Alarming link between bus stops, pedestrian fatalities in metro Atlanta, new study shows
Study links bus stops to most pedestrian crashes
There is a major correlation between bus stops and deadly pedestrian crashes in metro Atlanta. That’s according to a new study published by a local traffic safety advocacy group. Data from the study revealed a staggering increase in pedestrian deaths.
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. - In metro Atlanta, it’s no secret that, through its evolution, the lay of the land has been set with cars in mind.
Propel ATL Executive Director Rebecca Serna says the safety nonprofit's latest traffic safety study seems to support that notion with data showing fatal crashes, which shot up during the pandemic, have continued to trend upward over the last five years.
The backstory:
The Propel ATL study published Wednesday focuses on Clayton, Fulton and DeKalb County crash data from 2014 to 2023.
According to the data from 2022 to 2023, traffic fatalities declined overall from 355 to 344 in the three-county area. Pedestrians made up one third of the 344 people killed in 2023.
Despite an overall decrease in crashes, DeKalb County saw a 25% increase in people killed and 40% increase in pedestrians killed from 2022 to 2023.
The study also found that in 2023, nearly half of all crashes involving pedestrians in the three counties happened less than 150 feet from a bus stop. 88% of those crashes were within a quarter mile.
By the numbers:
The study showed a decline in overall traffic fatalities from 355 in 2022 to 344 in 2023 across the three counties. However, DeKalb County saw a 25% increase in traffic-related deaths, with a 40% rise in pedestrian fatalities. Pedestrians accounted for one-third of the 344 deaths in 2023. Notably, 88% of pedestrian crashes occurred within a quarter mile of bus stops, with Memorial Drive in DeKalb County recording the highest number of fatalities.
What they're saying:
Propel ATL Executive Director Rebecca Serna says human lives are a high price to pay for getting from point A to point B.
She tells FOX 5 she was stunned to see the number of pedestrians killed in DeKalb County nearly doubled.
"We don’t have to accept that people dying is just the cost of getting around," she said. "What I keep coming back to is we have too many roads in DeKalb County, like Memorial Drive that had the highest number of fatalities of any road we looked at in the three-county area in 2023."
Propel ATL recommended each county develop a Vision Zero similar to the City of Atlanta’s.
"The first step is just setting a goal that we need to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries," Serna added.
The other side:
A MARTA spokesperson says through its Safe Routes to Transit program and planned redesign of its bus network, the transit authority is doing its part to make catching the bus safer.
FOX 5 has reached out to all three counties for comment on the group's findings. A DeKalb County spokesperson says they are looking at the data. We’re still waiting to hear back from Fulton County and Clayton County transportation officials.
The Source: FOX 5's Joi Dukes spoke with Propel ATL Executive Director Rebecca Serna for this article. MARTA and DeKalb County offered their comments on the study. Additional inquiries for comment were made to Fulton and Clayton counties without response at the time of this publication.