Nandina Lane is just a short jog of a road in Dunwoody that connects Mount Vernon Road to Chamblee Dunwoody Road.
But when the city made recent changes to prohibit left turns onto Nandina Lane from Mount Vernon Road, some local motorists wanted to slam on the brakes.
“A lot of our clients don’t like it,” said Lynne Watts, receptionist at Dunwoody Animal Hospital at 5450 Chamblee Dunwoody Road.
Before the changes to the Nandina Lane/Mount Vernon Road intersection, clients would turn left onto Nandina Lane and pull into the hospital’s back parking lot, she said.
“It’s kind of inconvenient for them and for a lot of clients it’s hard for them to make a left turn onto Chamblee Dunwoody Road,” she said.
Pam Miller, technician at the animal hospital, said the business “is losing clientele because it is so difficult to over here.”
“It’s horrible,” she said.
The city modified the Mount Vernon Road/Nandina Lane intersection to a right-turn-in/right-turn-out only configuration to address the safety of drivers as well as pedestrians at this section of road, said City Spokesperson Bob Mullen.
“Left turns in and out of roads, businesses or developments are generally the most problematic movements for drivers,” Mullen said in an email.
“Increased traffic volume over the past five-plus years, coupled with a condensed left turn lane distance approaching the intersection of Mount Vernon and Chamblee Dunwoody, have raised safety issues for drivers along Mount Vernon Road from both east and westbound,” said Mullen. “One way to address safety impacts is to eliminate left turns … [and] turning restrictions are particularly important when the access points are relatively close to existing intersections, as Nandina Lane is to Chamblee Dunwoody Road.”
The intersection now includes a “Do Not Enter” road sign, large yellow globes on the roadway and a cement island.
“The improvement should also help address safer pedestrian crossings by offering a refuge island at Nandina Lane and reduce points of conflict for crossing pedestrians through the elimination of left turns,” Mullen said.
The Dunwoody Police Department is conducting traffic patrols to ensure the safety of pedestrians in the area of the Nandina Lane/Chamblee Dunwoody Road yield sign, Mullen said. Future plans to alert motorists to that yield sign include painting reflective markings directly on the pavement; and installing curb extensions at the yield sign to slow motorists, Mullen said.