Southern Roadgeek

Southern Roadgeek on Facebook

2011-11-17T00:26:00.000-05:00

The Southern Roadgeek is on Facebook, at facebook.com/southernroadgeek. Check out this page; there's a wealth of roadgeek information.

Emerson-Cartersville bypass open

2011-02-09T08:05:00.002-05:00

The Emerson-Cartersville bypass is open to traffic.

Review this link:

http://www.dot.state.ga.us/informationcenter/pressroom/Documents/Releases/2010/d6-12-1-10b.pdf

Georgia AAU Boys' Basketball

2011-01-23T10:21:00.001-05:00

Please check out Georgia AAU Boys' Basketball on Facebook.

New Alabama/Mississippi Gulf Coast Road Videos Preview [HD]

2010-11-27T12:29:00.001-05:00

South Georgia Road Videos Preview [HD]

2010-11-26T20:51:00.004-05:00

West Fayetteville Parkway - Phase I

2010-10-31T21:04:00.004-04:00

The West Fayetteville Parkway project is intended to provide a western bypass of the city of Fayetteville, Georgia, starting at Harp Road near Georgia State Route 85 and ending at Westbridge Road's intersection with Georgia State Route 92, just east of the Fayette-Fulton county line. This road is tinged with controversy: many residents didn't want it and felt that it was forced upon them by the Fayette County Commission; a Peachtree City woman died trying to drive through the Veterans Parkway/Lester Road-Georgia State Route 54 intersection, during construction; and many homes and wetlands were destroyed/will be destroyed to build this roadway.

West Fayetteville Parkway - Phase I (Video) [HD]

West Fayetteville Parkway - Phase I (Description)

West Fayetteville Parkway - Phase II (Description)

Brightstar Road Connector - Douglasville, Ga.

2010-10-29T01:34:00.000-04:00

The Brightstar Road Connector, which connects Rose Avenue (at S.R. 5/Bill Arp Road) and Brightstar Road, was built by the City of Douglasville, at a cost of $2.6 million. The end of the connector enters unincorporated Douglas County, which is under the jurisdiction of the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. The County (Board of Commissioners) wanted the City to install a traffic signal at Brightstar Road and Brightstar Road Connector. The City would've gone through with it, if the County would've gone 50/50; the County declined. So, Douglasville refused to do it; the County shut the road down. Douglasville then shifted traffic into their city limits, to have the road open for commuters.

Click link below to view a video of the road in its current condition.

Brightstar Road Connector [HD]

Upcoming Roadtrips

2010-10-10T19:30:00.005-04:00

This post will concern three roadtrips that I want to get under my belt within the next year: Atlanta to Huntsville; Atlanta to Savannah; and Atlanta to Albany.

Huntsville roadtrip (Click link for map):

This roadtrip's been accomplished!!
The routing that I wish to take will be as follows: I'll take S.R. 6 West from I-285, which is three miles west of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, in East Point. S.R. 6 West picks up U.S. 278 West in the former city of Lithia Springs, in Douglas County. I'll continue on U.S. 278 through western Georgia and into Gadsden, where I'll jump on Alabama State Route 291 South to Alabama 759 West, which becomes I-759 West. I'll then follow I-759 West to I-59 North to exit 183 (U.S. 278/431). I'll continue to follow 431 North into Huntsville. While in Hunstville, I want to film Memorial Pkwy. (U.S. 231/431), Alabama 255 (Research Park Blvd.), Martin Luther King Jr. Hwy., Bob Wade Lane and I-565/U.S. 72 Alternate, as well as U.S. 72 East up into Tennessee.

Savannah roadtrip (Click link for map):

I want to film all of the Savannah area freeways: Veterans Parkway, Harry Truman Parkway, I-516, U.S. 17/S.R. 404 Spur, and I-16. Also, I'd like to do several street tours: U.S. 80 East/S.R. 22 East from near Thunderbolt to Tybee Island; U.S. 80/S.R. 22 in downtown Savannah to east of downtown; Abercorn Expressway/Street from I-95 to downtown Savannah.

