RSS FeedSafety improvements: whose responsibility?
December 12, 2012 at 11:01am by Sally Flocks · 4 commentsAndy McBurney, PEDS’ Safe Routes to Transit Project Manager, and I met with Georgia Department of Transportation engineers and planners yesterday to discuss funding for low-cost pedestrian safety improvements. The meeting confirmed that federal transportation dollars are rarely appropriate for low-cost transportation projects.
Implementing essential pedestrian safety improvements will require local governments to accept their responsibility for funding them. Median refuge islands and Rectangular Rapid Flash Beacons are both low-cost safety devices. Why, then, does the City of Atlanta fail to budget for these?
www.pedbikeimages.org/Dan Burden
The City of Atlanta’s sidewalk crisis is another example. The Atlanta City Council’s Sidewalk Task Force, which met for the first time in September, is exploring policy changes and funding options. At the January 2013 meeting, I will ask Councilmembers Natalyn Archibong and Carla Smith to confirm a timeline for the task force.
Rather than studying the issue to death, Councilmembers need to make decisions. Will Atlanta continue to put itself at risk of high payouts to pedestrians who fall on broken sidewalks? Or will the City Council approve a referendum that allows residents to decide whether they are willing to fund sidewalk repairs?
AMTRAK Train Station has no place for parking to provide a safe pick-up of an AMTRAK passenger. Loading luggage is a real challenge and safety risk. The lack of parking facilities places pedestrians in HARMS-WAY in direct line of oncoming traffic. The small space in front of the train station is too small but it has now been baracaded to prevent a quick pick-up. I can’t believe a dynamic city like Atlanta would allow this condition while many out-of-towners are appalled to see this condition. PLEASE HELP!!!
Transportation planners are aware of the problem and are considering other locations for the Amtrak station.
Well the decision the city made was to extort an average $4000 from each homeowner for sidewalk repair. In Ormwood Park adjoining better know Grant Park, the initial mailing of Certified Mail monetary invoices was sent 6 February 2013 with the threat of Police Seizure of Assets. While no one denies the need for neighborhood sidewalks, a majority were installed in the 1940′s and are hexagonal concrete tiles which will not pass ADA. Moreover we have been given 45 days to hand over an exceptionally large & unexpected amount of cash. The neighborhood consists of mostly retirees who have been in their homes for decades and young in-town couples with young kids just starting out. There is not a lot of excess wealth and if you thought there was any possibility of a homeowner maintaining their own patch, just notice the city’s million dollar bond requirement to touch “their” property. While this organization’s goals are positive, the actual result is more hardship during an economic recession for my neighbors.
PEDS believes the City of Atlanta should use tax dollars to fund sidewalk repairs. Requiring abutting property owners to pay for sidewalk repairs — and using tax dollars to pay for others — is selective enforcement. This is inherently unjust — and something the City of Atlanta would have a tough time defending in court.
On many streets, sidewalks exist on just one side of the street. The burden of paying for repairs should be shared by all taxpayers, not just those who happen to live on the side of the street where sidewalks were installed.
PEDS would like to read one of the letters sent to property owners who have been asked to pay for repairs. If you’re willing to let us read it, please scan a copy and send it to us electronically. We would also like to know more about the average cost of repairs billed to property owners. If you have information on this, please send that as well.