MACON, Ga. — One Bibb County commissioner is hoping to improve pedestrian safety across town along with help from the state.
Travis Riggins says he walks down Gray Highway every day.
"It is kinda hard when lunch time is coming through, and you're trying to go across, you have to wait for traffic to thin out," said Riggins.
Sometimes to get across the road he crosses in the middle and not at a crosswalk.
"You have to mind your strut, you know," said Riggins.
In 2016, the Pedestrian Safety Review Board reported there were 74 pedestrian collisions across Macon and four people killed. Commissioner Elaine Lucas is sponsoring a proposal which aims to lower that number to zero.
She's asking local legislators to request help from the state and to have the Georgia Department of Transportation conduct a study on some of the county's major roadways.
The proposal lists these highways and state routes for the study:
- I-75
- I-16
- I-475
- Eisenhower Parkway
- Pio Nono Avenue
- Vineville Avenue and Forsyth Road
- Broadway and Gray Highway
- Riverside Drive, Emery Highway, and Ocmulgee East Boulevard
- Mercer University Drive and Thomaston Road
- Fulton Mill Road
- Shurling Drive and Millerfield Road
- Irwinton Road
She's also asking them to pay for the study and construction costs, so that pedestrians like Riggins would have more places to cross.
Riggins hopes the General Assembly will lend a hand and says more street lights could also help while crossing Gray Highway.
Commissioners would need to discuss the proposal next week during their meeting. It's the first step in trying to get local delegation on board.
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