Advice for Turning Dangerous State Roads Into Safe City Streets

It's extra challenging to redesign a city street for safe walking and biking when that street is controlled by the state DOT. State highway departments tend to be concerned primarily with funneling cars long distances -- not creating streets that meet local needs.

That's the case with Memorial Drive in Atlanta, a dangerous state road that runs more than five miles across the city. Despite a general consensus that the street should be safer for walking, several patchwork local plans have yet to comprehensively address the hazards. But now an effort to tie everything together and work with the state DOT on the whole length of this urban thoroughfare is making headway.

Darin Givens of ThreadATL interviewed Greg Giuffrida of Central Atlanta Progress, who is leading the campaign to overhaul Memorial Drive. He offered this advice:

The full post is well worth a read for anyone working to change a state road that runs through your neighborhood. Givens concludes with these thoughts:

More recommended reading today: Pricetags considers how streets designed for speed are especially unforgiving for people who use wheelchairs. And the Urban Edge reports on a study of job access challenges for carless workers in greater San Diego.