Albany roadtrip (Click link for map):

Lastly, I want to film unbuilt I-175/S.R. 300 from I-75 in Cordele to Albany.~~; do an Albany street tour; and film the Liberty Expressway, portions of which are U.S. 19/82/S.R. 3/300/520.~~ I got turned around, so I didn't get a chance to film S.R. 300 while in the Albany area, but I will go back one of these days and do it. :-D

U.S. 411 Connector/Emerson-Cartersville Bypass

2010-10-10T11:58:00.004-04:00

Hello, good people. It's Bryant, your friendly neighborhood southern roadgeek-man, again. :-D

Alright, now to the topics at hand: the U.S. 411 Connector and the Emerson-Cartersville bypass. Emerson and Cartersville are both in Bartow County, which is 32 miles or so north of downtown Atlanta. Emerson is in close proximity to Red Top Mountain State Park and Allatoona Lake. U.S. 411/S.R. 20 provide access to Rome and Gadsden through the northern Cartersville city limits. The stretch of S.R. 20 from I-75 to its multiplex with U.S. 41 and U.S. 411 is a very congested point, due many travelers utilizing the U.S. 411/S.R. 20 expressway to reach Rome and Gadsden. There have been talks of building a freeway from I-75 to the current Rome expressway on the northwestside of Cartersville, but that's still on paper, as of now.

Currently, GDOT is building the Emerson-Cartersville bypass, which will become apart of State Route 113. The bypass will utilize Red Top Mountain and Old Alabama roads, along with a new connector, currently under construction.

Current route to Rome from I-75
(courtesy of maps.google.com)

U.S. 411 Connector detail (connectivity improvements)
(courtesy of GDOT, by way of GRG)

Chat About Emerson-Cartersville Bypass
(courtesy of city-data.com)

Red Top Mountain/Old Alabama Roads (current routing)
(courtesy of maps.google.com)

Twitter

2010-10-10T09:27:00.001-04:00

Hey, y'all. It's me, Bryant, again.

I wasn't a big proponent of Twitter, at first, as I felt that it was pointless. The reason that I felt that way was because I was like, "Why would anyone want an update of frivolous stuff going on in my life?" So, just for the heck of it, I joined; it isn't as bad as I thought that it would be. Since I joined it yesterday, I have 41+ tweets. I wanted "Southern Roadgeek" as my handle, but it wouldn't fit, so I went with "SoRoadgeek."

Check me out on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/SoRoadgeek/.

Emory Village Roundabout

2010-10-06T13:31:00.004-04:00

Hey, y'all. It's me, Bryant, again.

The Emory Village, which is centered around Emory Univeristy just northeast of the Atlanta city limits, is getting another roundabout. There's currently a mini-roundabout, if you will, at the intersection of North Decatur Road and Lullwater Road. The intersection that's getting the roundabout -- North Decatur Road, Oxford Road and Dowman Drive (Emory University's entrance) -- is a five-leg intersection, with each direction on its own separate signal phase. There are also plans to give North Decatur Road a road diet, making North Decatur one lane each direction for through traffic, with a double left turn-only lane, to facilitate left turning traffic.

Just a few things to remember when driving through a roundabout: traffic inside of the circle has right-of-way; pedestrians in the crosswalks do as well. If there's no conflicting traffic, do no stop; keep moving. Additionally, in multi-lane roundabouts, choose your lane position early; do not change lanes inside of a roundabout. Lastly, slow down and pay attention to what's going around you. I know. I know. It's hard with trying to text, talk on a cell phone, read the paper, put on make-up, etc. while driving, but try not to to do these things. :-D

Emory Village New Roundabout
(courtesy of myfoxatlanta.com)

More on Emory Village New Roundabout
(courtesy of emory.edu)

Video on How to Drive Roundabout
(courtesy of YouTube user MORPCSafety)

Videos Near Georgia 400

2010-09-25T14:07:00.012-04:00

Since Georgia 400's a hot topic in the Atlanta news today, here's a few videos that take place near the highway. Click the links below, to see videos on the Perimeter Center Business District and Dawsonville, hometown of Bill Elliott.

Perimeter Center [HD]

Video Description: This video follows Abernathy Road/Perimeter Center (West & East) through the Perimeter Center Business District, which is a major Metro Atlanta edge city, centered around Perimeter Mall. The district is in two of Metro Atlanta's newest cities: Sandy Springs (incorporated December 2005) and Dunwoody (incorporated December 1, 2008)

Dawsonville, Georgia [HD]

Video Description: This is a real-time video of the small, north Georgia mountain city of Dawsonville (population 619). NASCAR racer Bill Elliott grew up near here, and Bill Goldberg (of WCW/WWE) once lived there, as well.

Photo courtesy of aaroads.com.

Georgia 400 toll extension

2010-09-24T17:00:00.001-04:00

Hey y'all,

I know that I haven't posted in awhile, but here I am, back again. Today, GSRTA (Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority) voted to extend the tolls on Georgia's only toll road -- State Route 400, which connects the Buckhead community as well as north Fulton County with the north Georgia mountains. Planning for the portion of Georgia 400 between I-285 and its terminus at S.R. 60 (Dahlonega) began in 1954, and was dedicated in 1971. The southern extension between I-85 and I-285 was opened in 1993, with a toll of $0.50 for 2-axle vehicles.

