FOCO Engineering: Upgrade intersection to 4 way stop w/MARKED Protected Pedestrian Cross Walk

Intersections are dangerous when properly marked. The risk of fatalities and other injuries exponentially increases at unmarked and dangerous intersections like this one. With the exploding increase in traffic flow and pedestrian usage, upgrading this intersection is critical to preventing preventing fatalities in Nuckols Road. Other intersections in Forsyth County similar to the Habersham Trce / Nuckols Rd have been upgraded AFTER FATALITIES have occurred.

As a resident of the community for over 12 years myself I have seen the exponential increase of traffic usage (both Residential and Commercial) on Nuckols Road, which runs right through center of our community. Nuckols Rd is a high traffic road that is abused by local car dealers, motorcycle riders, non-residents using it as a bypass road between Buford Dam and Highway 20, and has no ADA Complaint crosswalks for subdivision residents for Habersham At Lanier and Habersham On Lanier. Nuckols Rd is clearly marked an a posted 30 Mile Per Hour Rd, which is very rarely observed by drivers. We have seen and appreciate the significant road improvements that include repaving and a sidewalk that stretches down Nuckols Road from Buford Dam Rd to Highway 20. These road improvements alone have created more traffic because non-residents of Nuckols road communities utilize it as a high speed bypass road. This along with the number of disabled persons, ageing residents, motorcycle riders, increased commercial traffic, car dealer test drives, and overall residential growth have contributed to decreased safety within our community and required immediate resolution before something catastrophic happens.
As a community, we do our diligence to maintain a productive relationship with local car dealerships and often request them to ask their employees to respect the speed limit and be aware of the pedestrian traffic as these drivers roll through our community. At the end of the day, our words and requests only fall on deaf ears.

As more residents move into our community, and most recently with the Covid pandemic, the use of the newly installed sidewalks has blown up! Parents with children, People with Pets, Joggers, Walkers, Handicapped residents, and even our elderly community are more active than ever.

Why is the speed deterrent requests for a 4 way stop, speed break, or at a minimum a MARKED pedestrian cross walk so important? Currently there is no safe ADA Compliant intersection crosswalk that crosses and connects both sides of the community.

§ 40-6-92. Crossing roadway elsewhere than at crosswalk: To cross the road as a pedestrian means jaywalking and moving traffic does not have to yield to pedestrians, creating a safety issue.

§ 40-6-72 - Stop signs and yield signs: Vehicles, including School busses entering the intersection from Habersham Trace must still yield right of way to oncoming traffic coming from a blind curve, even after they entered the intersection.

There is no deterrent to encourage speeders to slow down or stop for our children in school buses. On both side of Habersham Trace there are handicapped children, handicapped adults, elderly and coming soon a person who is permanently bound to a motorized wheel chair. All of whom need access to a safe crossing point that can be enforced by the Forsyth County Sheriffs Office.

Sheriff Freeman and his department are aware of the handicapped children in our community and are continually watching out to protect our most vulnerable residents. They are also aware of the issue of dangerous speeders abusing Nuckols Rd. FCSO officers are limited in their ability to stop speeders because of the minimum distance rule that is required to use a laser to ticket them. The speeders are aware of this and take advantage of this. However, an improved traffic control intersection w/ ADA Compliant crosswalk at Habersham Trce / Nuckols Rd would not only be an excellent and enforceable speed deterrent, it would also drastically increase residential safety, and help FCSO reduce wasted resource time by giving FCSO officers a focused traffic enforcement point.

A speed deterrent, even as minimal as a MARKED (Painted and Sign) Pedestrian crosswalk, drivers are required to slow down and yield (if needed) to pedestrians without swerving around them. Approving and installing any form of speed deterrent like this pedestrian crosswalk will accomplish 3 important things.

1. A 4 way stop with MARKED pedestrian crosswalk will provide a safe crossing point at Nuckols Road between both sides of the Habersham Community for all of the residents (handicapped or non-handicapped) to utilize the wonderful sidewalk some of our SPLOST funds were used for

2. A 4 way stop, with a MARKED pedestrian crosswalk will indirectly create a safe speed barrier, as drivers will be more alert to the presence of pedestrians while recalling that pedestrians have the right of way in a crosswalk. It won't be a harsh physical speed deterrent like a speed bump, but it will be a deterrent that is enforceable and safe to use when pedestrians are present.

3. A 4 way stop with a MARKED pedestrian crosswalk will also assist the Forsyth County Sheriffs office with their mission of keeping our roads safe by creating a focus point during the day when Pedestrians and Vehicle traffic co-mingle in the same spaces, at the same time.

These improvements will increase overall safety for local residents, protect county resources, reduce wasted enforcement resource time, and most importantly increase overall property values.

At the end of the day we all want the same things; safe roads, safety in the community, and reduced the use of wasted resources.

Having this 4 way stop with pedestrian crosswalk will benefit everyone.