A Safer Monroe Drive
by Jack White and Jess Windham
The tragic death of Alexia Hyneman has stunned this community. The knowledge that nothing we do now can bring her back haunts every effort to make the corner and roads where she died a safer place.
And yet, heavy heart or not, that is all we can do and that is what we have to do. As the mourning continues, the movement to improve this corner continues to grow.
Monroe Drive’s challenges are more of a web than a list. It has straight wide lanes that mimic the appearance of a freeway, amidst single-family residences and small businesses with dozens of curb cuts. It sits next to the city’s busiest park near two large (and several small) schools. It’s littered with a mishmash of signage, utility poles without setbacks, and three traffic lights in a 60-yard span. It’s a dangerous mess that frustrates all its users on a daily basis. And it’s especially dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, who arrive there not only from other streets but from the terminus of the BeltLine, which empties directly into Monroe.
And further development is coming. Grady High School will be expanded, and two separate new developments have been proposed on the old Mason stretch of the BeltLine; both propose access from Monroe.
Better law enforcement is a part of the solution, but it’s not enough. Every community in the city wants and needs more enforcement; there won’t be a special police force for Monroe Drive. This road and its intersections need to be re-designed with the safety of its users – all its users: pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers – as a primary goal. Good design will discourage speeding, not reward it. In such a context, improved law enforcement has a much better chance of being effective.
Making Monroe Drive a safer and more livable city street is not impossible. The topic has been widely discussed and studied. At least three formal plans already in place – the Beltline’s Subarea 6 Plan, the City of Atlanta’s Connect Atlanta Plan and (most recently) the Virginia-Highland Master Plan – endorse the Complete Streets program scheduled for Monroe.
While no single act will magically solve all of Monroe’s challenges, the Complete Streets program will mitigate that road’s single greatest danger: speeding vehicles. Studies suggest that it can do that while accommodating a very high percentage of users at lower speeds, results partly obtained by reducing accidents now produced by drivers’ swerving around cars waiting to make left turns. The narrower road itself and presence of other adjacent users will be helpful; other modifications can be considered as needed.
Many residents along Monroe have been asking for such changes for a long time. The existing automotive conduct – and the frantic and unsafe atmosphere that goes with it – is unsettling and not compatible with single-family residential living. Failing to address this challenge can only lead to justifying much greater density – and even more traffic capacity along Monroe. The implications of that are profound for all the communities along the road.
Here’s the good news: The funding for the Complete Streets program is in place – it was part of the Renew Atlanta bond that passed last year, thanks to Councilmember Wan’s careful foresight. At the city council meeting on February 15th and in a subsequent press release, the Mayor assured council members and citizens that his administration will “move quickly to get these improvements done.” Many other council members echoed his thoughts, including Andre Dickens, Michael Julian Bond, Kwanza Hall, and City Council President Caesar Mitchell.
At a subsequent meeting at Inman, Alex asked citizens to channel their anger and despair into support for both the plan and a continued examination of additional measures that will make our roads safer for all its users – cars, cyclists and walkers.
We thank him for his support, and we agree with him. Safer livable streets are long overdue, and Monroe Drive is the place to start.
Mayor’s Press Release: http://www.atlantaga.gov/index.aspx?recordid=4279&page=672
Master Plan Page 80: Road Diet Summary and Monroe as a Good Candidate: https://vahi.org/planning/master-plan/
To make a contribution to Ms. Hyneman’s family for funeral and medical expenses, please go here:
https://www.gofundme.com/2u6rb7gs
Jack White and Jess Windham are VHCA Board Members.