We, as the Georgia taxpayers, were promised that the tolls would be removed from this road when the bonds were paid off, which would've been next summer (2011); however, the tolls will be extended to 2020. When the bonds are paid off next year, SRTA will have over $40 million dollars in their reserves, which could/should go toward building the missing link at the Ga. 400/I-85 interchange. There's no direct connection from I-85 South to Georgia 400 North; nor is there a direct connection from Georgia 400 South to I-85 North. Motorists have to navigate a confusing/congested route: Sidney Marcus Boulevard, Cheshire Bridge/Lenox roads and Buford Highway. Here's a diagram of the preliminary plans on how the interchange could look (CLICK HERE). Also, there's the cost of tearing down the toll plaza, if the tolls were ever gotten rid of. Also, the Ga. 400/I-285 interchange is antiquated and is one of the most dangerous interchanges in the state. Traffic from I-285 East to Georgia 400 North has to merge left to right... with a very short taper (CLICK HERE).

In short, I'm disappointed that our elected officials didn't keep their promise to remove the tolls from 400 when the bonds are to be paid off next year; however, if they utilize all of the monies in their (SRTA's) reserves and those collected until/into 2020 to build that missing link, knock down the toll plaza and revamp the Ga. 400/I-285 interchange, I'm supportive of this decision.

Georgia 400 Tolls Extended Until 2020
(Courtesy of ajc.com)

Interstate 69 (Mississippi)

2010-04-19T12:17:00.003-04:00

Hey, y'all, this is Bryant again. This post concerns the NAFTA Superhighway: Interstate 69. I-69 will connect Port Huron, Michigan and Point Edward, Ontario with the Texas-Mexican border. Currently, I-69's only contiguous portion is between Port Huron and Indianapolis, Indiana.

Recently, I went on vacation to Harrah*s Tunica, located in Tunica Resorts (formerly Robinsonville), Mississippi. Mississippi's portion of I-69 divergs from I-55 at exit 283 (S.R. 304 West - Tunica) in Hernando, the county seat of DeSoto County. I-69 follows S.R. 304 West for about ten miles until it merges on S.R. 713 South for about five miles, roughly.

The first two videos were filmed 4 July 2009, while the last video was filmed 11 April 2010.

I-69 South/S.R. 304 West

I-69 North/S.R. 304 East

I-69 South/S.R. 713 South [HD]

Corridor X West

2010-04-15T09:44:00.007-04:00

Hey, y'all, it's me again. This post is concerning Future I-22/U.S. 78/Corridor X. Corridor X follows the Future I-22 Corridor from its unfinished end at I-65 in Fultondale, Alabama to Fulton, Missisissippi. Future I-22 will provide Memphis, Tennessee and its suburbs with high-speed access to Atlanta via I-20 in Birmingham.

Corridor X West [HD] (video)

Future I-22/U.S. 78/Corridor X description (AARoads)

Roadtrip -- Metro Atlanta to Tunica

2010-04-14T09:27:00.002-04:00

Hey y'all,

It's me again. Just got back from Tunica, Mississippi yesterday. While driving out there, I recorded footage for about five videos: U.S. 78 between I-20 and Future I-22; Corridor X West between Bankhead Highway and S.R. 118/Carbon Hill; Corridor X East between Bankhead Highway and Jefferson C.R. 77/Coalburg Road; S.R. 302/Goodman Rd. (between Future I-22/U.S. 78 and I-55); and I-69/S.R. 713 between S.R. 304 and Harrah*s Casino and Hotel. It was an interesting trip, to say the least.

U.S. 78 between I-20 and Future I-22 (VIDEO)
(Jefferson County, Alabama)

Red Light Cameras Gone in the City of Atlanta?

2010-03-17T12:44:00.000-04:00

The City of Atlanta's been operating the red light cameras at the intersection of Boulevard NE and Freedom Parkway NE/S.R. 10 and Monroe Drive NE and Piedmont Road NE without a permit since January of this year; therefore, they have to turn all monies made this year over to the State of Georgia, and must also turn off the cameras at these intersections. The only other intersections that have red light cameras in Atlanta proper are Spring Street NW and North Avenue NW/U.S. 29/78/278/S.R. 8 and Cleveland Avenue SW and Metropolitan Parkway SW/U.S. 19/41/S.R. 3, and the City can continue operating the cameras at these intersections.

Those motorists who received tickets at the intersections operating without a permit from the State may get their money refunded.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

2010-03-17T11:16:00.002-04:00

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

Future Interstate 22

2010-03-15T17:05:00.003-04:00

Hey, everyone. It's me, Bryant5493, again.

