A number of residents have commented about the removal of the magnolia in the traffic island at North Candler Street and East Trinity Place. This is part of the overall plan for improving the Candler railroad crossing to make it accessible and safe for pedestrians, bicyclists, and the disabled; encourage persons who live in Winnona Park, the McDonough-Adams-Kings Highway community, and other neighborhoods south of the CSX rail corridor to walk and bike into downtown Decatur; and improve the “Safe Route to School” for students and parents who travel to the Fourth/Fifth Academy, Renfroe Middle School, and Decatur High School.
Removal of the magnolia is a consequence of raising the grade of the street roughly three feet on the north side of the crossing, tapering gradually as it approaches Fire Station Number 1. You can visualize this by looking at the ARLO planters (pictured above) at the corner of East Trinity and East Howard. The top of the planters will be at street level when the work is completed.
Presently, pedestrians and bicyclists have to share the roadway at the crossing with vehicles. The planned improvements will provide a gentler slope on the north side of the crossing for construction of an accessible path for persons in wheelchairs, strollers, etc., that replaces the existing old wooden steps. There will also be a much safer route located outside the railroad crossing gates for pedestrians and bicyclists, as well as a protected crosswalk from the PATH trail to the old Depot.
During the design phase of the project, multiple schemes for rebuilding the intersection were considered but it was not possible to achieve a safe, buildable alternative that retained the magnolia. There will be a significant amount of fill in this area making it unfeasible for this particular tree. New trees will be planted in the project area to mitigate the loss of the magnolia.
To view the engineering schematic that illustrates the new crossing, visit decaturmakeover.com.
