The newest attempt at traffic control in Clarkesville caught some drivers by surprise. Now Habersham reader Roberta Williamson Bailey wrote to us asking about the two new speed bumps along Rocky Branch Road in Clarkesville, “There is no warning,” she writes “they are not visible in the shade.”
Before I took her concerns to Clarkesville City Manager Barbara Kesler on Monday, I drove the road myself and I too was caught off guard by the first speed bump. They are very low-profile, bright yellow but close to the ground. They mostly look like a paint stripe from a distance and, as Roberta told us, they’re not very easy to see at all heading downhill with a mix of sunlight and shade making patterns on the road.
UPDATE: Rocky ride on Rocky Branch to continue
Roberta also points out that even if you see the bump and try to stop, other motorists may not, “A friend was almost rear-ended slowing down for it today. I think the speed is too high on this road for speed bumps.”
Kesler defends the use of this type of speed bumps and says they should be visible to anyone who is not speeding. She says the design is cost-effective for taxpayers and the ones placed on Rocky Branch this month are exactly the same as others installed during the past several years. Still, she says signage warning motorists of the rough ride will be erected. Public Works Superintendent Jeremy Garmon says his department will install the new signs on Rocky Branch on Tuesday.
If you have questions or concerns in your community contact Now Habersham via facebook or email us at [email protected].
UPDATE: Speed bump signs went up along Rocky Branch Road shortly after 9am on Tuesday April 7.
