Sidewalk safety project will protect Brookhaven pedestrians

Brookhaven officials recently announced that one of the city’s most highly used sidewalks is once again open to pedestrian traffic after “an extensive rehabilitation and facelift.”

On Jan. 15, officials announced that the last stretch completed of the sidewalk project was a 200-foot section from Buford Highway to the Hillcrest Apartments. This follows the repair of 800 linear feet of damaged and dangerous sidewalk sections and four ramps along Briarwood Road, according to officials.

Completed work along this stretch of road, which Brookhaven officials described as “a very dangerous and heavily travelled section of the project area,” also included installing secured railing.

The project is part of Brookhaven’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Sidewalk Improvement Initiative which is designed to improve accessibility and safety of pedestrians in the Buford corridor, according to officials.

“Buford Highway is a thoroughfare that is notorious for pedestrian accidents, especially along the stretch between Clairmont Road and Chamblee Tucker Road,” said attorney Edward Kim. “High speeds, poor lighting, and a lack of sidewalks in some areas are a recipe for disaster.”

A 2016 document published by the U.S. Department of Transportation states that “Buford Highway through DeKalb County is the most dangerous stretch of road for pedestrians in Georgia, with 154 struck since 2003 and nine fatalities in the past 10 years.”

Brookhaven’s ADA Sidewalk Improvement Initiative is part of the Federal Community Development Block Grant Program, which is described on hud.gov as a “program that provides annual grants on a formula basis to states, cities, and counties to develop viable urban communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment, and by expanding economic opportunities.”

Brookhaven City Council member Jennifer Owens said working with government partners, both local and federal, make projects such as the sidewalk improvement initiative possible.

“We’re better together and due to our relationship with elected officials representing us on all levels of government, important projects like these get done,” said Owens. “I want to thank Congressman Hank Johnson for his sustaining support for this program, and his continued support in securing the federal funds to help improve the accessibility and safety of our city and its residents.”

In a multimodal study published by Brookhaven in 2024, crashes were recorded as numerous along several major arterials including Buford Highway, Clairmont Road, North Druid Hills Road, Peachtree Road, and Ashford Dunwoody Road. The study stated that the most significant crash hot spots along corridors consist of North Druid Hills Road (SR 42) between Briarcliff Road and Buford Highway (SR 13) and Ashford Dunwoody Road north of Johnson Ferry Road to the city limits at the I-285 interchange. Fatal and serious injury crashes were largely concentrated on the Buford Highway (SR 13) corridor, particularly at the intersections with North Druid Hills Road (SR 42), North Cliff Valley Way, and Afton Lane, according to the study.

For more information, visit brookhavenga.gov.