Atlanta could ban turns on red in some parts of city

Why it matters: The proposal comes amid a steady rise in the number of pedestrians hit by vehicles.

• According to a report released in November by Propel ATL, the number of people hit and killed by motorists in Atlanta jumped 23% in 2022, Thomas previously reported.
• Pedestrian deaths have risen by more than 50% since 2020, Propel's 38 Reasons Why report indicates.
• More than two-thirds of pedestrian fatalities reported in 2022 happened in predominantly Black neighborhoods, the nonprofit says.

According to the legislation introduced by Jason Dozier, drivers at intersections are focused "on the flow of cars that they seek to merge into, rather than anyone biking or walking in their immediate vicinity."

• If approved by the City Council, signs will be installed within six months at intersections within the designated areas informing drivers that turns on red are illegal.

What they're saying: Dozier tells Axios that the legislation is designed to "give pedestrians more space and more freedom to be safe in the communities in which they travel and traverse."

• "What happens is, even if I have the right of way as a pedestrian…I have to go out of the crosswalk to get around a vehicle that has encroached so much that it is blocking safe passage," he said. "So this legislation is intended to really reverse that trend [and] make it safer for pedestrians."

Yes, and: Rebecca Serna, executive director of Propel ATL, a biking advocacy organization, tells Axios that the prohibition is an "important safety measure and is really more about creating a culture of roadway safety."

Of note: The legislation would not apply to emergency vehicles responding to calls or to intersections maintained by the Georgia Department of Transportation where the turns are permitted.

Flashback: Allowing turns on red gained traction in the 1970s as a response to the oil crisis, Serna said.

• The federal government pushed for states to allow the turns with the hopes of reducing oil consumption from idling vehicles.
• But vehicles are still idling on the roads, and the policy has been "detrimental to traffic safety," Serna says.

The big picture: The movement to ban right-on-red turns at intersections is gaining steam across the country.

• Leaders in Seattle adopted a policy last year that would expand its no right-on-red restrictions.
• Raleigh also approved a ban for its downtown area.
• The proposal has been floated in Denver, Indianapolis and San Francisco, just to name a few.
• City leaders in Washington, D.C., want to ban the maneuver by 2025, but Congressional Republicans have sought to stop it.

What's next: The legislation will be heard in the Council's Transportation Committee meeting at 10am Jan. 17.