With Thursday’s opening of the Talley Street Upper Elementary, Decatur’s first new school at a new location in nearly a half century, the city has defined new speed zones surrounding the site:
• 0.55-mile stretch along Commerce Drive/South Columbia Drive from East College Avenue to Missionary Drive.
• 0.25-mile stretch along Talley Street from South Columbia Drive to Sams Street.
Normally 35 mph, these corridors are reduced to 25 mph from 7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. Students can enter the school no earlier than 7:20 a.m.—breakfast is served from 7:25-7:45—and school is dismissed at 2:45.
Also, brand new stop signs were recently erected at the South Columbia Drive/Talley Street intersection, creating a three-way stop. Left-hand turn lanes have been added on the north and south side of South Columbia turning onto Talley and Shadowmoor Drive respectively.
All stop signs, however, will get replaced this fall by split-phase traffic signals controlling the three approaches on South Columbia, Talley and Shadowmoor.
“That area now has a different look, and we’re still getting people conditioned to stopping [at the three-way stop],” said Assistant City Manager David Junger. “My advice is to be prepared, look with your eyes wide open and don’t be in a hurry.”
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