Not to really focus solely on Fairburn- they are merely demonstrating the same lack of common sense and intelligence that most communities in metro-Atlanta demonstrate. Yes, Fairburn is holding the cards that control the access of all the citizens of PTC to I-85. And if the past is any indication, they will continue to royally foul that up. Anything green in Fairburn is either cut down or paved over for some tacky, redundant, low-class business or housing project which will invariably tax and over-burdened traffic system. I would honestly be shocked if the IQ factors of anyone in Fairburn's government who is responsible for permitting this overdevelopment is actually triple-figures.

MDawg: That's what I elect the Greg Dunns and Harold Logsdons of the world to do. Yes, part of the problem is in Fulton but this is an issue affecting the continued viability of PTC and west Fayette as a bedroom community. But you're right, this is Georgia, land of -- count 'em -- 159 counties, none of which give a fig about how their development affects the big picture. So it's probably a lost battle. Eventually the state will have to pay many many millions to overhaul that interchange or even build an alternative at the next overpass up the road.

Squirrel: If memory serves, believe it or not the city planner in Fairburn is a guy who used to be the city manager of PTC. Maybe the helter skelter development on the south side of the interchange is his idea of revenge.

Yes, the City Manager of Fairburn is Jim Williams who was the head of Development Dept. in good old PTC. He was run off by Steve Brown because he wouldn't take direction from a teenager. Now he is in control of our ingress and egress - at least for commuters. Sure he's being vindictive. Thank Steve Brown for that.
meow

Finally someone speaks up and has a similar approach on how traffic can easily and effectively be managed!

I have never for the life of me understood why nobody even thinks of timing the red lights on all major highways in order to manage traffic flow here in GA. You would basically get one or two red light at the most, then once you drive the speed limit you will have green lights all the way.

This would work for Hwy 19/41, Hwy 85 and Hwy 74 PERFECTLY! Just imagine what it would do for everybody's commute on the South side.

Not sure I see how timed lights would work on 74, where there are miles between lights and you've got a wide range of speeds by different types of vehicles/drivers.

With traffic moving in opposite directions, how does traffic light timing work? Perhaps it can be optimized for traffic moving in one direction, but then folks moving in the opposite direction may have a strange experience, especially when traffic lights are close to one another. Is it possible someone is having unrealistic expectations here? Just wondering.

There is actually a real science to it. You can manage traffic flow, reduce polution and stress for the drivers, save gas and vehicle consumables and reduce accidents by the use of some sophisticated traffic management software! That's what's called the 21st century.

It's been done in many places all over the world with dense population and it works! And yes, it does work with heavy traffic flowing in two, even four directions! It does involve a lot of time, effort and money, but it can be done.

Of course I have to point out that it would also require people driving the same speed (god forbid obeying the speed limit). I have even seen places where the speed limit adepts to traffic flow and red light timing (ie during rush hour you have to drive 40mph to get green lights all the way, during non-rush hours you may get to drive 55mph).

For the life of me I do not understand why the DOT here in GA refuses to look into such solutions.

I often wonder who you can call to complain about all these poorly timed traffic lights.

Btw, I don't think this has anything to do with Southerners vs Northernes, but rather with uneducated and ignorant government employees who hate change and modern technology.

Here's the real deal. Traffic lights can be timed to make traffic flow smoothly - as they are in the Yankee North OR they can be timed to keep traffic slow (meaning stopped at every light).

The ignorant southern approach to this problem is obviously #2 - keep them stopped as much as possible and somehow this will reduce accidents. And who cares if you get to work on time - they (the police) will have fewer accidents and less work.

Talk to your public officials - see if they will address this issue. See if anyone admits to being involved in the so-called "solution".

You yankees are always in a hurry. Sometimes we do things just to piss you off. I guess it's our ignorance..., no it must be your arrogance which earns you our "southern hospitality". Do you know the difference between a yankee and a damned yankee? A yankee comes to visit; a damned yankee comes here to live.

Last I looked this was one country. Not you and us.

Don't like me living where I please in my home country? Then leave. Because I am not.

Lights not time correctly are stupid no matter what part of the country one lives in.

Yeeesh! Untimed and incorrectly timed lights are not good on brakes or gas mileage. And sure are not good for traffic flow at any speed.

Yeeesh!! You are correct, this is one country. But I think you will agree when one part of the country believes another part of the country is "ignorant" ("ignorant southern approach") can only divide a country. The arrogance of many northerners concerning the south is quite evident.

I agree there is arrogance.

What YOU are not seeing is that there are many Southerners upon moving North, West, etc. do the same thing.

I don't do that. If I see something that can be improved ANYWHERE I live it is because there is a better way. Not because it is the way it was done where I grew up.

Another thing you are missing is there is are more regions to the country than north versus south.

Mid Westerners are not Easterners. New Englanders are not Westerners. West Coast folk are not Eastern folk.

The South versus North is a historical argument to the rest of the country that just leaves them scratching their heads. It only plays to some of those born in the south. Very meaningless elsewhere because outside the South is not "Northerners" to the rest of the country.

I am a Mid Westerner. A Hoosier.

But more importantly I am an American.

This area is floundering seriously. There are enough serious bloggers out here to make it worthwhile but there is something wrong in its organization. Ask for suggestions in an editorial and then redo it, please.

You all get so easily distracted from the main point because of that Yankee word. If you will recall, the perfect traffic flow device was proposed for Peachtree Parkway - a traffic circle - but it was shot down by a few opponents who influenced the rookies on city council. Some things never change in good old Peachtree City where 3 phone calls or letters can change votes and scrap hundreds of hours of staff work, but I digress.

I must point out the first traffic circles came from Europe and yes the northern U.S. had many more of them much before other parts of the country, but that was because of population density and a genuine desire to move traffic quickly (which back then was probably 10 miles per hour).

Traffic circles keep traffic moving smoothly, especially where there are commuter-type traffic patterns with the direction of flow changing at different times of day. Obviously properly timed traffic lights do too, but as one of you said the city can time them for the sole purpose of slowing traffic and that is real stupid.

Always appreciate your comments, but wasn't this posting about Hwy 74? I really don't see how roundabouts would even possibly work on that busy highway!

Regarding Peachtree Pkwy and the High School: Put in a red light and forget about a itsy-bitsy roundabout!

There were NO supporters for the roundabout presented at that meeting. I was there.

I lived in part of Europe for over a year. And in the DC area longer. Both had roundabouts.

Others at the meeting also lived in areas with roundabouts.

The proposed roundabout was a joke. It was way too small.

Roundabouts do not keep traffic moving smoothly when traffic is heavy. You DO stop and wait for an opening. Often you have to grab a small one or you do not get on.

Been there, done that. As others who spoke stated as well.

And there is the golf cart path issue. That is another stop.

In DC on the heavier roundabouts there were stop signs at every entry point because traffic was too heavy to just flow in.

A 60' exterior diameter roundabout is tiny.

For a roundabout to work there at all, it would have to be almost double that diameter minimum. There would still be traffic stopping, especially when school lets out and the bulk of the traffic would be going 3/4 around the circle, thus blocking off the second bulk of the traffic immediately to the right of the school traffic entering the roundabout.

Now throw in the golf carts. How do they get across with no stop signs or lights to give them right of way?

No. The sending them back to the drawing boards was the appropriate thing to do.

That is a messy intersection for a few hours each day. The rest of the day the stop signs are more than sufficient.

Either leave the stop signs and put traffic control officers there at peak times or install lights.

Think about it. We have a segment of our population that struggles with judgment calls using turn lanes, stop signs and even lights. They would just freeze at a roundabout or end up pulling out in front of someone.