Recent statistics provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation indicate that Decatur’s traffic isn’t as congested as commonly perceived. Since 1996 the city’s population has jumped from roughly 18,000 to the current 22,000, an 18 percent increase. But over that same span, traffic counts have diminished practically throughout the city.
The numbers were presented recently during a city commission work session on Decatur’s comprehensive plan update.
Traffic in 2015 was down 9 percent from 1996 on College Avenue in the Renfroe Middle School vicinity. During that same duration it’s down 15 percent at College/Sams Crossing, down 8 percent on Ponce de Leon Avenue/Sycamore Drive (near the MARTA parking lot), down 13 percent on Ponce near the St. Thomas More Church and down 23 percent on East Trinity Place where the Arlo development is finishing up.
The numbers, however, are considerably more varied, over the last five years (2011-15), down in some areas with an increase in others. Traffic is down 23 percent on Scott Boulevard near Westchester Elementary even though that school re-opened two years ago. But in that same Renfroe region of West College traffic is up 35 percent.
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