This blogpost will give a brief detail of the Memphis-Birmingham-Atlanta freeway, which is Future Interstate 22/U.S. 78.

Future Interstate 22, which is Corridor X from its eastern/unfinished end at I-65 in Birmingham, Alabama to exit 108 east of Fulton, Mississippi, will connect Atlanta and points east via Birmingham directly with the University of Mississippi ("Ole Miss") and Memphis, Tennessee. Future I-22 merges with Corridor V at exit 108 and the routes are co-signed from that point to exit 86 (U.S. 45 - Tupelo/Corinth).

Currently, travelers have to travel down a combination of at-grade, expressway and freeway connections to get to the current thru traffic route, which is east of Jasper, Alabama. Future I-22's eastern end used to be at Industrial Parkway Road in Jasper. It has been extended eastward to exit 93 (Jefferson County Road 77 - Coalburg), which is two miles west of I-65. The stack interchange between I-65 and Future I-22, which will have an access ramp for U.S. 31, is slated to be completed in 2012.

The Future I-22 designation will be dropped when the entire freeway's upgraded to Interstate standards, in both Alabama and Mississippi. Future I-22's western terminus will be, most likely, at one of the Memphis-area Interstates.

Lastly, I've plans of driving Future I-22/U.S. 78 in April or May of this year, to film it.

Fulton County to be split in two?

2010-03-04T22:23:00.003-05:00

There have been talks of splitting up Fulton County, which is the most populous county in the State of Georgia, at 1,020,104 residents. The county is made up of fourteen municipalities: Alpharetta, Atlanta, Chattahoochee Hills (formerly Chattahoochee Hill Country), College Park, East Point, Fairburn, Hapeville, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park, Palmetto, Roswell, Sandy Springs and Union City. There is also a large unincorporated area known as "Unincorporated South Fulton," which is large enough to be a city in its own right; however, the residents of this community, of whom I am one, voted down the resolution to become a city. The reason being is that resolution wasn't thought out well and I didn't like the name of the potential city, which would've been just "South Fulton."

Now, North Fulton residents and government leaders are trying to recreate Milton County, which joined Fulton in 1931 - 32, along with Campbell County to save money. Roswell joined Fulton, ceding from Cobb, to make Fulton County a contiguous entity. This annexation gave Fulton a very irregular shape -- the county is 70 miles, "nose to tail." The two communities, North Fulton and South Fulton, are very, very different: North Fulton is very wealthy and mostly white; South Fulton is a low-income community that has gone through hard times and is mostly black. Because of this, many have accused the North Fulton residents of racism.

I don't think it's necessarily racism, but there are some racial over and undertones. I personally don't mind North Fulton splitting off from the rest of the county. I just don't like the fact that Atlanta and Fulton County's governments could merge, becoming Atlanta-Fulton County. This would mean every unincorporated area in the county would become apart of the City of Atlanta. The other cities in the county would still be independent, unless they de-incorporated and Atlanta annexed them. The City of Atlanta doesn't function well and neither does Fulton County; so this would be a big quagmire, to say the least.

This development will be very, very interesting to watch, whichever way it goes.

Fulton County to be Split Up

Milton County Debate Heats Up (WSB-TV)

D'Iberville, Mississippi

2010-02-28T12:17:00.001-05:00

Hey, everyone, this is Bryant again. I'm writing this blog post from the Imperial Palace, in Biloxi (MS). Yesterday, I filmed a brief road tour of D'Iberville, which is located just across the Back Bay of Biloxi. D'Iberville was incorporated in 1988, some three hundred years after Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville arrived in the area in 1699. There is a lot of development in D'Iberville, especially near the I-10/110 interchange. Recently, a Best Buy and Target opened up at the intersection of S.R. 15/67 and Bobby Eleuterius Boulevard, just north of the I-10/110 interchange. The I-10/110 interchange is a huge bottleneck, due to there being a traffic light at the northern end of I-110/Old S.R. 15 and the beginning of S.R. 15/67. Plans are to modify this intersection into an interchange.

I-10/110 Study (D'Iberville, MS)

D'Iberville, MS [HD] (Video)

Sugarloaf Parkway Extension

2010-02-15T17:21:00.005-05:00

The Sugarloaf Parkway extension will improve cross-county connectivity in Gwinnett County, Georgia. Previously, Sugarloaf Parkway extended from Peachtree Industrial Boulevard NW in western Gwinnett, north of Duluth, to S.R. 20/Grayson Highway SW south of Lawrenceville. Now, the parkway has been extended to New Hope Road SE, which has added about two miles to the road's length. The master plan is to extend Sugarloaf Parkway four additional miles to intersect University Parkway/S.R. 316, which is one of the major routes used in accessing the University of Georgia and Athens-Clarke County.

