Q: About one or two years ago, a re-design of the intersection of Burnt Hickory Road and Barrett Parkway was planned that called for limited left turns to improve safety and flow. New lanes were built to support the design, but why wasn’t this intersection changed to affect the new flow?
—Annie Cook, Marietta
A: The new design, called "indirect lefts," hasn't been implemented because the traffic volume hasn't increased as projected along those major roads in west Cobb County. The lane construction is finished and the roads are capable of supporting indirect lefts, if needed in the future, David Montanye, the manager of the Cobb County DOT operations division, told Q&A on the News in an email.
An indirect left turn, for example, would require a driver traveling north on Barrett Parkway who wants to turn left onto Burnt Hickory Road to travel past that intersection and make a U-turn to head in the other direction and then turn right onto Burnt Hickory.
Q: I heard from someone that the Doraville Police Department owns a tank. Is this true? If so, why?
—Madeline Griffin, Atlanta
A: The Doraville Police Department owned an armored personnel carrier (APC) for 10 years, until it was returned to the state in June. The vehicle was used in situations with the potential of gunfire, including negotiating with barricaded gunmen. It also was used to rescue motorists, and last winter it pulled tractor-trailers onto cleared lanes of I-285 during the ice storms, a department spokesman told Q&A on the News in an email.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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