DeKalb County

Drivers say ‘mini roundabouts’ in DeKalb neighborhood are too tight to be safe

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A couple of roundabouts on a popular rush-hour cut-through in Druid Hills are whipping up confusion among drivers.

Dekalb County officials call them “mini roundabouts,” but neighbors say they’re too tight a squeeze to work safely and effectively.

“It’s still so narrow, it’s very hard. There isn’t enough lane space for large vehicles to really make it around a roundabout,” Muffie Michaelson, who lives nearby, told Channel 2′s Bryan Mims.

The two roundabouts are located along North Decatur Road at Oakdale Road and Springdale Road, not far from Emory University.

“No, they don’t work,” said Bibby Poropatich, who was walking her dog near one of the roundabouts. “They’re just confusing everybody. Nobody knows what to do. Slow down? Stop? Yield?”

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DeKalb County Government sent a written statement, saying the “mini-roundabouts are intended to reduce travel speeds and crashes on North Decatur Road at the Springdale Road and Oakdale Road intersections.”

The statement cited a 2017 study that reported 26 crashes at the two intersections that year. Ten of them involved injuries.

“These islands will have a vertical rise that will encourage vehicles to maneuver around the roundabout,” the statement said. “Final roadway striping will further clarify driver and pedestrian paths at the mini-roundabouts.”

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Quinn Hudson, a spokesperson for the county, said large vehicles such as trucks and buses will be allowed to travel straight through the roundabouts, as long as they slow down. He said work on the mini roundabouts will be complete in June. Until then, drivers are supposed to treat them as traditional intersections, though the occasional driver does try to navigate the circle.

“I think it’s going to work and I think it’s going to be a great idea to keep traffic moving,” said Sally Densmore, another neighbor. “I’m happy about it, but there’s some tweaks they’ve got to work out.”

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