The parkway west of S.R. 20 is an at-grade, traffic light-ridden divided facility. The eastern portion will be six miles of limited-access roadway, once completed.

Sugarloaf Parkway Extension (video)

Sugarloaf Parkway Extension (project page)

Left Lane-blocking Could be Costly

2010-02-04T12:35:00.001-05:00

Recently, a Georgia legislator has come up with HB 1047, which would fine slow-driving lane left lane hogs up to $75 for this asinine driving habit. When I heard about this, all I could say was, "Yes!" The reason being is that it's annoying. It doesn't matter what the speed limit is -- the left lane is to be used for active passing. When you're finished passing, get out of the way, plain and simple.

Slow Drivers in the Left Lane Could be Fined
(Times-Herald.com)

Jefferson County, Alabama

2010-01-18T21:06:00.008-05:00

Hey, y'all... this is Bryant again, with another blog post.

The video in this blog is of I-20/59 through Jefferson County, Alabama. The county seat of Jefferson County is Birmingham, which is the largest city in the State of Alabama, in terms of population, with a population of 229,800. Jefferson County is the most densely populated county in the state, boasting a population of 662,047.

Interstate 20 and 59 come together in eastern Birmingham, just west of Irondale. This interchange and the interchange of I-20/59 with I-65 are some of the most dangerous that I've driven through. It's good that I-459 was built, to cut down through traffic from having to utilize I-20/59 through Downtown Birmingham.

Jefferson County, Alabama [HD] (road video)

Jefferson County's official website

Birmingham's official website

Interstate 520

2010-01-08T11:18:00.005-05:00

Hey y'all,

This is Bryant again, with another post and road video.

Interstate 520, known as the "Bobby Jones Expressway" in Augusta and the "Palmetto Parkway" in North Augusta, has been completed from exit 17 (U.S. 1/78/278) in North Augusta to its "parent" (I-20), just east of the Aiken-Richmond county line. With I-520 being completed, this gives thru traffic an alternative to I-20 through Augusta.

Additionally, I-520's America's only odd-numbered Interstate to end and begin at its "parent" route. Odd Interstate spur routes usually go off and don't come back into contact with their "parents." Example: I-85 and I-985 north of Atlanta. Even Interstates are usually loops/bypasses. Example: I-75 and I-475 near Macon, Georgia.

Interstate 520 (road video)

Palmetto Parkway (news video)

The Georgia Road Geek (I-520)

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T13:08:00.003-05:00

Have a happy and safe New Year! Please don't drink and drive.

North Georgia Mountains

2009-12-31T11:28:00.007-05:00

Hey y'all.

This is Bryant again, with a video from the scenic North Georgia Mountains. The North Georgia Mountain region is located in northeast Georgia and is apart of the Blue Ridge Mountains, which extend up into southern Pennsylvania. The counties in northeast Georgia are Banks, Dawson, Elbert, Fannin, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Lumpkin, Pickens, Rabun, Stephens, Union, Towns and White.

This video follows U.S. 23/441 through the North Georgia Mountains, starting in Baldwin, showing the S.R. 384 West/Duncan Bridge Road intersection (Helen/Unicoi State Park/Downtown Baldwin), the S.R. 15 Connector/To U.S. 441 South interchange (Habersham County Airport/Downtown Baldwin/Cornelia/Commerce/Athens) and the U.S. 441 Business/S.R. 105/385 North interchange (Cornelia/Demorest/Clarkesville).

The second clip shows the U.S. 123 North/S.R. 365 North interchange, for Toccoa and Lavonia, and the S.R. 17 intersection (Clarkesville/Toccoa/Lavonia).

The last portion of the video follows U.S. 23/441/S.R. 15 through Tallulah Falls, the outskirts of Tiger, Clayton, Mountain City, Rabun Gap and Dillard.

Great Smoky Mountains - Pt. 2

2009-12-27T21:43:00.003-05:00

Hey y'all!

This is Bryant again, with another installment of "Great Smoky Mountains." The Smokies are a subrange of the Appalacian Mountains, and are located in western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. This range is home to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the Qualla Boundary (Home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, located in Jackson, Swain, Graham, Cherokee and Haywood counties, North Carolina), Gatlinburg, Tennesse, Sevierville, Tennessee and Dollywood, owned by singer Dolly Parton and the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation.

This video -- that I hope that you'll watch, because it's a very good video, if I do say so myself -- is of the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway, which runs from I-40 near Canton, North Carolina to the Nantahala National Forest, in southwestern Swain County.

The YouTube video posted is of the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway between Sylva Road (U.S. 23/441) and exit 74 (U.S. 441 North - Gatlinburg/Great Smoky Mountains National Park/To Blue Ridge Parkway).

