South Fulton Parkway is a primary corridor for motorists going to Union City, City of South Fulton, Chattahoochie Hills, Faiburn, and a host of other cities. It is also an increasingly necessary route for tractor trailers and other large industrial vehicles, due to warehouse proximity and the increasing number of residential homes actively being built in these areas. With home building and eCommerce on the rise, the increased number of private motorists compounded with an ever increasing number of tractor trailers servicing the warehouses on and around SFP, this corridor has become exponentially more dangerous with each day that passes.  The number of fatal and near fatal accidents that continue to happen on SFP is deplorable and should be cause for great concern and action, by those parties responsible for this roadway. 

The issues that are most concerning are the intersection at the Costco warehouse that has had numerous (2 in the last 45 days) major & catastrophic accidents regardless of who is at fault, is disheartening. To add insult to injury, the newly installed cable barricade that prevents uncontrolled cars from crossing the median, leaves motorists with no ability to make a U turn when SFP is blocked for hours due to an accident and investigation. The lack of actual green turn arrows at intersections.  Inadequate lighting along the entire parkway. Lack of police presence to serve as a traffic calming measure. Local police do not have the manning to support keeping officers posted on SFP.

 Only one intersection on SFP actually has a turn arrow that lights green, to allow drivers the right of way to make left turn on to and off of SFP.  All other intersections have flashing yellow turn signals even though they’re equipped with the necessary lights to use green. To use the intersection of Stonewall Tell & SFP as an example, motorists are literally turning in front of oncoming traffic driving at speeds in excess of 55mph that are approaching the intersection from a blind hill. This is absurd.

 The lighting of SFP is non existent except at intersections making it difficult if not impossible to see road hazards such as standing water, deer, foreign objects in the road, and pedestrians walking to the unlighted/uncovered bus stops until it is too late.  The lack of lighting has caused many motorists to utilize their high beams for increased visibility, not realizing they’re blinding other drivers on SFP.

 Speeding is an ever existent and increasing problem on the parkway and traffic calming measures must be put in place to slow motorists down, be it local police, or State Troopers since it is a State controlled road. The popular belief is that excessive speed and distracted driving are factors playing a huge role in the severity of these accidents.

 What will it take for GDOT to do something about this deadly roadway?  How many people must die or be seriously injured before GDOT implements changes to make this roadway safe for the motorists that use it daily?

The picture highlights the severity of the accidents that have become a regular occurrence and was chosen specifically out of respect to the families who have lost loved ones on SFP, because the driver of this accident, through the grace of God, survived.