“Are complete streets on Peachtree dead?”

The blunt question, posed by Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman during yesterday’s budget briefing, hung in the air for a beat. In response, Atlanta Department of Transportation Commissioner Solomon Caviness answered “no,”  pointing to undefined future plans tied to The Stitch and the Moving Atlanta Forward bond. But the answer feels far less hopeful for those walking Peachtree Street today.

Despite being one of the city's most iconic and heavily used pedestrian corridors, Peachtree Street was recently repaved in a four-lane, car-centric configuration, without any additional crosswalks, curb extensions, or traffic-calming measures. There has been no visible investment in pedestrian safety yet. 

Already this year, this configuration has claimed the life of Pradeep Sood, 67, hit by a driver while crossing Peachtree Street in February. (City Council recently passed legislation calling for the crosswalk at 225 Peachtree Street, where Mr. Sood was killed, to be reinstalled by June 30.) 

It may also have been at least partially responsible for the death of Michael A. Crabtree, 71, who this past Sunday was hit by a driver – who fled the scene – while in the crosswalk at Peachtree and Baker Street. This very intersection once featured posts and rubber curbs as part of the Peachtree Shared Street pilot—an intervention designed to slow cars and protect people. It was removed in 2022. 

We know the pattern. When streets are resurfaced without safety improvements, they become deadlier. Smooth pavement encourages faster speeds. And on Peachtree, faster speeds mean higher, deadlier stakes for the many residents and tourists walking in this dense, downtown corridor.

Yesterday we were told Peachtree Street won’t be redesigned until after the 2026 World Cup. That’s at least two more years of inaction. Of delay. Of danger.

So we ask again: Where’s My Project?

In 2022, voters approved the $750M Moving Atlanta Forward infrastructure program. Then, in 2023, Council passed an additional $120M bond for street resurfacing ahead of the World Cup—with an amendment explicitly requiring bike and pedestrian safety improvements. But now, the Mayor’s Office says there’s not enough time for those improvements and is pushing for repaving only.

This isn’t just a delay—it’s a broken promise. 

It also raises serious questions:
🔧 Does the city have the staffing capacity to deliver complete streets, not just repaved ones?
🚶 Why aren’t safety upgrades the default, especially in areas with recent pedestrian deaths?

 📣 What are our priorities—and whose lives are worth slowing down for?

If you're tired of waiting—if you're angry, grieving, or scared for your own safety—it’s time to speak up.

🗣️ Public comment is at Atlanta City Hall tonight, May 21st at 6:15 PM.
Let Council & Mayor Dickens know that promises made shouldn’t mean projects delayed.

 Lives are at stake.