New stop signs will be going up at a much-travelled intersection in downtown Ellijay.
When meeting Monday, March 21, the Ellijay City Council approved taking steps to make the intersection of North Main Street, North Avenue and College Street an all-way stop.
The intersection near City Hall, the Ellijay Public Safety building and Ellijay Elementary School currently has just one stop sign, which is on College Street. The decision to add stop signs comes as the council continues discussing how to slow traffic through downtown and make the area safer for pedestrians.
Making the intersection an all-way stop has been talked about for some time as a way to possibly slow traffic down, noted Mayor Al Hoyle.
“There’s been a speeding problem on North Main for a long time,” he added.
The all-way stop must first be advertised to give plenty of prior warning and rumble strips will also have to be put in, Hoyle noted.
Councilmembers Sandy Ott, Tom Crawford, Kevin Pritchett, Al Fuller and Katie Lancey also approved the installation of a crosswalk on North Main Street being put out for bid.
The crosswalk will be located near Hipp Street and First Baptist Church, Hoyle noted. It wasn’t said what type of crosswalk will be put in.
At a workshop before the council meeting, two downtown Ellijay businessowners presented a signed petition to the mayor and councilmembers, which asks for some type of safety improvements on North Main Street.
Frances Reddick, who runs Antiques on North Main with husband, Charles, was struck by a car while crossing North Main Street last year. She told the council that 19 businesses on the street had signed the petition.
“Anyone who knows anything about downtown knows how busy it’s getting to be. We want something done to make it safer. (North Main Street) is a very popular corridor for traffic. They fly down that street. That’s our concern,” Reddick said.