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February 12, 2025 Update

Updates with data were presented at the February 12, 2025 BOMC meeting. View the presentation here.

December 18, 2024 Update

Minor modifications to the original plan have been implemented as the project continues to be accessed. Some wave delineators and painted bulb outs have been removed for safety reasons on Kensington Road at the Covington intersection. Drivers entering the neighborhood on Kensington now have more time to adjust to the traffic calming measures. Installments and modifications are ongoing and will be based on the contractor's availability. Additionally, the city has plans to work with the Georgia Department of Transportation on possible intersection upgrades at Kensington Road and Covington to provide a safer place for pedestrians and bikes and alert drivers to slow down before entering the neighborhood.

A common concern among Avondale Estates residents is feeling unsafe due to the speed of cars on city streets. The city has considered using police to address the issue; however, every traffic study conducted over the past ten years has shown that drivers rarely exceed the posted speed limit. When they do, it is seldom more than the ten miles an hour over the speed limit required by Georgia law to allow officers to issue tickets. Therefore, traditional policing will not effectively solve the problem. Even though drivers may not be breaking the law, cars moving at the posted speed limits can still pose safety risks and make pedestrians and cyclists uncomfortable-a valid concern that should not be dismissed.

To increase safety, reduce speeds, and deter cut-through traffic in the neighborhoods, the city has developing traffic-calming solutions, including bike boulevards, additional crosswalks and stop signs, and shorter crossing street widths. The proposed Traffic Calming Plan (PDF) includes recommendations from the design team and input from the community workshop.

Testing Solutions

The city has launched a pilot project that will target South Avondale Road and Kensington Road using inexpensive materials that can be easily removed. This pilot project will allow the city to test traffic-calming measures in the short term before making a permanent investment or expanding them to other areas of the city if they prove effective.

South Avondale Road and Kensington Road have been prioritized for several reasons:

• More concerns have been raised on these corridors than others,
• They are ideal for bike routes, and
• They are natural cut-through streets and are more likely to experience higher traffic volumes during construction projects in downtown Avondale Estates.

Phase 1 of the Project

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The first phase will focus on South Avondale Road and Kensington Road to divert or slow potential cut-through traffic that may result from construction on North Avondale Road.

• These traffic calming measures are relatively low-cost options, consisting of paint, bollards, and a few vertical elements.
• This approach is often considered tactical urbanism. It allows the community to test solutions before making a much larger investment in curbs, drainage structures, and more expensive infrastructure.

Implementation

• The Phase 1 implementation started the week of December 2, 2024. The construction will take two to three weeks.
• Once Phase 1 is completed, city staff will evaluate the costs and timeline line for additional improvements.