Problem Intersection: Memorial Drive And Boulevard

At morning and evening rush hour, the intersection of Boulevard and Memorial Drive can be trying on one's nerves.

Adding the frustration is the traffic signal layout of the intersection for motorists making left-hand turns.

There are four dedicated left-hand turn signals at all four corners of the intersection, where Cabbagetown and Grant Park meet.

The problem, as Space Ship, an East Atlanta Patch reader, points out: Only three of the corners have dedicated left-hand turn lanes.

Motorists traveling east on Memorial and wishing to turn left on Boulevard may have to sit through one or two signal change cycles to do so since their lane isn't left-turn only.

That left-hand turn at the corner of Historic Oakland Cemetery is dangerous for a few reasons, Space Ship says.

"The traffic signal has a protected left turn, but there is no dedicated left turn lane. If someone is in front of the line going straight when the protected green indication comes up, sometimes those drivers will impatiently pass the straight vehicle — in the opposing lane — to make the left turn," he wrote in an e-mail to Patch.

"This is particularly dangerous, because if a vehicle is turning right from Boulevard onto Memorial Drive westbound, the cemetery wall blocks the line of sight from both parties, which could lead to a disastrous crash.

"Why would the city put up a protected left turn signal without a turn lane? So many people use Memorial Drive in the afternoon to commute from downtown, that the left turn at this location is useless!"

One possible fix could be to simply convert that lane into a left-hand-turn-only lane. But that would cut eastbound traffic on Memorial to one lane at that intersection. That risks making the rush hour commutes even more maddening.

What would be the best way to address the problem?

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UPDATE: In our last , we looked at the stretch of McPherson Avenue at Flat Shoals and Moreland avenues.

The problem at McPherson and Flat Shoals: a four-way intersection but only three stop signs. The issue at McPherson and Moreland was a design problem that sometimes had motorists driving southbound on Moreland, driving into oncoming traffic when making a left turn onto McPherson.

We heard from Atlanta City Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong, who said the McPherson-Flat Shoals intersection has been a concern.

"During the EAV Streetscape improvement process, this intersection was an obvious point of concern. Despite requests to either add an additional stop sign or to otherwise improve the traffic flow at this intersection, the City's Traffic and Transportation Dept. did not support any of the recommended changes," Archibong told East Atlanta Patch in an e-mail.

"I'll suggest another review of this intersection, and I'll let you know what the City's traffic engineers suggest."

As for the Moreland and McPherson intersection, Jill Goldberg, a spokeswoman for the Georgia Department of Transportation said the agency has a plan for reconstructing that intersection.

However, she said she did not have a specific timetable as to when that work would begin.