Council votes to remove triangle at Mayfair-Roxbury intersection

The days are numbered for the triangle at Mayfair Drive and Roxbury Road. City council members voted unanimously tonight to re-affirm plans that remove the traffic island as part of their sidewalk project on the two roads.

In a public safety meeting prior to the council vote, residents from the area filled the council's work session chambers to the point where almost no standing room was left. Many — including some children present — wore stickers saying "I want sidewalks," though resident Chris Lane and others who support the preservation of the triangle said the sidewalks are a separate issue from the intersection redesign.

The council's approved design removes the triangle in favor of a T-shaped intersection and increases the size of the landscaped curb on the east side of Roxbury, which will include a streetlight and grass to match the adjacent homeowner's lawn. The council and traffic consultant Darryl Skipper said the new design increases sight distance and makes the intersection easier to navigate for regular drivers and emergency vehicles, and it also allows a crosswalk to sidewalks on the west side of Roxbury.

Opponents of the plan say the change will actually make the intersection more dangerous, as the triangle slows down traffic and creates a stopping point for pedestrians, and the triangle's removal will damage the historic charm of the area. There have been no reported accidents at the intersection since 2012, according to Homewood Police Sgt. Keith Smith.

An earlier plan for the sidewalks had them on the east side of Roxbury, negating the need for a crosswalk to connect them to sidewalks on the north side of Mayfair coming from Highway 31. However, Building, Engineering and Zoning employee Greg Cobb said they moved the plans to the west side for better ADA accessibility, as the east side of the street has a steeper slope and would require changes to driveways.

Ward 5 Representative Peter Wright said the council looked at multiple designs for the project, including keeping the sidewalks on the east side and putting the crosswalk adjacent to or through the triangle, but felt the current plan was the best option for safety.

Those who came to object to the triangle's removal left feeling dissatisfied and unheard. The public safety meeting was not a public hearing, though a few residents from each side of the issue were allowed to speak briefly, and most of the time was spent in discussion by council members, Skipper and city employees.

Lane said he felt that the council entered the room with their minds already made up. All council members who spoke tonight were in favor of the redesign.

“There’s ways we can do this," Lane said to other audience members of options to keep both the triangle and the sidewalks. "It’s gotta be a two-way street, guys. We’re giving up everything.”

Wright said he felt like he came in with an open mind, but also didn't see the need for a lengthy public hearing session since a series of neighborhood meetings was held on the sidewalk project last year. He felt tonight's meeting was more about showing the public the basis for the plan and why they support it.

"We would have been happy to sit back there for another two hours and hear everyone's opinions on the matter, but frankly we've already done that," Wright said.

At the time of those hearings, the changes to the triangle and moving the crosswalk to the west side of Roxbury were not part of the plan that was presented and discussed.

Roger Lucas, an attorney at Marsh, Rickard and Bryan, had doubts about Fire Battalion Chief Nick Hill's assertion that the triangle is difficult to navigate for fire engines. He said he had investigators speak with Homewood firefighters and did not receive reports of difficulty navigating the area. Lucas also said the lack of a real safety study, separate from the traffic analysis done by Skipper Consulting, calls into question whether removal of the triangle would actually bring a safety benefit.

Wright said after the council vote that despite not having a full safety study, he feels confident in the opinion provided by Skipper, Hill and others in the city.

No one from the audience spoke specifically in favor of removing the triangle, but two residents did say they would be fine with that in order to achieve completion of sidewalks. Cobb said sidewalks are scheduled to be complete before the school year begins.

“The one problem I have is, this is taking too long,” one homeowner said, adding that he walks his son to elementary school and nearby Overton Park. “I don’t feel safe when I leave my house on Roxbury.”  

Resident comments were cut short in order to hold the regular council meeting, which began about 10 minutes late due to the Mayfair discussion. All council members present voted in affirmation of the bid that was previously approved in May. Ward 1 Representative Britt Thames and Ward 3 Representatives Patrick McClusky and Walter Jones were absent.