening rush hour, count your blessings and move on. You can skip this commentary and instead read about Britney or Paris or a plan to double bus fares in Gwinnett - all three of which reflect similar levels of wisdom and sensitivity.
If, however, you have found yourself locked in the southbound, got-to-get-home line-ups along Ga. 124 and North Road, this one’s for you.
The shout-out goes to the city of Snellville and Gwinnett County for — just last month — making North Road a southbound, one-way corridor from Wisteria Road to Oak Road. This reduces southbound backup by allowing weary travelers on North Road to more quickly turn left onto Wisteria, a major route home.
Moms who have watched their children outgrow car seats while waiting to make that turn salute you, local leaders. Now, instead of three or four cars getting through each light, about 12 to 14 are making it, according to unscientific monitoring by the city.
Another improvement is on the way, said Snellville City Manager Jim Brooks. A right turn lane will be added to North Road at Wisteria to further relieve southbound traffic — though a date for the work is uncertain.
North Road’s problems were created by people trying to avoid the notorious backup a block away on Ga. 124.
If necessity is the mother of invention, our fellow travelers are clearly some mighty needy — and inventive — folk.
Further proof presented itself to me on a couple of different occasions recently as I waited in the snake of southbound traffic to turn left from Ga. 124 to Wisteria.
(This is where my “shout-at” comes in.)
Drivers more important than the rest of us — you know the ones I’m talking about — breezed by those of us in line with our left lights blinking. They scooted a half-block farther, made a U-turn on Ga. 124 and then doubled back to smoothly turn right onto Wisteria.
What ingenuity! What imagination! What incredible arrogance!
I wavered between being impressed and outraged.
Snellville Police Chief Roy Whitehead said Wednesday he hadn’t heard about this latest trick. But he wasn’t surprised. Drivers cut across private property, cruise along in turning lanes and try assorted maneuvers to get ahead of the crowd, he said.
The funny thing is, he said, many times it is all for naught.
“Often when they cut through private property, by the time they get back on the road, they are farther behind,” Whitehead said.
:-)
What new or creative driving techniques have you noticed? Has the change at North Road improved your ride?
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