ACC Commissioners to Vote on Oglethorpe/Hawthorne Fixes

Athens-Clarke County Commissioners are set to vote tonight on safety improvements to the intersection of Hawthorne and Oglethorpe Avenues. That intersection was ranked as most in need of safety improvements by an ACC intersection improvement study.
 
  “The Hawthorne-Oglethorpe Intersection was the intersection most in need of safety improvements. We’ve had quite a few accidents and traffic crashes and pedestrian crashes also over the last few years," said District 5 Commissioner Tim Denson, whose district includes part of the area around the intersection.
 
In addition to improvements to traffic lights, and lane restriping suggested by staff, Denson and District 3 Commissioner Melissa Link will be advocating for pedestrian-friendly fixes through a Commission-Defined Option.
 
“Commissioner Link and I also saw this as an opportunity to increase the pedestrian access along Hawthorne Avenue and into Bishop Park,” Denson said. “What we’re talking about doing is connecting the sidewalks that are already there on both sides of Hawthorne Avenue to a pedestrian path in Bishop Park. This is also going to help people who are, say, getting to the park or things near the park via the bus.”
 
The commission meets tonight at City Hall at 6:00 PM. Also on the agenda is a special use amendment for a proposed mosque on Tallassee Road, as well as other business. Citizens who attend the meeting can get a free parking deck voucher.