Help Slow in Coming for Atlanta's Pedestrians

With pedestrian deaths on the rise in Georgia, despite falling automotive fatalities, Andria Simmons and Jeremiah McWilliams look at what is being done to make the Atlanta region's streets safer for those on foot and in wheelchairs.

1 minute read

August 20, 2012, 5:00 AM PDT

By Jonathan Nettler @nettsj


2012 is on pace to be another deadly year for pedestrians in Georgia. With the total number of fatalities on the state's roads having
dropped by 27 percent in recent years, pedestrian deaths are making up a growing share of the state's traffic fatalities, report Simmons and McWilliams.

"Not enough is being done to accommodate pedestrians who have to deal
with high-speed automotive traffic, said David Goldberg of the
Washington-based advocacy group Transportation for America."

"'You're lucky to get a sidewalk, you very infrequently see
well-marked crosswalks, and you have very long blocks,' said Goldberg, a
Decatur resident from 1995 to 2011. 'Motorists have gotten accustomed
to thinking the roadway belongs to them. That width [of road] sends a
signal to the motorist that you're supposed to drive at interstate
speeds.'"

Although some counties in the Atlanta region are allocating funds to improve sidewalk conditions and safety, the amount falls short of what is necessary. Unfortunately for the region's pedestrians, "much of the hoped-for money for sidewalk
repairs, refuge islands and HAWK crossings was tied up in the T-SPLOST
project list," which was voted down last month. 

 

Friday, August 17, 2012 in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Use Code 25for25 at checkout for 25% off an annual plan!

Redlining map of Oakland and Berkeley.

Rethinking Redlining

For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

May 15, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

May 21, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Rendering of California High-Speed Rail station with bullet train.

California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself

The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.

May 19, 2025 - Benjamin Schneider

Red SF Muni ticketing machine.

San Francisco Muni Raises Fares a Second Time

A 10–cent fare hike for adults is part of the agency’s plan to chip away at a growing budget deficit.

7 hours ago - San Francisco Examiner

Electric car charging station with several Chevy Bolts charging in parking lot of store in Bellingham, Washington

Electric Grid Capacity Could Hamstring EV Growth

Industry leaders say the U.S. electric grid is unprepared for the increased demand for power created by electric cars, data centers, and electric homes.

May 21 - GovTech

Top view new development riverside residential and commercial neighborhood with vacant land in Texas, USA.

Texas Bill Supports Adaptive Reuse in Commercial Areas

Senate Bill 840, which was preliminarily approved by the state House, would allow residential construction in areas previously zoned for offices and commercial uses.

May 21 - The Texas Tribune