SMYRNA, Georgia — Cobb County officials are being pressed to review safety conditions at the intersection of Cooper Lake Drive with Atlanta and Gilmore roads after a Smyrna resident reported repeated near-collisions there.
The resident has raised concerns about a pattern of risky driving at the intersection, including motorists routinely running red lights, since August 2021. County officials have responded with general disregard for the concerns.
The emails to county officials describe other incidents at the intersection, including drivers allegedly running red lights and making left turns from the right-hand lane. In a 2023 example, the resident reported that a group of three-wheeled motorcycles blocked the intersection for multiple light cycles so the riders could proceed together.
Smyrna officials have also raised concerns, even though the intersection is in unincorporated Cobb County and outside the city limits.
Mayor Pro Tem Tim Gould previously told county officials in an email that he had observed what he described as fast signal cycling that limited the number of vehicles clearing the intersection. Gould also raised questions about vehicle detection, citing an instance in which a pedestrian button was used to trigger a signal change.
In 2021, Cobb County transportation officials said they checked signal operations at the intersection and found that the minimum green time and clearance met standards, while noting they would continue monitoring for potential vehicle-detection issues.
Cobb County police have encouraged residents to report dangerous driving as it happens. In a 2023 response, Cobb Police Major James Bullock said the information had been shared with Smyrna police and forwarded to a day-shift commander for additional patrols, and that residents should call 911 to report incidents.
Be the first to comment