A contractor for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is upgrading seven intersections along East Broad Street in downtown Athens – Thomas Street, Jackson Street, College Avenue, Lumpkin Street, Hull Street, and Pulaski Street – with new traffic signals, traffic poles, and pedestrian crossing signals. The upgrades are designed to improve safety for pedestrians, reduce idling time for vehicles to lower emissions, improve ADA accessibility, and reduce conflicts for pedestrians along this GDOT roadway.

Six of the intersections have been upgraded and are currently functioning, while the Thomas Street intersection will begin its new operation in mid-December. The old signals, signal poles, and pedestrian signals will be removed from all seven intersections. The old signals are outdated 1970’s infrastructure that is failing in some cases and is not up to current state and federal standards.

As part of the upgrades, the new traffic and pedestrians signals use a standard called “full actuation.” This means that pedestrian and vehicle traffic signals change based on the actual use of the roadway at the time. Pedestrians will need to push a nearby button to activate a signal when needed to cross the intersection instead of automatically receiving a crosswalk signal at every signal change.

When activated, the pedestrian signals will provide more time than when they operated automatically. When no pedestrians are at a crossing or the button is not pressed, the pedestrian signal will not activate, allowing vehicles to move through the intersection without waiting for an unused pedestrian signal.

The purpose of the new standard is to provide safer access for a longer period of time for pedestrians while also allowing vehicles to travel more efficiently through the intersections when no pedestrians are present. As intersections are upgraded on both GDOT and Athens-Clarke County operated roads, they will also use the same standard. The new operation is in compliance with other signals outside of the interior central business district of downtown Athens.

Pedestrians are encouraged to cross streets only at intersections or dedicated crossings, to press buttons when available to activate crossing signals, to avoid using distractions such as phones when crossing streets, and to make sure to look both ways even when having the right of way to ensure that vehicles have stopped.

For more information, contact the Athens-Clarke County Transportation and Public Works Department’s Traffic Engineering Division at 706-613-3460.