By Paul Bolster
Sidewalk work on Woodland Avenue
On Monday, March 2, the residents on the last block of Woodland Avenue awakened to the sound of jack hammers. Sections of the sidewalk on the west side with cracks and trip hazards were being replaced. The construction supervisor on the scene said they expected to make the repairs on Woodland all the way to Custer Avenue. Their contract called for the installation of of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ramps on every corner and in some cases would replace existing ramps with new ones with higher and consistent standards. By mid-week the project had expanded south of Berne Street and along Berne to Moreland Avenue. It is not clear at this writing if the project includes other side streets.
Atlanta City Council Member Jason Winston’s office said these projects were started in council districts across the city. The sidewalk replacement efforts are a response to a suit filed a number of years ago by persons with disabilities who could not use existing sidewalks in their current state of disrepair. The city agreed to settled the suit and signed a consent decree committing it to making the improvements requested. The cost of the improvements is part of a bond issue passed by the voters.
According to SAND president Mike Gardner, there have been no discussions with city officials regarding the location of the improvements. Some residents believe there are a number of locations in the neighborhood where sidewalks are in worse shape than those on North Woodland Avenue. The full scope of the current construction is not clear, but current improvements are welcomed by the neighbors.
