Roadsters pack hearing
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By Amanda Casciaro
Marietta Daily Journal Staff Writer
MARIETTA - Cyclists, roller-bladers and inline skaters were in full force Tuesday, but it wasn't a clear day for riding that brought them out.
Athletes who frequent hotspot Columns Drive near million-dollar homes in Atlanta Country Club attended Tuesday's Cobb commission meeting to open discussion on a proposed ordinance that would limit how often they can train on the 2.5-mile road.
The ordinance, proposed by Commissioner Joe Lee Thompson, states cyclists, roller-bladers, skateboarders and inline skaters can only pass a given point on Columns Drive twice in an hour.
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Commissioners are scheduled to make a final decision on the proposal, along with several other changes to the county code, on Feb. 23.
"I don't know what the solution is, but there's got to be one," said resident Paul McNulty, who has lived on Columns since 1979. "If the situation is left alone, it's not going to get any better."
Other residents, who argue the constant traffic of three- and four-wide cyclists on the road is a safety concern, said Tuesday if cyclists just followed Georgia law there wouldn't be a problem.
"Our primary concern has to do with large clusters of bikers getting out in the roadway," said resident Lawrie Jordan, 56. "We don't have a problem with runners or skaters. We would just like to see the rules and regulations of Georgia law followed."
State law mandates cyclists travel at a maximum of two abreast, and reflectors on each side of bikes must be installed if they ride at night.
Cyclists at Tuesday's meeting agreed the situation on Columns Drive has created conflict, but an ordinance regulating how often cyclists ride isn't the solution.
"This is one of the few safe places in Cobb County to ride," said Celeste Burr, who has trained on the road for about 30 years.
"This is an outstanding asset to our community," cyclist Mike Wien said. "We should focus, I think, on preserving this wonderful asset."
Athletes who frequent the residential street say proximity to the Chattahoochee River Recreation Area and the absence of blind spots, dangerous curves and heavy automobile traffic make it an ideal place to ride.
"You can call it anything you want to, but Columns Drive is a residential street," Thompson said. "What direction we go in is up to you all, residents and (cyclists). We believe in bicycles; we encourage it. But we also believe in human beings and (preserving) where people live."
Discussion will continue on the proposed ordinance at a private public hearing Thompson has scheduled at 6 p.m. Feb. 1 at Atlanta Country Club.
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