PROTECT THE TWITTENS

protecting our built environment

WHAT ARE TWITTENS?

There are currently 17 footpath cut-throughs between streets in Druid Hills, known in the neighborhood as twittens. Many of these were included in the original neighborhood plan. Some lead to "pocket parks" but the largest ones were used for residents to easily get to streetcars or trolleys, which ran from the Emory area to Ponce de Leon. Before people owned multiple cars, this public transit was the main source of transportation for people to get to work, school and to shopping in downtown Atlanta.

TWITTENS ARE OFTEN NEGLECTED

Twittens aren't technically owned by the county or the residents whose property borders them. This puts them squarely in no-man's land when it comes to keeping them safe and debris free. DeKalb county is supposed to do all repairs but since they are only footpaths and there are other repair priorities, twittens usually fall at the bottom of their to-do list. 

HELP US TAKE ACTION!

We need Druid Hills residents to join us in advocating for the restoration of this eastern gateway to our community.  Here is a letter that our chairman recently wrote to CEO Thurmond urging him to spend DeKalb County SPLOST  money on the project.

We're asking our residents to also write emails or letters to CEO Thurmond. If enough of us do this, we are hopeful that it will encourage them to take action. Here is a template you can download to paste into an email or to fill out and print to mail.

CEOMichaelThurmond@dekalbcountyga.gov

jrader@dekalbcountyga.gov

HELP US TAKE ACTION!

We're asking residents to write emails or letters to the CEO of DeKalb County. If enough of us do this, we are hopeful that it will encourage them to take action. Here is a template you can download to paste into an email or to fill out and print to mail.

CEOMichaelThurmond@dekalbcountyga.gov

jrader@dekalbcountyga.gov

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Our President, Kit Eisterhold, recently wrote a letter to CEO Thurmond regarding the state of our sidewalks. He was copied on the following email written by Commissioner Rader to CEO Thurmond in support of our cause. This is great news! Let's keep the momentum going - we encourage all residents to write CEO Thurmond advocating for sidewalk improvements. (We've made it easy... just copy and paste from our template.)

Dear Mr. CEO,

        I fully support the request you recently received from Kit Eisterhold, President of the Druid Hills Civic Association detailing the need for sidewalk maintenance and pedestrian safety upgrades in this historic neighborhood, attached hereto.  The points made related to the extreme age of the infrastructure, increasing vehicular traffic and speeds and the impact of a reasonable commitment by the County on increasing stakeholder satisfaction are relevant and persuasive. 

        Over my term in office, new sidewalk infrastructure has always taken precedent over maintenance.  But maintenance in the extreme cases highlighted in Mr. Eisterhold's letter rises to a priority insofar as people have been injured on our rights of way due to clear deficiencies in the infrastructure.  I have responded as I can, both through a constant stream of requests and notifications to Roads and Drainage, and in the development of the North Decatur Road Traffic Calming Project where, working with Senator Parent, we have secured a half million discretionary grant from GDOT to install crossing protections and traffic circles in this corridor between the Fulton County line and Emory University.

        Please prioritize County resources to repair the most dangerous of the problems identified, and develop a sidewalk evaluation and maintenance protocol that can be applied in Druid Hills and County wide.  While such conditions are concentrated in this old neighborhood, they exist throughout the County.  Many other jurisdictions (you only have to walk the streets of Decatur, for instance) have engaged contractors to plain down trip hazards and have replaced sidewalk segments heaved up by tree roots.  The ubiquity of such attention elsewhere makes DeKalb's lack of a program obvious in comparison.

        Please let me know how you and your administrative team will respond to this request and how I can assist in making sidewalk maintenance and safety a priority throughout DeKalb.

        Sincerely,

        Jeff Rader
        Commissioner, District 2
        DeKalb County
        jrader@dekalbcountyga.gov
        404/371-2863