Tucker, GA — Tucker residents who asked the city to address dangerous conditions on Brockett Road were heard loud and clear.

At the June 28 Tucker City Council work session, a presentation by City Engineer Ken Hildebrandt showed short- and long-term solutions to speeding on Brockett Road.

Kuldip Kaur, 56, who was struck and killed by a car on Brockett Road on June 10. Several days after a well-attended vigil for Kaur, Jonathan Bain turned himself into police and was charged with DUI, failure to maintain, homicide by vehicle in the first degree and reckless driving.

“We’ve had this incident, and safety has become of urgent interest to the citizens who live there, and the rest of us as well,” said Mayor Frank Auman.

Auman said several community members asked him what to do about Brockett Road’s high speeds. Should they write a petition or contact the local news?

“If it’s a sidewalk in Tucker or a safety issue or a park issue, that’s what we’re here for. And we’re ready, anxious and eager to get to work on it,” said Auman.

The speed limit is 40 mph on Brockett Road. Increasing the thickness of yellow center lines and white side lines, making lanes appear thinner, could slow drivers. Hildebrandt suggested a speed study, to be discussed in greater detail at the next City Council meeting on July 12.

Lt. D.G. Schoeppner, Tucker’s liaison to DeKalb County Police Department, recommended an educational campaign.

“Let’s face it, we all speed. Driving is probably the single most dangerous thing everyone does every day,” said Schoeppner. “What we need to do is get folks to look at their own actions and for a campaign to [show] what happens if you don’t follow the rules.”

Council member Noelle Monferdini, who represents the Brockett Road area, said people don’t realize how fast they’re driving on a straight road. She worries about kids walking to school. She tasked Hildebrandt to come up with an inventive, cost-effective way to save lives.

“There’s just nothing that is going to stop an automobile from leaving the street to the sidewalk,” she said.

Matt Robbins, who shares District 2 with Monferdini, said signs and speed detectors have a role in slowing cars, but education of citizen will be critical. Improvements by the city on Chamblee Tucker Road will be appreciated, he said.

In 2017, 66-year-old Janet Pickney was struck while jogging and killed by DeKalb County police officer Ian MacGowan on Chamblee Tucker Road. Tucker approved a contract in April to redesign Chamblee Tucker Road by reducing the number of lanes and reducing the speed limit to 35 mph.

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