… On Euclid, Between Benning and North
By Seth Eisenberg
Shel Silverstein was not literally describing Euclid Avenue between Benning and North Avenue when he wrote the famous poem “Where The Sidewalk Ends.”
There’s no storybook ending here. What you have instead on Euclid Avenue is more of a high-speed thoroughfare, complete with unsafe sidewalks, zero crosswalks and limited visibility. Adults, children, dog walkers, athletes, anyone and everyone has no choice but to travel across and through traffic, from where the sidewalk ends at Benning Avenue up to North Avenue, right there along the tennis courts and Goldsboro Park.
This creates a perilous condition for everyone, including elementary students like my son and daughter who use this portion of Euclid to access Mary Lin Elementary School. It’s also no fun for the many walkers and runners using Euclid to get to the Freedom Park trail. They are forced to choose the lesser of two evils – walking on uneven and slippery gravel or squeezing in between parked cars and dodging vehicles traveling at high speeds. Tennis and basketball players cannot safely access the courts in Goldsboro Park.
Last month, City Councilmember Amir Farokhi (and his adorable dog) met with concerned Candle Park residents who live along the Euclid Avenue corridor. The reason for the meeting was to discuss possible safety and infrastructure improvements by the City for the area. Councilmember Farokhi was receptive to concerns about the lack of sidewalks and traffic safety. At the meeting he promised to request a pricing estimate from the City for the installation of sidewalks along this stretch of Euclid. Additionally, he said he would request that a site visit be performed by a qualified engineer with the City’s transportation department to investigate potential traffic calming measures. He did, however, caution that finances would be an issue as the City has limited funding to address these issues. Still, there is the promise for ongoing dialogue that could lead to concrete action in the near future.
The lack of sidewalks along Euclid Avenue in this area has been a long-time concern for Candler Park residents. The neighborhood’s Master Plan, enacted in 2013, expressly incorporated a recommendation for sidewalks along Goldsboro Park and the surrounding Euclid Corridor. Recommendation 4.22 stated: “Complete the sidewalks on both sides of Euclid Avenue (Candler St. to Oakdale Rd.).”
Unfortunately, no further action was ever taken by the neighborhood or City to address the lack of infrastructure in this area.
Compounding this potentially dangerous situation is that Euclid Avenue is now a high-speed thoroughfare for motorists trying to avoid the traffic on Moreland Avenue. The posted speed limit is 30 mph, but cars routinely travel in excess of that. There are no crosswalks, signs, or other warnings to prevent motorists from driving too fast – which endangers pedestrians trying to access Goldsboro Park or just walk along Euclid Avenue where there is no sidewalk. Also, there appears to be little to no concern for ADA access to the City tennis courts, basketball courts or Freedom Park Trail along this part of Euclid. Simply put, there is no safe way to travel Euclid Avenue as a pedestrian or motorist without risking injury due to the lack of sidewalks or traffic calming measures in the area.
The residents on Euclid Avenue are committed to pushing for positive improvements in this area. If you are interested in learning more or engaging with City Councilmember Farokhi on this matter in the future, please email him directly at arfarokhi@AtlantaGa.Gov or connect with concerned Euclid Avenue neighbors by contacting me at seth@eisenbergfirm.com.
I hope you are interested in joining us because we want to turn Euclid, between Benning and North, from a dangerous high-speed thoroughfare where pedestrians dodge traffic, into what Shel Silverstein would describe as a place where, “we’ll walk with a walk that is measured and slow…”
Where the sidewalk ends is where our work begins.
Seth Eisenberg is a proud Candler Park resident since 2008 and CPNO member, having formerly served as Zoning Chair and as a Board Member from 2013–2016.