By Larry B. Dendy
ldendy@uga.edu
The university and the Athens-Clarke County government are making major improvements to enhance safety on Baldwin Street.
The improvements will slow vehicles, increase visibility for both pedestrians and motorists, prevent pedestrians from crossing the street except at designated points, and synchronize traffic signals, says Dexter Adams, grounds manager for UGA’s physical plant.
Though lying entirely within campus, Baldwin is owned and controlled by the county. Running east-west for three blocks between Lumpkin and Thomas streets, it is most heavily used by UGA students. In a recent sample peak hour, 720 pedestrians and 1,163 vehicles attempted to cross the Baldwin-Sanford intersection. Baldwin has one of the highest rates of campus accidents involving both pedestrians and vehicles.
The work, which began in March, is confined to the section of Baldwin between Lumpkin and Jackson, the most congested portion of the street. The university and the government will share the cost, with university crews doing much of the labor.
A major feature of the improvements will be installation of a “traffic calming” device at the Baldwin-Sanford intersection. The pavement will be bricked and raised about six inches above the rest of the street, forcing vehicles to slow down and giving drivers a better view of crossing pedestrians.
A portion of the slope on the north side of the intersection will be scooped out to form a “queuing plaza”--a space where pedestrians will wait for a green light to cross the street. Adams explains that the plaza will help control pedestrian “surges,” when large groups of students try to cross the street during class changes.
Sidewalks on both sides of Baldwin will be moved back and landscaped buffers--plants, walls, a fence and handrails--will be installed between the sidewalks and street. This will prevent pedestrians from crossing the street except at designated crosswalks, and should also discourage drivers from stopping in the street to pick up or discharge passengers, Adams says.
The current work began with utility relocations. Street and sidewalk construction will begin in mid-May, with lane closures and pedestrian rerouting throughout the summer. All the work should be finished by the start of fall semester in August. |
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