Peachtree Street is Atlanta’s most iconic corridor. It connects Downtown and Midtown. It’s home to major employers, MARTA stations, hotels, cultural landmarks, and some of the city’s busiest sidewalks.
It’s also one of the hardest places to cross on foot.
Every day, residents, workers, transit riders, and visitors are asked to navigate wide lanes of fast-moving traffic, often with no protection. In recent years, that danger has turned deadly.
This isn’t a mystery.
And it isn’t a lack of planning.
The City of Atlanta has already studied this crossing.
Designs already exist.
We already know what would make Peachtree safer.
The real question is: why hasn’t it been built yet?
Why This Crosswalk Matters
This stretch of Peachtree Street sits at the center of Atlanta’s daily life.
People cross here to:
- Reach MARTA trains, buses, and the Streetcar
- Get to work, school, and medical appointments
- Access hotels, restaurants, and downtown destinations
- Move between neighborhoods on foot
Peachtree’s long, flat, direct design encourages vehicle speed. At the same time, its density and transit access generate constant foot traffic. That combination, fast cars and frequent crossings, is exactly why the City of Atlanta must invest in real safety infrastructure.
Paint and signals alone are not enough.
Two Designs Exist. Only One Truly Prioritizes Safety.
The City has already developed two potential crosswalk designs for this location. Both would include a pedestrian signal, but only one would realistically slow down driver speeds enough to make crossing here safe.
Option 1: A Standard Painted Crosswalk
This design adds markings and signal treatments within the existing roadway.
It’s familiar.
It’s relatively quick to install.
But it relies heavily on driver behavior—asking drivers to notice, slow down, and yield in a high-speed environment.
On a street like Peachtree, that’s a gamble.
Option 2: A Raised Crosswalk (Our Preferred Design)
A raised crosswalk physically elevates people walking to sidewalk level.
It does something crucial:
IT FORCES DRIVERS TO SLOW DOWN.
Raised crosswalks:
- Increase visibility
- Reduce vehicle speeds
- Shorten crossing distances
- Communicate clearly that people walking have priority
This design doesn’t just ask for safety.
It builds safety into the street itself.
On Atlanta’s most important corridor, that distinction matters.
Why the Raised Crosswalk Is the Right Choice for Peachtree
Peachtree Street is not a side street. It’s not a neighborhood shortcut. It’s Atlanta’s front door.
That means:
- High vehicle volumes
- High pedestrian volumes
- Visitors unfamiliar with local traffic patterns
- People walking at all hours, including nights and weekends
A raised crosswalk matches the scale, importance, and risk of this location.
Choosing a lesser treatment sends the wrong message, that safety is optional, or that painted solutions are “good enough” even after lives have been lost.
They’re not.
Why This Needs to Happen Now
Atlanta is preparing to welcome the world.
With the World Cup approaching, Peachtree Street will be one of the most visible corridors in the city for residents and visitors alike. A global city should not ask people to guess where it’s safe to cross its main street.
But this isn’t about appearances.
It’s about responsibility.
The infrastructure we build for visitors should first serve the people who live and work here every day. The urgency already exists—because lives are at stake—not because an international event is coming.
The designs are ready.
The need is clear.
The delay is a choice.
Peachtree Is Ready. Atlanta Must Act.
Atlanta has committed to safer streets. Peachtree Street is where that commitment must show up, not in words, but in concrete, visible action.
We’re calling on city leaders to:
- Advance the Peachtree Street crosswalk project this year
- Choose the raised crosswalk design
- Deliver a solution that matches the importance of the street and the lives that depend on it
If you agree, add your name and demand action.
Peachtree Street is ready.
We’re done waiting.