Description

As a resident of Brentwood, this walk- and bike-friendly neighborhood feel isolated by the horrible walk- and bike-hostile throughfares of Atlantic Ave. and Capital Blvd. There doesn't seem to be any safe way to get over or under I-440.

On Atlantic, there is a partial sidewalk that ends just before the overpass and both north and south bound lanes extend to completely occupy the entirety of the roadway. To make matters worse, any areas on the side of the road which might be passable are unaccessible due to the guard rails. As this overpass is at the top of a hill, any bike rider is completely hidden from view to approaching traffic. Cars are moving at 45mph if they’re adhering to the speed limit (and they are often not travelling much faster than this. To be someone on a bike trying to cut through here to get to the Greenway is terrifying and unsafe.

Anyone who has ever driven on Capital can see why it would be unsafe for bike riders. The number of pedestrians hit by cars near the Capital and Highwoods intersection speaks to the danger of trying to walk along this road due to the volume, speed, and horrible driving.

With plans for a park in between the north and southbound lanes of Capital near Crabtree Blvd, I think a pedestrian/cycling bridge, tunnel, or some way to safely travel Capital Blvd is needed. At the very least, a safe bike lane along Atlantic or perhaps between Atlantic and the railroad tracks seems overdue.