Gainesville City Council is moving forward with a plan to alleviate truck traffic on Green Street, but not everyone is happy about the newest path council members have chosen.
After several minutes of discussion, council members voted unanimously to approve a resolution that amends an application for a grant that would fund a study for a traffic improvement project on Oak Tree Drive. The plan, outlined at last week's city council work session, would make Oak Tree Drive an alternate for truck traffic, diverting the big rigs from Thompson Bridge Road (SR 60) to Riverside Drive. The amendment to the Georgia Transportation Infrastructure Bank (GTIB) application scraps a plan for a bypass along Enota Avenue.
Council heard Tuesday evening from Benjie Hopkins, a homeowner who lives near the Oak Tree Drive/Riverside Drive intersection. He said he is concerned primarily about safety issues.
"In a relatively small area - from Oak Tree to Enota is only half a mile - there are seven streets that intersect that route...and also you probably know if you've driven in that area, Morningside Drive has a very sharp right-hand curve," Hopkins said. He also told council members there are 31 driveways along the stretch of road, three of them so-called blind driveways.
"The speed limit in that area is 35 miles an hour, although routinely people travel much faster," said Hopkins. "Just to give you an idea, at 40 miles an hour, a large truck takes over 50 yards to come to a complete stop - that's according to the National Highway Safety Administration. To me, that just doesn't mix well with blind driveways and big trucks trying to come to a stop in a short space."
Hopkins also cited noise concerns that he and his neighbors have.
Mayor Danny Dunagan said he understood concerns about safety and noise, but he said something has to be done about Green Street traffic.
"Anything we do is going to have an impact. All we're trying to do is have the least impact we possibly can," Dunagan said.
The mayor also assured Hopkins that the process would be a lengthy one, giving citizens plenty of time to voice concerns and offer input.
In a comment following the meeting, City Manager Bryan Lackey said it would likely be mid-summer before city officials would get an answer on whether they would receive the $850,000 grant to study the traffic plan.
