Officials in Atlanta have stoked anger by threatening to ban right turns at red traffic lights.
The proposal is under review by the City Council for the Downtown, Midtown and Castleberry Hill areas. Supporters of the legislation say the neighborhoods attract many visitors thanks to popular cultural attractions and businesses.
It was put forward by Councilman Jason Dozier, who has already received support from 10 other officials.
“We have seen a 50 percent increase in pedestrian deaths since 2020, and last year 38 pedestrians were killed on the streets of Atlanta as a result,” Dozier told Fox News.
Atlanta’s proposal follows steps taken by other cities across the country, such as Washington, DC and New York City, to ban the right to red.
Atlanta officials are considering banning right turns at red traffic lights, a move that has sparked anger among some residents
The proposals would impact the Downtown, Midtown and Castleberry Hill areas
‘When cars are allowed to turn at red lights, they usually creep across zebra crossings, with drivers only paying attention to oncoming traffic rather than pedestrians or cyclists.
‘Worse, vehicle sizes have increased dramatically over the past two decades, so even if a driver is looking for a pedestrian, larger blind spots and narrower sight lines make it difficult to see them.
“Crosswalks represent some of the very small space our cities provide to pedestrians, and this legislation seeks to protect that space.”
Pedestrian fatalities increased 23 percent from 2021 to 2022, according to transit safety group Propel ATL.
However, the proposal has not satisfied everyone.
‘I assume you’re going to ban cars next. Probably a good next step as this will only make traffic worse,” one local resident commented on social media.
“Please consider specific hours, rather than a complete ban,” another begged. ‘Castleberry is not overly active during the week. Also consider exceptions to event traffic patterns for residents in those neighborhoods.”
If the proposal passes, Atlanta would become the last U.S. city to ban “right on red” turns, after Washington, DC and Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The proposals so far have the support of eleven of Atlanta’s sixteen city council members
Jason Dozier, who proposed the legislation, believes it could help reduce the number of traffic accidents involving pedestrians
Last year, a ban was passed in the country’s capital that will come into effect in 2025. The maneuver is already banned in New York City, where it is illegal to turn right when the traffic light is red, except in certain places. intersections on Staten Island
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson is also calling for “restricting” the right turn on red.
Leaders in San Francisco are also pushing for a ban on right turns on red, while other major cities including Los Angeles, Seattle and Denver have also looked at bans.
The actual number of collisions caused by turning red to the right is not known nationally.
Proponents of the ban, however, point to a 1994 report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to Congress that counted 558 injuries and four fatalities as a result of right turns on red.
The report analyzed four years of crash data from Indiana, Maryland and Missouri and three years of data from Illinois.
“Even though we talk about this legislation in terms of drivers and pedestrians, this is a people-centered policy aimed at keeping people safe, especially our most vulnerable residents,” Dozier said.
“People want to be where they feel safe, and something as simple as making it easier for families to cross the street goes a long way toward creating a safety-first culture and community,” he explained .
‘This is especially important for our local businesses as more visitors lead to higher sales and revenue.
‘Companies flourish where people want to be. We’ve seen this in real time during the pandemic as businesses moved dining areas to sidewalks or reclaimed parking spaces. Walkability is not only good for people, but also for our local economies, and this legislation encourages that,” he said.
The Atlanta City Council’s Transportation Committee will vote on the proposal Wednesday.