Reversible Lanes: Time for a New Approach?
Patch Reader captures horrific, three-car crash on Memorial Drive.
Photos
Reversible lanes.
Anyone who travels DeKalb Avenue or Memorial Drive regularly knows that you have to pay particularly close attention because of the reversible lanes and the drivers who aren't as mindful.
East Atlanta Patch reader Will Edmond tweeted this picture of the three-car wreck at Memorial Drive and 2nd Avenue in East Lake, which occurred shortly after 1 p.m. Oct. 18.
"Suicide lanes on Memorial Drive" is what Edmond told us.
(The initial report wasn't immediately available but an Atlanta Police Department spokesman said the initial callers to 911 said none of the involved were injured.)
We've heard from many readers about the reversible lanes and how much of a nightmare they can be.
But as heavily trafficked as Memorial and DeKalb are, aren't these lanes necessary to keep the congestion in check?
What's the alternative solution?
E Keathley
8:07 am on Friday, October 19, 2012
I live right where a tricky lane merge/lane expansion happens on Dekalb Avenue. Accidents like the one above seem to occur at intersections and merges happen on the reversible lanes. I think the reversible lanes are a good idea on Dekalb, but the way the road is marked should be rethought. The current painted lane markings can be confusing or non-existant. There is no signage or not enough signage along Dekalb to alert unexperienced drivers to merging lanes. Further, intersections aren't always well marked, and the speed limit is treated as a suggestion more than a rule.
Better signage and lane markings would be a great start and likely cut down on some of the accidents, but the overall design of Memorial and Dekalb needs to be rethought as it has become densely populated in the last decade.
Andrew
9:33 am on Friday, October 19, 2012
Totally agree with E Keathley. Given congestion, you need these reversible lanes, but they need to be marked in a more obvious manner. An additional point to the great ones above, that will help clear up confusion, is that the green / red lights need to also be more pronounced / frequent. It's sometimes hard to see these during the day.
This is an easy short term fix that will be relatively inexpensive. Longer term, we can think about longer term, multi-million dollar projects.
Lauren
11:04 am on Friday, October 19, 2012
The traffic lights at intersections do not correspond with the lights that signify which direction the middle lane is currently going in. For example, the intersection of Memorial and Glenwood Connector will have 2 green lights for either direction, even when the middle lane has a red X right after the intersection. So, drivers are always taking the middle lane because they see the green intersection light, not aware that that lane is currently for traffic going the other way.
Tammy
4:14 pm on Friday, October 19, 2012
Those lanes have been around for a long time; however, smart phones have not. People need to put down their phones and work on driving. Do reversible lanes take a little bit more thinking? Yes...but people did it in the 1980's and we can now too.
Space Ship
4:37 pm on Friday, October 19, 2012
Reversible is spelled with an "I", for all aspiring journalists out there.
Péralte Paul
4:47 pm on Friday, October 19, 2012
Thanks, SS.