Safety concerns crossing between parks on State Route 53
I coach in the Oconee County Recreation Department's U10 soccer league. Last night after a particularly awful practice, one of my players wanted to walk from the field we were practicing on in Herman C. Michael Park maybe 150 yards to the north to the new Oconee County Community Complex and the new soccer fields, as his mom may have been watching one of their other children practice soccer on the new park's many fields.
The young player asked me if it was OK to cross the highway and I said "NO WAY!" and offered him a ride in my truck across the busy thoroughfare. Luckily for him his mother had driven over herself thus abrogating the need for this lad to take his life into his own hands and those of drivers hauling booty 60 miles per hour plus down State Route 53.
Some one will be involved in an accident at this extremely busy intersection if no traffic calming measures are installed quickly. I hope the members of the Board of Commissioners will contact the State Department of Transportation to consider having something put in there as soon as possible. Among the more expensive solutions would be a stop light or elevated footbridge. A more ambitious project might include a tunnel underneath 53. I am not a traffic engineer, only a father and soccer coach concerned about the safety (or lack thereof) for our youth in Oconee County. We need more sidewalks and bike paths connecting parks, schools and business areas.
At the very least, I think some rumble strips in the road of State Route 53/Hog Mountain Road as you are approaching the Oconee County Community Complex and Herman C. Michael might help a little bit by alerting drivers to the upcoming hazards, and do so much more inexpensively. We at least need a little more signage to keep drivers and pedestrian separated and safe. This could be done next week on the county level for minimal expense.
I was explaining to my son that the old fashion flashing yellow lights do not work very well (hello intersection of Third Street and Whitehall/Simonton Bridge in Watkinsville) and once in a while the State Department of Transportation does response to citizens needs with more lights at intersections (hello 441 Bypass at New High Shoals Road).
I know many members of the community have come together to honor our Veterans with the scandal-ridden War Memorial in the park, but let's also have an equally intense effort to ensure our children's safety in going back and forth between the parks. I hope we never have any horrible accidents involving children crossing the busy road, but if we do nothing, it is inevitable there will be some awful tragedy there that is really easily preventable. Slow down on State Route 53/Hog Mountain Road in the meantime please.
The young player asked me if it was OK to cross the highway and I said "NO WAY!" and offered him a ride in my truck across the busy thoroughfare. Luckily for him his mother had driven over herself thus abrogating the need for this lad to take his life into his own hands and those of drivers hauling booty 60 miles per hour plus down State Route 53.
Some one will be involved in an accident at this extremely busy intersection if no traffic calming measures are installed quickly. I hope the members of the Board of Commissioners will contact the State Department of Transportation to consider having something put in there as soon as possible. Among the more expensive solutions would be a stop light or elevated footbridge. A more ambitious project might include a tunnel underneath 53. I am not a traffic engineer, only a father and soccer coach concerned about the safety (or lack thereof) for our youth in Oconee County. We need more sidewalks and bike paths connecting parks, schools and business areas.
At the very least, I think some rumble strips in the road of State Route 53/Hog Mountain Road as you are approaching the Oconee County Community Complex and Herman C. Michael might help a little bit by alerting drivers to the upcoming hazards, and do so much more inexpensively. We at least need a little more signage to keep drivers and pedestrian separated and safe. This could be done next week on the county level for minimal expense.
I was explaining to my son that the old fashion flashing yellow lights do not work very well (hello intersection of Third Street and Whitehall/Simonton Bridge in Watkinsville) and once in a while the State Department of Transportation does response to citizens needs with more lights at intersections (hello 441 Bypass at New High Shoals Road).
I know many members of the community have come together to honor our Veterans with the scandal-ridden War Memorial in the park, but let's also have an equally intense effort to ensure our children's safety in going back and forth between the parks. I hope we never have any horrible accidents involving children crossing the busy road, but if we do nothing, it is inevitable there will be some awful tragedy there that is really easily preventable. Slow down on State Route 53/Hog Mountain Road in the meantime please.
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