Atlanta’s New Committee Tackles Dangerous Roads After Spike in Fatal Crashes
It’s a big undertaking, but Atlanta is rolling up its sleeves to make the city streets safer. This past Wednesday, Atlanta introduced its brand-new Fatal Crash Review Committee. They kick-started their mission, aiming to dig deep into the why’s and how’s of fatal crashes and serve up some solid solutions.
Who makes up this dedicated group, you ask? It’s a mix of Atlanta City Council members, Propel ATL, Atlanta Police, and experts from the Atlanta Department of Transportation and the Georgia Department of Transportation. Together, they’re slapping their focus on 14 notorious street areas in Atlanta that have seen more than their fair share of trouble. For nine of these roads, that trouble includes fatal pedestrian accidents. Ouch.
Two streets, in particular, keep popping up in their discussions: Moreland Avenue SW and Campbellton Road. Talk about hotspots for trouble! Just ask Douglas Burks, the owner of Burks Jewelers on Moreland Avenue SW. With over 20 years of experience running his shop, this jeweler has witnessed more than a few car accidents from his store window. “Every day, we’ll see an accident or someone trying to cross the street and get hit,” Burks shared. He believes that those without homes are often the ones at risk.
Due to circumstances like the closing of a downtown missionary, Burks explains, “They don’t have anywhere to go, so they start playing Russian roulette with traffic.” It’s not like they have a secret road-crossing strategy, however. “They don’t exactly go to the crosswalk,” Burks described, comparing their movements to the seesaw action of a double-dutch jump rope game.
This is a point not lost on the committee, which highlighted that the majority of pedestrian incidents on limited access freeways involve people experiencing homelessness. “We see just a larger trend of folks experiencing homelessness or mental illness that contribute an outsized percentage to fatalities,” noted a spokesperson from the Department of Transportation.
Between Moreland and Campbellton Roads alone, the committee counts at least five pedestrian fatalities in the last decade. This is a staggering issue with personal and social implications.
Councilwoman Liliana Bakhtiari acknowledges the average pedestrian struck might be someone struggling with mental health challenges. “Oftentimes, it’s somebody that’s had a mental health episode. And the family just doesn’t want to or just doesn’t have the capacity to deal with it,” she mentions. “And oftentimes, that family member ends up on the street.” She reminded everyone that this isn’t about fender benders and scrapes but human lives. “The people that are hit on this corridor—rarely are they living through it,” Bakhtiari stressed.
Thankfully, there are plans on the table. Burks suggests setting up more shelters as one route to a solution. Meanwhile, transportation departments have laid out immediate, short-term, and long-term plans. These include everything from adding signals and curve warning signs to raised crosswalks and restriping current ones, all actionable steps to decrease road danger.
Councilman Dustin Hillis is pushing to ensure the proposed solutions are realized. “I don’t want this to just become a book of recommendations,” Hillis says. He calls for rigorous follow-ups, especially around short-term action items. “We need to do some follow-ups when we craft that—especially around the short-term recommendations and track how those have or have not been implemented,” he asserts.
This dedicated committee is setting a precedent for accountability and action. They aim to continue their work every quarter with committed hearts and open ears, taking suggestions for change seriously.
