Students, teachers and community members have been complaining about traffic along Old Atlanta Road and how it’s not very accessible for pedestrians. However, starting May 2023, road work began on Old Atlanta to expand the stretch of street between the James Burgess Road intersection, which is located near Lambert’s auditorium entrance, and St. Marlo Country Club Parkway to decrease traffic in this area.
As a result of roadwork and heavy machinery, longer delays in traffic have been occurring more often. While the current situation is not ideal, the project will provide another lane in each direction, a 5-foot wide sidewalk as well as a 10-foot wide multi-use trail, which will decrease traffic significantly.
AP World History Teacher and Lambert Boys’ Soccer Coach Chris Wilson believes that while the delays can be irritating, the outcomes of the project will heavily benefit the Lambert community.
“I think in the end it will be great because it connects our communities with our schools,” Mr. Wilson explained. “And it will make it a lot more accessible for all of us. In the meantime, the length of how long it’s taking can get frustrating at times.”
This year, Lambert saw a rise in the number of students biking and walking to school. The number is expected to increase even more once the expansion is complete, since the addition of the sidewalk and multi-use trail will allow those who live near or on Old Atlanta Road to ride and walk as well.
While the project will help with traffic, many students and staff have concerns about how it will affect the community negatively. Due to more vehicles on the road, the speed limit on the road will likely increase to keep traffic moving, which is raising concerns among those who live nearby about the safety for school buses and students. Mr. Wilson has noted the concerns of his neighborhood about safety and speed.
“One of the biggest concerns in talking to other colleagues or teachers and then living in the community is I know the concern with the widening is that people drive faster,” Mr. Wilson said. “People will probably fly through our area faster. Then, obviously, the problem with when buses stop along Old Atlanta is people not obeying or driving past the bus.”
There is a huge possibility that people who are driving will not follow the rules for driving near school buses or they will speed on the road even though it is a school zone. This can put students and pedestrians alike at risk as it is a safety hazard.
The debate on the expansion of Old Atlanta Road has been going on for a while now, and it has brought up many questions, namely “will this be good for the community?” While the answer is not clear right now, the Lambert community will probably both benefit and be put at a disadvantage because of the project.
