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Business owners work to stop drivers from blocking intersections

By Katie Beasley
Published  April 7, 2016 6:24am EDT
Good Day Atlanta
FOX 5 Atlanta

DUNWOODY, Ga. - We've all seen it before, drivers who inch out into an intersection, hoping to beat the light before it turns red, only to end up blocking the intersection for other drivers. Not only is that illegal, but it's also dangerous and one partnership of business owners is working to put an end to it.

The phrases, "Don't Block the Box" and "Be Kind, Stay Behind the Line" are the latest safety campaigns trying to make intersections around Perimeter Mall safer for people on two feet and on four wheels.

Aviea Bowne crosses this busy Ashford Dunwoody Road every day. "A lot of the drivers around here are very hasty and they're rude. They don't want to wait for pedestrians to walk across the street," Aviea says.

We caught drivers blocking the cross walk, or disregarding it all together. "They are just rude, they don't care. They'll say, 'Oh I have enough time' and try to go. No...I'm walking, safety first. I work across the street. I'm trying to see the next day for work," adds Aviea.

And the Perimeter Community Improvement District is taking action, urging drivers to "Be Kind, Stay Behind the Line" and "Don't Block the Box."

"We'll be implementing this over the next few weeks so that we'll have great education with our public about the new, innovative ways we're protecting the pedestrian activity at Perimeter," explains Yvonne Williams, the President/CEO of the Perimeter Community Improvement District.

The PCID, in partnership with businesses from Dunwoody, Sandy Springs and Brookhaven will invest $30,000 to restripe five busy intersections with large X's. The goal is to stop drivers from creeping into intersections when traffic backs up.

"Really, it improves traffic flow because when you obstruct the view by being in the box, you don't allow the other traffic to see their clearances to get through," adds Yvonne.

Aviea hopes you think about it around Perimeter, and at every intersection you drive through. "Just be considerate of us. If it was one of your family members, you would wait," Aviea encourages.

Blocking an intersection is illegal, and could cost you a $500 ticket. Crews will be restriping these intersections in the next week, so expect changes to:

  • Parkside Place at Perimeter Summit
  • Peachtree Dunwoody Road at Johnson Ferry Road
  • Peachtree Dunwoody Road at Abernathy Road
  • Peachtree Dunwoody Road at Lake Hearn Drive
  • Ashford Dunwoody Road at Ravinia Drive