Residents and commission push for Peach Orchard Road to have traffic lights

(AUGUSTA, GA) - For years PEACH ORCHARD ROAD RESIDENTS have been  ASKING FOR A TRAFFIC SIGNAL TO BE PUT IN TO PREVENT DEADLY ACCIDENTS. DISTRICT 6 COMMISSIONER, BEN HASAN AND THE MAYOR HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO GET THE gEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION’S ATTENTION FOR A FEW YEARS NOW. NOW, WITH A SAFETY STUDY IN PLACE, THEY ARE ONE STEP CLOSER TO CURBING THE NUMBER OF ACCIDENTS THAT OCCUR ON PEACH ORCHARD ROAD. 

According to Richmond County Sheriff's Office, on AVERAGE, 31,500 VEHICLES TRAVEL DOWN PEACH ORCHARD ROAD PER DAY. PEACH ORCHARD at FAIRCREST HAS HAD 11 CRASHES THIS YEAR. At PEPPERIDGE drive, THERE HAVE BEEN 14 AND AT THE PEACH ORCHARD AT TOBACCO ROAD SIGNAL THERE HAVE BEEN 38 CRASHES. “IT’S VERY CHALLENGING FOR PEOPLE. THEY ARE ALWAYS PUTTING THEIR LIFE AT RISK TO TRY TO GET OUT THEIR TO GET OUT OF BOYKIN ROAD TO GET ON 56, WHETHER THEY ARE GOING NORTH OR SOUTH. ”

NEARBY, LOCAL ROAD, WINDSOR SPRINGS CURRENTLY HAS A TRAFFIC SIGNAL IN THE WORKS. BUT, BECAUSE IT’S A STATE ROAD, HASAN SAYS THE SOLUTION ISN’T SO SIMPLE. IT’S UP TO GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO DECIDE IF IT WARRANTS A CHANGE OR NOT.

Pepperidge resident, Tony Smith, "ACCIDENTS HAPPEN ON THIS INTERSECTION ALL THE TIME. THEY NEED A LIGHT DOWN THERE. THEY NEED A LIGHT DOWN THERE AND SPEED BUMPS ON THIS ROAD." He BELIEVES THAT SPEED BUMPS AND A TRAFFIC LIGHT WOULD HELP TO CURB THE ISSUE. That's WHY HE STARTED A PETITION TO GET THE CITIES ATTENTION. EVERYONE IN HIS NEIGHBORHOOD SIGNED IT.

AUGUSTA TRAFFIC ENGINeeRING IS WORKING TO COME UP WITH OTHER IMPROVeMENTS, SHOULD GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DECIDE NOT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE.

SOME OF THOSE OPTIONS WOULD INCLUDE A MAKING THE ENTRANCE TO FAIRCREST, “RIGHT IN, RIGHT OUT” ONLY OR STRATEGICALLY PLACING WARNING SIGNS TO ALERT DRIVERS.