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T17:07:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas from your friendly neighborhood Southern Roadgeek!

Great Smoky Mountains - Pt. 1

2009-12-25T16:43:00.005-05:00

Hey y'all,

I know I haven't posted in awhile, save for my other post about the theft of Christmas paraphernalia from an East Point Chick-fil-A restaurant. In this post, you'll see me driving along Sylva Road (U.S. 23/64/64 Truck/441), from Franklin and Dillsboro. This is my first time driving through this terrain, in North Carolina. I have been to Gatlinburg, but that was back before I began roadgeeking and back before I was driving long distances, out of town.

U.S. 64 east of U.S. 23/441 cannot be accessed by large trucks, due to the terrain of the highway: it's a winding two-lane road towards Highlands.

There will be a few other videos posted from the Smokies and maybe a couple from the North Georgia Mountains. I already have one on published from the North Georgia Mountains. Gotta get the other one done.

Enjoy!

You're a mean one, Mr. Grinch.

2009-12-13T18:20:00.009-05:00

Recently, a "grinch" stole Christmas decorations from the Chick-fil-A on Cleveland Avenue, in East Point (GA). These decorations were celebrating the "twelve days of Christmas." It's sad when one can't even decorate their own business, without theft of those decorations. Whoever you are, the three words that best describe you are, and I quote -- "Stink. Stank. Stunk."

For more information, click here.

King of Pop dies at 50

2009-06-25T23:14:00.002-04:00

Michael Joseph Jackson, aged 50, died earlier today. He will be missed by many, especially me. He was one of the best entertainers ever!

Here are some of my favorites.

Rock With You (1980)

Thriller (1982)

Billie Jean (1982)

Wanna Be Startin' Something (1983)

Remember the Time (1992)

Car Accident

2009-06-20T20:31:00.001-04:00

Got in a car accident while driving through Downtown Atlanta today. This lady in a Honda Element turned left from the wrong lane, while I was trying to go straight. >:-( >:-(

TRAFFIC JAM!!!!!

2009-05-27T13:18:00.010-04:00

(South) Fulton County, Georgia - 26 May 2009

Yesterday, I was caught in the worse traffic jam of my life. It took me about twenty to thirty minutes to go 5 miles. The reason this was the case was because there was a three car fire, just south of Jonesboro Road (S.R. 138 - Union City/Jonesboro).

Three Car Fire (I-85, Union City)
(courtesy of ajc.com)

TRAFFIC JAM!!!!! (Video)
(courtesy of youtube.com)

Judge Sonia Sotomayor

2009-05-26T19:17:00.004-04:00

Washington, D.C. - 26 May 2009

This isn't road-realted, but it's newsworthy -- it's historic! Our nation's first President of African descent, Barack Hussein Obama II, has nominated this country's first Supreme Court Justice of Hispanic descent -- Judge Sonia Sotomayor, of New York. I don't know much about her, but plan to find out more about her. Sotomayor, if confirmed, will replace retiring Justice David Souter, who's served on the US Supreme Court since October 9, 1990.

For more on the nomination of Judge Sotomayor, click here.

The President introduces Judge Sotomayor
(courtesy of youtube.com)

Man Ticketed for Walking in the Street

2009-05-26T10:13:00.005-04:00

(East) Atlanta, Georgia - 26 May 09

A man was ticketed for walking in the street to avoid a sidewalk hole. Atlanta is infamous for its uneven sidewalks and pothole-ridden streets. One of the City's bridges (Mitchell Street) had to be closed because it could no longer carry vehicular traffic. The bridge repairs are listed as one of GDOT's stimulus projects. Another bridge in the City that needs repair is the Courtland Street bridge, which crosses of Decatur Street. This is in the heart of the Georgia State University (GSU) campus. There are nets under the bridge with signs that tell pedestrians and vehicles that pieces of the bridge may fall. That's bad when you have to post signs that say that.

For more on this story, click here.

Stimulus Projects (GDOT)

2009-05-22T11:34:00.006-04:00

GDOT has a listing of stimulus projects that they're going to undertake.

For that listing, click here.

One of the projects I saw listed, that needs to be done, is to extend the left turn lanes onto I-285 North/South from Camp Creek Parkway (S.R. 6). Many times, there's a back-up for traffic turning left onto I-285 North, as most traffic turns northbound.

