Welcome to "Actual Factual," a regular column in which I, Becca Godwin, answer reader questions about goings-on in north Fulton. Here's one I did recently about what's going up next to Roswell's Sky Zone. Now that you're familiar, you'll find information for submitting your own questions at the bottom of this column. Cheers!
Reader Kristie asks: What company is getting paid to install all the "traffic circles" in North Fulton? Who decided to put TWO on Sargent Road? One of which only serves one neighborhood (ONE road) while the traffic-circle-less-neighborhood before it faces another subdivision?
Hello and how do you do, Kristie. Roundabouts are a touchy topic; they’re one of those things you either love or you hate. Like Brussels sprouts. Or Lady Gaga.
As you seem to have noticed, Johns Creek seems to be a fan of the merry-go-rounds-for-cars. It even tried to put one in Alpharetta earlier this year. The bordering city said no thank you.
There’s a fair amount to cover here, so let’s get right down to business.
Question #1: What company is getting paid to install all the traffic circles in North Fulton?
A bid process generally happens for construction projects, and that was the case for both of the roundabouts installed along Sargent Road, according to a Johns Creek spokeswoman.
Beyond that, I have two company names for you.
When Johns Creek got its first traffic circle in 2014, at Lexington Woods Drive and Sargent Road, we reported that city officials said contractor Curb-Tech would complete the project at a cost of $75,000.
In May 2015, city crews repaved that roundabout.
The roundabout at Sargent and Crossington roads was to be built by Blount Construction and locally-funded at roughly $448,000, we reported.
Before we move on, let’s take a break and watch a video from Johns Creek’s YouTube page in which an animated kid in a car says, “Roundabouts aren’t scary, and they’re pretty easy to navigate.”
This just got serious.
Question #2: Who decided to put two on Sargent Road?
City Council decides on whether or not roundabouts are installed in the city.
In the case of the Sargent Road roundabouts, residents of subdivisions along the road complained to the city about difficulty in safely exiting their respective subdivisions, the city spokeswoman said.
“Since the road does not warrant a traffic signal or stop sign, it was determined that roundabouts were the best option to slow traffic enough along the road to help residents exit their subdivisions more safely,” she said.
City Council approved the roundabout at Crossington and Sargent roads in August 2015.
Another roundabout, at Bell and Boles roads, was federally funded at $1.47 million and built in 2015.
In other Sargent Road news: this summer, the speed limit on Sargent Road between Jones Bridge and McGinnis Ferry roads was reduced from 45 to 35 mph. But a subsequent traffic analysis, required for state transportation department approval of police radar to enforce the speed limit, showed the speed limit should only have been reduced to 40 mph there.
And since that’s probably a more comprehensive answer than was necessary, it’s time for me to briefly yield, and make my exit.
I, Becca Godwin, am a staff writer with the AJC and a lover of metro Atlanta. To submit “Actual Factual” questions, contact me at becca.godwin@ajc.com, @BeccaJGGodwin on Twitter or via the form below.
