Decatur’s commission approved funding for the design of a pedestrian hybrid beacon on Scott Boulevard across from Westchester Elementary. Total costs for design and construction is $150,000, with a grant providing up to 70 percent construction costs. The design process should conclude next April, with construction starting in June and the beacon possibly completed by August 2018.
Besides the beacon this project includes a high visibility crosswalk, curb ramps, signs and markings and the possibility of a pedestrian refuge island.
The city currently has two other pedestrian hybrid beacons, one on Candler Street near East Davis Street, the other on Clairemont Avenue near the YMCA. But Scott has received particular scrutiny for a number of years, especially since the reopening of Westchester in 2014 and a fatal car accident just west of the school in April 2015.
At 40 mph Scott has the city’s fastest speed limit with every other road 35 mph or less. But Scott is also a state road linking I-285 with downtown Atlanta, only traversing Decatur for 1.5 miles.
In the past year there have been several improvements along the Decatur portion of Scott: the right hand turn slip lane on Coventry Road at Scott was eliminated, crosswalks at various traffic lights were brightened and straightened, and edge lines were widened.
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