Karl A. Bevins enjoyed two fruitful careers, one as a city traffic engineer and the other as principal clarinetist for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
In 1949, the late Atlanta Mayor William B. Hartsfield saw the need for a full-time engineer to preside over traffic, and tapped Mr. Bevins as Atlanta's first city traffic engineer. He held the post -- believed at the time to be the first of its kind in the Southeast -- for 28 years, all the while playing with the symphony. He performed with the Atlanta Pops Orchestra, too, and taught private lessons more than 50 years.
"Music had always been a fun part of his life," said Jean Marie Bevins, his daughter from Atlanta. "He loved it. As a kid, when I was a little girl, he'd play different instruments and was always very happy."
On July 29, Karl A. Bevins of Atlanta died of natural causes at Lenbrook, a retirement community. He was 96. A memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 today at the Cathedral of Christ the King. The Atlanta Federation of Musicians, which he presided over 19 years, will host a separate service at a later date. Fischer Funeral Care is in charge of arrangements.
Mr. Bevins has been hailed as a pioneer and innovator, a dedicated, long-serving appointed official who improved city traffic issues. He is credited with the implementation of staggered work hours, reversible lane control and computerized signals, among other innovations. He served under four mayors, including Sam Massell, president of the Buckhead Coalition, and retired in 1978.
"Karl was a real pro regarding traffic," Mr. Massell said via e-mail. "He kept up with traffic innovations long after he retired from City Hall, and even volunteered to chair the Buckhead Business Association's traffic committee late in his 80s. The Buckhead Coalition dedicated its traffic book, "The Buckhead Coalition's Car Companion," to him in 2008 to show our respect for his civic services."
For decades, Mr. Bevins was a member of the Institute of Transportation Engineers, a professional association. He founded the organization's southern section as well as its Georgia division. He served on or oversaw various association committees, both local and national. Time magazine named him one of Atlanta's "100 Leaders of Tomorrow."
An Iowa native, Mr. Bevins graduated from Georgia Tech and took work-related courses at Yale University. Prior to serving the city, he worked for Georgia Power, which oversaw the city transit system at the time. His job: coordinate travel of buses, streetcars and cars.
In 2009, the Buckhead Business Association created the Karl A. Bevins Service Award to honor the engineer's service to that organization and the community. Elizabeth Gill, the association's president at the time, called the award a "fitting tribute to the man who has helped our city grow into a business center and a cultural center."
There are no additional survivors.
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