The owners of a downtown Ellijay antique shop are among the business owners on North Main Street who want to see some type of pedestrian safety improvements on the increasingly busy street.
Frances Reddick, who runs Antiques on North Main with her husband, Charles, was struck by a car in February 2021 as she crossed North Main Street from her vehicle to her business.
Reddick was life-flighted to Kennestone Hospital following the accident in which she suffered multiple severe injuries including two broken legs, a broken pelvis and several facial injuries.
The Reddicks recently started a petition to the City of Ellijay, which states signing businessowners and residents of North Main Street want changes made to the street so it will be safer for everyone.
“I don’t think a lot of people realize how busy North Main Street is. This is the busiest street downtown. No doubt about it,” Frances said. “It’s a terribly busy corridor with commercial trucks of all different kinds (including) food delivery trucks, the big Pike trucks and construction (trucks) going up and down the street, (as well as people) going to and from school to drop off and pick up their children.”
The Ellijay City Council and Mayor Al Hoyle have discussed several different traffic and pedestrian safety options, including putting a raised crosswalk or speed table somewhere on North Main and, possibly, in other areas downtown. So far, nothing definite has been announced.
Frances said she’s seeing good support for the petition, which 18 businesses had signed by last week. She and Charles are planning to present the signed petition and any letters of support they might receive to the city council.
“Every merchant on North Main Street signed it to get improvements on our street to make it safer,” she said.
Marcel Lowery, owner of City Barber Shop, is among those concerned merchants. Lowery said North Main Street has always been busy, but traffic has really increased in the last three to four years. Now it’s “extremely busy,” she said.
“People fly by here. They fly. Sometimes they’ll pull out of River Street to take a right, and you just can’t imagine how fast they’re going,” Lowery said. “I think what would help better than anything would be speed bumps. To me, that’s the only thing that’s going to slow them down.”
Something the Reddicks would like to see considered is dropping the speed limit on North Main Street to 15 mph.
“We like the new automated signs for speed limits, (but) we still feel like 25 mph for this busy street is too much,” she said. “One-hundred yards from the roundabout, they expect you to slow down to 15 mph. Why not make it 15 mph for everyone involved downtown?”
Frances is able to walk now, but she has to use a cane and is still receiving care for her injuries. She said the petition is not about her. It’s to help prevent more accidents on the heavily-traveled main drag.
“Luckily, there’s not been another accident. We just need something. It would have to be the experts that would tell us the best plan,” Frances said.