Atlanta traffic deaths drop slightly, but inequities remain
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Poor public policy and streets that prioritize speed over safety are fueling traffic fatalities in metro Atlanta, according to a new report released Wednesday by Propel ATL.
Why it matters: Atlanta might be an auto-centric town, but not everyone drives. For many people who use wheelchairs, transit, bicycles or their feet, getting to work or school can be unpleasant at best and deadly at worst.
- The report's dynamic story map includes the often undercovered stories of people who were killed on local roads, including a 20-year-old aspiring doula killed by a driver while walking to the store for a soft drink.
By the numbers: 344 people died in traffic crashes in Fulton, DeKalb and Clayton counties — counties with the state's most robust transit service — in 2023, according to the pedestrian and bicycling advocacy group's annual analysis.
- That's a 3.1% drop from the previous year, but still higher than before a pandemic-era surge.
Stunning stat: DeKalb County saw fewer traffic crashes but a 40% jump in pedestrian deaths in 2023, according to the analysis.
The big picture: The data paints a picture of inequity uninterrupted. 45% of pedestrian crashes in the three counties happened within 150 feet of a bus stop, and more than two-thirds of all traffic fatalities occurred in predominantly Black neighborhoods.
- Roughly two-thirds of Atlanta's "high-injury network" — the 10% of streets responsible for 73% of severe and fatal traffic injuries — are concentrated south of I-20 or west of Northside Drive.
Zoom out: Memorial Drive, Covington Highway and Tara Boulevard had the highest number of traffic fatalities from 2019 to 2023.
What they're saying: "Across the three counties, traffic crashes take as many lives as homicides, yet homicides are often heavily covered by news outlets, while traffic fatalities are often treated as background noise, a cost of mobility we all must accept," Propel said.
What we're watching: Atlanta's pedestrian safety plan includes protected bike lanes, lower speed limits, and a commission to review fatal crashes.
- MARTA is making safety improvements near 200 bus stops and redesigning the bus route network to reach more riders more frequently, the AJC reports.
- At the Capitol, bipartisan legislation would create a special committee to study "appropriate penalties for harming vulnerable roadway users and to improve enforcement mechanisms."