Forest Hill Road  

Macon, Ga

Option #1 by Ga DOT's contractor - MAAI

Design below is existing Ga DOT plan by Moreland-Altobelli Associates(website), Inc:

This plan would destroy the neighborhood quality of surrounding areas:

Comment from Andy L. on 3-10-08 -
"Nobody at High Point North Condos wants the new entrance to Northminster Drive, which would bring the road dangerously close to the entrance to High Point North, thus putting Northminster traffic too close to the older folks trying to get out of High Point North. It’s insane to do this and to destroy the whole forested area which is now in private hands and which is one of the watersheds for the whole area.  There have been NO accidents at the present intersection of Northminster and Wimbish in the 13 years I have lived at High Point North."  - Andy L.

Option #2

Option below shows how FHR and Northminster could easily be realigned into a 4-way intersection ( green is new alignment, red is existing Wimbish).  This can most probably be accomplished without damaging the house containing a Law Firm at the current intersection of FHR & Wimbish.

FHR & Wimbish would remain 2 lanes to the north. 
Southbound would be 3 lanes with intermittent planted medians to keep drivers from using the middle lane for illegal passing. . .

Option#3 FHR & Wimbish

    Another option below uses a safer/slower road design at Forest Hill Road, Wimbish, Northminster, Charter Drive (Northside Hospital), and Highland Park Apartments.
 6 Yeild signs  control traffic entering this divided boulevard.
At each end of the boulevard is a 20mph curve that looks something like 1/2 of a Roundabout. 

Above also shows Northside Hospital entrance with a safer exit for traffic wanting to travel north. 
http://www.roundabouts.net/

you will have to imagine -   "half-roundabouts"

Map of location:

Close-up below:

Below shows Roundabout nearing end of construction.
Notice the care to protect shade trees: 

http://trb.org/conferences/2008/Roundabout/Call.pdf
 
TRB is sponsoring the National Roundabout Conference on May 18-21, 2008, in
Kansas City, Missouri.  The conference is designed to provide a forum for
the exchange of technical and administrative information concerning aspects
of roundabouts with the goal to inform a large audience about the science
and application of roundabouts.  A table-top exhibit will be held during
the conference.  The exhibit fee includes one complimentary conference
registration and a listing in the conference final program.  Space is
limited and reservations will be accepted on a first come, first served
basis.  Hotel reservations are now being accepted. Authors wishing to have
papers considered as part of the conference program must submit their
abstracts by June 25, 2007.

Citizens want Roundabouts

50 Neighbors meet on September 20th, 2005 at St Francis Church on Forest Hill Road to discuss a new plan for improving Forest Hill.

They reach a consensus:   

- 95% of Forest Hill Road can remain 2-lanes by using Roundabouts at Ridge, at Wimbish, at Lokchoppee at Old Lundy (<-See Visual Preference Design Concepts) and at Forest Lake Drive - Newport Road.  

1. Roundabouts are markedly safer.

2. They move traffic faster by not holding it up at stop lights, especially when there is no intersecting traffic to justify the delay.

3. They tend to slow traffic between intersections by curving into the roundabout.

4. They are less expensive to maintain than traffic signals.

5. They reduce auto emissions -- Macon is already in trouble with EPA over air quality.

6. In this case the overall cost of the project would be dramatically reduced.

7. Grassy Swales will remain to better handle runoff - water is quicker to leave the roadway, then it is slowed and filtered before entering local streams - from which Bibb County derives its drinking water.

Mr Michael Wallwork, PE. undertook some analyses at Forest Hill Rd and Forsyth Rd.  He discovered a very good level-of-service with a two lane roundabout that only has one lane in each direction for the Forest Hill Road. Although a one lane roundabout with a right turn lane on the east leg is another option.   At Forest Hill and Forsyth only a one lane roundabout is required to provide excellent service.

His reason for the three lane is that the traffic volumes are at the stage where getting in and out of the street becomes difficult and more unsafe. Increasing volumes will exacerbate the situation. By adding a third lane with medians, medias are a must, then left turn becomes safer and easier, trees are added to beautify the street and the median make road crossings by pedestrians much safer, they also fit better with roundabouts.

The FHWA project engineer in Atlanta should understand how roundabouts would save lives, and reduce right-of-way, construction costs and maintenance costs and how these cost reductions will pay for the minor redesign many times over. FHWA can consider the use of roundabouts with the addition of landscaped medians within the center turn lane.

Here is text RTF or DOC of letter to Bibb Commission Chairman, Charles Bishop.  It describes the advantages of changing the Forest Hill Road design.  It details how to save Money and Time, Who to contact, What to say to accomplish the change.

 contact:

Michael Wallwork   Alternate Street Design, P.A. (904) 269-1851  www.roundabouts.net

 Forest Hill Road  and  a Great Blue Heron

A  Great Blue Heron

   Posted on Sat, Jan. 28, 2006 page 5B
http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/local/13732449.htm
CAUTION Macon hosts roundabouts expert
CAUTION Macon is hosting a one-hour meeting Tuesday to educate the public about roundabouts and to try to convince city and county officials that Macon and Bibb County need to start building them instead of stoplights and intersections.

"Our meeting is educational," said Lindsay Holliday, who is involved with the organization. "We want to cure the misapprehension of the public. The public is misinformed and has a misapprehension about roundabouts because they've seen all the old ones that are designed wrong."

To provide more information about the safety and usefulness of roundabouts, CAUTION Macon has invited Michael Wallwork, who has designed roundabouts in locations around the world.

"My objective is to help communities develop safer, more efficient and more attractive roads that better suit their current needs," Wallwork stated on his Web site. "To make streets and highways safer, we need medians, roundabouts, traffic calming and new people-friendly road designs."

Holliday said he hopes Wallwork's presentation of slides and video will help the public overcome its fear of stereotypes and encourage public officials to change the way they think about constructing local roads.
- Keich Whicker

- CAUTION Macon -