Sandy Springs leaders aim to slow down speeders

NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Sandy Springs leaders want to make it easier for neighborhoods to slow down speeders.

Several years ago, the city set aside money to help neighborhoods install “traffic calming” devices, such as speed bumps, round-a-bouts and radar signs.  But Mayor Eva Galambos said the criteria to collect those funds is so strict, many applicants didn’t qualify.  A neighborhood is required to match the funds it receives from the city.

“Staff has asked us to open the door a little bit,” Galambos told Channel 2’s Mike Petchenik.  “Speeding seems to be such a huge concern of the neighborhood associations that we felt we had to address it.”

Galambos said current policy requires at least 90 percent of all homeowners in a neighborhood to approve the measure.  A proposal on the table would reduce that to 75.

“The rules about how many cars were using that particular road required quite a bit of traffic,” she said. “That’s being taken out.”

Reed Haggard, president of the Riverside Homeowner’s Association, told Petchenik he’s glad the city is addressing the issue.

“I think it’s the city responding to what the people want,” he said.

Haggard said his neighborhood has experienced problems with people speeding on cut-through streets.

“Cars are going fast enough that if a random ball went into the street and somebody had to go retrieve it, a car couldn’t stop,” he said.

Riverside does have some speed bumps and a round-a-bout, but Haggard said some of the streets haven’t qualified for more measures because of the restrictive policy.  He’s hopeful loosening the regulations will make it safer.

“It’s supposed to be a place where you can walk your dog, you can run, you can feel safe going through your streets,” he said.

Sandy Springs City Council will vote on the measure in two weeks.

WSBTV