Turn Signals

2009-05-21T09:01:00.005-04:00

Turn signals, why have them on your car? Nobody seems to use them... but me (lol). I make an effort to use mine when at all possible. I don't use them coming out of my driveway. That's kind of stupid, in my honest opinion. A lot of times, people turn their turn signal on as they've started to turn or after they've entered another lane. At that point, using the turn signal is useless. The other drivers have been notified of nothing, except that you're an idiot. At traffic lights and stop signs, a turn signal is paramount. The reason that I say this is because a driver that's turning left at a red light could've turned awhile ago if someone turning right had their blinker on. At stop signs, even if you stopped first, that other driver might go straight, because you didn't use your left turn indicator.

Turn Signal School

Blinker School

Red Light Cameras

2009-05-20T10:16:00.018-04:00

Gwinnett County, Georgia - 20 May 2009

Recently, red light cameras were in the news again.

King Rushnell, a driver caught by the red light camera at the intersection of Indian Trail and Lawrenceville Highway (U.S. 29/S.R.8) in Lilburn, took his ticket to court. The reason being is that he stated that the sun distorted the picture, making the color of the light impossible to see. Lilburn Municipal Court Judge Charles Barrett III agreed with him, and dismissed the ticket. This comes on the cusp of some cities, mostly in Gwinnett County, getting rid of these devices. Among those municipalities are Suwanee and Norcross. The operational costs are too high, because there aren't as many red light camera photos being taken.

So, when it comes down to it, red light cameras weren't really about safety -- they were about generating revenue. Side-end collisions may've been decreased because of the implementation of the cameras; however, rear-end collisions were increased, because people would slam on their brakes, so as not to get a ticket. In my opinion, a rear-end collision can be just as bad or worse than a side-end collision. The reason that I say that is because if a larger vehicle contacts a smaller vehicle from behind, they could crush that car, possibly pushing that smaller vehicle into the intersection, where that car could be T-boned.

Red Light Cameras Gone?
(courtesy of scanaugusta.net)

Young Girl Honored

2009-05-20T08:21:00.008-04:00

Fulton County, Georgia - 19 May 2009

Kayla Lemons, 9, was honored by her classmates at Stonewall Tell Elementary School, located in Southwest Fulton County. She, along with five others (her mother, father, infant brother and an occupant in another car), lost their lives on Camp Creek Parkway (S.R. 6) at Old Fairburn Road on Easter Sunday, being hit by a reckless hit-and-run driver (Aimee Michael, 22). Michael wasn't apprehended for about two weeks. Her wrecked BMW sat in her garage for two days and was partially fixed. When Michael was apprehended and brought before the judge, she was charged with five counts of vehicular homicide and felony hit-and-run. Thank God that the judge denied bond, as this young lady didn't have the good sense to stay at the scene of a chain reaction crash that she initiated. Michael's mother (Sheila Michael, 52) was charged, as well. She was charged with tampering with evidence and hindering apprehension of a criminal.

This is one reason why driver education needs to be reinstituted. The younger Michael had at least, according to prosecutors, two speeding tickets -- in one day, when she attended the University of Pittsburgh. What the hell is that?!

Camp Creek Parkway is a major thoroughfare that begins at the Georgia-Alabama state lines, as U.S. 278/S.R.6, and ends at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport & I-85 interchange. For most of its length, it's a four lane parkway with a grass median. I feel that this corridor needs a cable barrier, especially in the rural, expressway portions, because of the crossover crash factor.

Young Girl Honored by Her Classmates
(courtesy of ajc.com)

Hit-and-Run Suspect Apprehended
(courtesy of cbsatlanta.com)

Easter Family Crash
(courtesy of forbes.com)

S.R. 6 Transportation Corridor Study
(courtesy of atlantaregional.com)

Officer Dragged

2009-05-19T19:54:00.005-04:00

This isn't road-related, but something I found of note.

Villa Rica, Carroll County, Georgia - 19 May 2009

Early this morning, Sgt. C. Long (Villa Rica Police Department) was dragged and run over, when trying to pull over a driver for speeding at the intersection of Industrial Boulevard (S.R. 61/101) and Bankhead Highway (U.S. 78/S.R. 8), just north of I-20. The officer instructed the driver (Marko Burton, 28) to turn off his vehicle. When Burton didn't follow Long's verbal command, Long reached into the vehicle. That's when Burton drove off, dragging and running over the officer.

The driver was found later, being charged with assault on a peace officer and drug charges.

For more on this story, click here. A dashboard video is also included.

When I saw the dashboard video on the news, I was like, "Damn!" Your reaction, I'm sure, will be similar.

Story courtesy of wsbtv.com

I-85 Reconstruction (South Metro Atlanta)

2009-05-19T15:28:00.007-04:00

Currently, I-85 -- from the Coweta-Meriwether county lines to Senoia Road (S.R. 74) -- is being widened and the concrete surface is being replaced. Before the reconstruction project, the I-85 southbound lanes decreased from four to three (at S.R. 74), then from three to two (at S.R. 34). There's a lot of traffic that uses this corridor: Ft. Benning traffic, Auburn football traffic, New Orleans-bound traffic, etc. It's good that GDOT is widening and resurfacing this stretch of rural highway.

