Double Diamond Deemed Deadly

The North American Walkable Interstate and Interchanges Initiative (NAWIII : nah-WHEE) announced yesterday that Dunwoody's brand new Double Diamond Interchange ranks as "Deadly", proclaiming it amongst the worst in the nation.

NAWIII, headquartered in Los Angeles, is dedicated to ensuring safe pedestrian passage across all interstates at or near intersections and to promote public awareness they have created a series of rankings: "Safe", "Passable", "Dangerous" and the lowest possible, "Deadly". They have been evaluating interchanges and divided highway intersections through out the US and now Dunwoody has caught their attention. There is not much about the newly re-configured intersection that meets with their approval.

They see the lane reversals as a real safety concern for pedestrians and further cited the constant vehicle movement and sustained speeds as key factors in their evaluation. An issue unique to the Double Diamond involves legal crossing. Dunwoody ordinance requires that pedestrians walk facing traffic, but the new configuration makes it impossible to cross over I-285 legally. NAWIII is publicly objecting, saying that a situation that makes someone illegal for simply crossing a line is unfair, unjust and must be undone.

NAWIII closed by expressing outrage at the potential for pedestrian death and injury, likening the new interchange to a "human game of  Frogger", even going so far as rhetorically ask: "Can you imagine a young mother with a toddler and a baby stroller trying to navigate that nightmare?"