JONESBORO, Ga. — Meia Ballinger says that a stretch of busy Tara Boulevard which runs through Jonesboro to her is absolutely terrifying.
“Out of control individuals are aggressively driving,” Ballinger said. “I see individuals in wheelchairs on the side of the road because there are no sidewalks.”
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Records from the Georgia Department of Transportation show traffic studies dating back to at least 2016. And during that stretch of time, both the state and Clayton County have documented improvements including extending sidewalks in many places and the installation of more crosswalks.
Despite those improvements, Ballinger and those who gathered Friday night to memorialize those who have been killed on Tara Boulevard. She told Channel 2’s Courtney Francisco that more needs to be done.
“It’s not enough, I’m not satisfied,” Ballinger said. “We need sidewalks, we need to increase police presence with the speeding.”
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A group of people who live near the heavily traveled highway gathered along with Ballinger to back her up and to memorialize those who were killed.
“We don’t need to lose anymore lives here,” said Mason X.
The neighbors banded together and recalled the names of those who died in crashes including Clayton County Police Officer Armondo Mendoza and 7-year old Kemoriona Williams who was hit and killed while trying to cross the road.
The group got the attention of Clayton County Police who had an officer stop and protect the group from traffic while they gathered.
One of the neighbors who joined the group told Francisco that seeing others come together gives her some hope that the busy road home might get just a little safer.
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Clayton County does have several major road improvement projects already underway.
That includes a widening project at the Battle Creek Road and Mt. Zion Boulevard, the Jonesboro Road widening project from west of Tara Blvd. to I-75 in Henry County and a resurfacing project across several roads including Clark Howell Highway and East Fayetteville Road.
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