During this reconstruction process, there have been numerous accidents, some fatal. Because of this, GDOT has lowered the construction speed limit (for the 29 mile project) from 60 m.p.h. to 50 m.p.h. I thought 60 was a bit fast, because the lanes are narrowed and shoulders are non-existent. Traffic is still rolling through this construction zone, though. To help curb some of this speeding and reckless driving, small message board signs have been installed. They read, "Slow down -- My Mom/Dad works here." I wished I'd stopped to take a photo of them, but there was nowhere for me to pull over to do it safely.

Here are some links that will explain the accidents and the reconstruction project in greater detail. Also, included are some videos of the construction zone.

I-85 Reconstruction/Widening Projects page

Tanker Truck Explodes (Coweta County, Ga.)

Overturned Tractor-Trailer (Coweta County, Ga.)

Speed limit lowered to 50 m.p.h. (S. Fulton/Coweta counties, Ga.)

May '09 Roadtrip - New Orleans, LA

2009-05-18T22:12:00.008-04:00

Southern Mississippi/Miss. Gulf Coast

2009-05-17T21:11:00.018-04:00

Okay, this blogging is addictive. :)

This weekend, well, last Thursday my family and I drove to Philadelphia, Neshoba County, Mississippi. We stayed the night there, and gambled a bit. On Friday morning, we started driving down to Biloxi. We took I-59 South, through Laurel and Hattiesburg, then got on U.S. 98 East to U.S. 49 South, driving through the DeSoto National Forest and Wiggins. U.S. 49 through the DeSoto National Forest is beautiful, very, very beautiful. The speed limit is a respectable 65 m.p.h.

When we got into north Harrison County, we took the S.R. 67 South interchange. All of S.R. 67, north of Old S.R. 67 and the I-10/110 interchange, is signed at 65 m.p.h. A 55 m.p.h. speed limit on that stretch would be really bogus, in my opinion, and a speed trap. There are no driveways directly on the S.R. 67 right-of-way, which is good. The only thing that I found odd was that there were bike lanes on this expressway.

After driving through the beautiful countryside, we merged onto I-110 South, which used to carry S.R. 15. S.R. 15 is co-signed with S.R. 67 for the last few miles of S.R. 67's length. Both of these state highways end at Sangani/Bobby Eleuterius Blvds. & the I-10/110 interchange.

Now, I'll show y'all two videos: one is of U.S. 49 through the DeSoto National Forest; the other is of S.R. 67 through north Harrison County, the Tradition community, and I-10/110.

Oh, before I post the videos, here are some links.

National Forests in Mississippi, DeSoto Ranger District

Town of Tradition, MS

MDOT Ribbon Cutting Ceremony (S.R. 67)
(courtesy of gulfcoastnews.com)

U.S. 49 South - Forrest and Stone counties (MS)

Mississippi Highways - Harrison County, MS

Superspeeder Law

2009-05-17T17:53:00.010-04:00

If you travel through Georgia, come July, an additional $200 fee will be added to your fine if you're stopped for being a "superspeeder." A "superspeeder" is one who travels faster than 85 m.p.h. on multi-lane highways or 75 m.p.h. on two lane highways. For further information on this law, click the link below.

http://www.11alive.com/rss/rss_story.aspx?storyid=128410
(courtesy of 11alive.com)

Personally, I don't mind anyone driving 80+. The problem is from those people who just speed no matter what, whenever they want -- especially in poor weather conditions. Driving fast like some people do -- all of the time -- is very stupid. A lot of people are driving 60 or 70 m.p.h. through residential areas and school zones, which isn't safe for anyone. If you're doing 80 or better down an open highway -- two lane or otherwise -- that's fine. Many of the accidents that occur are from impatient drivers, who are sometimes inexperienced and cannot handle driving that fast.

Also, speed in and of itself doesn't kill. Inexperience, impatience and thinking "Oh, I can drive fast whenever I want, because I'm a superior driver" is what kills.

'Til later.

-Bryant

Mid-North Alabama/South Mississippi

2009-05-17T14:58:00.004-04:00

Here's some more video from my trip to Alabama and Mississippi. Enjoy!

U.S. 280 West - Birmingham, Alabama

I-59 South - Hattiesburg, Mississippi

Laurel, Mississippi

2009-05-17T00:07:00.004-04:00

Hey everybody,

This is the first post on my new blog. Enjoy!