Brookhaven City Council is considering a plan to enhance pedestrian safety along a one-mile stretch of Buford Highway.
John Boudreau of Atkins North America presented a plan at the May 9 meeting to enhance the streetscape along Buford Highway from Afton Lane to Clairmont Road NE.
The project, which is estimated to cost between $800,000 and $1 million, would be paid for by the Special Service District (SSD) tax.
The plan shows medians full of native trees, shrubs and ground cover; pedestrian lighting; and automated crosswalks.
The corridor is identified as the highest fatality rate among pedestrians within the state of Georgia, said City Council member John Funny, who asked for an elevated median to prevent mid-block crossing.
“That would present us with a much safer corridor as it relates to the amount of pedestrians we have traversing up and down Buford Highway,” Funny said.
“Pedestrian safety is a very serious issue on Buford Highway, so any median design that discourages people crossing outside of the [pedestrian signals] we would recommend,” said City Manager Christian Sigman.
In other council news:
• Brookhaven city engineer Don Sherril reported that construction on West Nancy Creek Bridge will require a temporary power outage for 200 homes in the area later this month. The city and Georgia Power are planning to work together to communicate with residents. The bridge is on schedule to be finished by late June.
• City Council voted to accept the withdrawal of Land Hill LLC’s application to redevelop 2751 Buford Highway. Land Hill stated they will revise the plan to better suit Brookhaven’s density requirements, returning at a later date.
• The city’s millage rate will be discussed at two public hearings in June.
• Brookhaven Police Department K-9 officers Mike Roberts and Patrick Hale made 74 DUI arrests in 2022 in Brookhaven. The officers were recognized with the Annual Golden Shield award from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and MADD Georgia.
• Brookhaven Parks and Recreation is hiring summer staff for city pools, which are planned to open by May 27. Subject to an inspection, the splash pad at Ashford Park will open May 20.
• Linda Abaray, director of community development, said Brookhaven is applying for the Green Communities program, a voluntary certification given by the Atlanta Regional Commission to encourage sustainable practices.
