Atlanta City Council bans vehicle right turns on red lights

ATLANTA — The Atlanta City Council on Monday, Feb. 19, approved an ordinance that will prohibit all vehicles from making right turns on red lights in the Downtown, Midtown, and Castleberry Hill neighborhoods (24-O-1011).

Officials said the new legislation aligns with the City of Atlanta’s commitment to enhancing pedestrian safety and supporting businesses, cultural attractions and residences in areas where there are high volumes of pedestrian traffic. The ordinance also acknowledges the Federal Highway Administration’s advisement that turning on red “should be prohibited where and/or when there are high pedestrian volumes.”

Approximately 250 intersections will be impacted by the legislation, which will become effective by Dec. 31, 2025 as the city works to erect signage in the impacted areas.

Downtown Atlanta s defined as the area bounded by North Avenue on the North; I-20 on the South; Northside Drive on the West; and I-75/I-85 (also known as the Downtown Connector) on the East and is inclusive of the Castleberry Hill neighborhood.

Midtown Atlanta is defined as the area bounded by I-85 on the North; North Avenue on the South; I-75/I-85 on the West; and Piedmont Avenue on the East.

The City of Atlanta joins other municipalities such as Washington, DC; Ann Arbor, MI; Seattle, WA; and Raleigh, NC, in banning right turns on red lights for vehicles. 

The “no turn on red” was a standard traffic policy across most of the United States until 1975 when the federal government reversed the policy to permit right turns on red as a fuel conservation measure during the oil crisis, resulting in compliance of all states by 1980. While the impact on fuel consumption is unclear, the impact on pedestrian and cycling safety has been significant, triggering a sharp increase in crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists and right-turning vehicles, according to a number sources. A report by the Governors Highway Safety Association estimates that the number of pedestrians struck and killed by drivers in the United States in 2022 was at its highest in 40 years and according to the Atlanta Department of Transportation, more than 3,000 Atlanta families have been impacted by traffic violence since 2010. The number of pedestrians struck and killed by people driving cars in Atlanta rose 23% between 2021 and 2022, from 31 to 38 fatalities, as cited in a report by Propel ATL.

Other items approved by the Atlanta City Council include:

• A resolution authorizing an election to be held in all precincts on May 21, 2024, to submit to the voters whether the City of Atlanta should reimpose a special one percent sales to fund water and sewer projects at the cost of $1.1 billion (24-R-3190).This item was sent to the mayor’s office post haste.
• A resolution authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement with Fulton County, if necessary, to conduct special elections in Atlanta during 2024 (24-R-3189). This item was sent to the mayor’s office post haste.
• An ordinance to modify the hours of operations at Hartsfield – Jackson Atlanta International Airport (24-O-1055).
• A resolution to urge the Georgia General Assembly to pass House Bill 1219, which creates a pilot program to determine the efficacy of enforcement of traffic laws relating to excessive noise levels emitted from a motor vehicle by noise detection technology. This item was an immediate consideration.
• A resolution to establish a task force to address the restoration of the Westside Olympic neighborhood historical markers, which have suffered from disrepair and vandalism. This item was an immediate consideration and sent to the mayor’s office post haste.
• A resolution to add funding to special procurement agreement – HOPE Atlanta Outreach Transportation and Referral Services, with Travelers Aid of Metropolitan Atlanta on behalf of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in an amount not to exceed $140,000 (24-R-3179).
• An ordinance to erect a historical marker at the intersection of Sunset Avenue, NW, and Magnolia Street, NW, to recognize the historic presence of the Magnolia Ballroom (24-O-1058).
• A resolution to execute agreements under the Emergency Food and Shelter Program with Hispanic Alliance, Inner-City Muslim Action Network, and Migrant Equity Southeast to provide food, shelter, and supportive services to unhoused immigrants in the city for $710,000 (24-R-3177).

Proclamations and recognitions were presented in honor of civil rights administrator, political strategist, and former SCLC executive Director Stoney Cooks and his wife, social activist Shirley Cooks, Atlanta Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. and FUBU during Atlanta Fashion Week. 

The following items were introduced for consideration in committee, including:

• A resolution encouraging the mayor, Invest Atlanta, and Atlanta Housing to abstain from allocating public funds or granting tax abatements to individuals or entities with unresolved criminal or civil cases about properties under their ownership.
• An ordinance to address violations of stop-work orders by imposing fines and demolition requirements within limits set by the official Code of Georgia.
• An ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept a $960,000 grant from the Housing Authority, awarded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, to administer the Bowen Choice Neighborhood Grant jointly.
• A resolution authorizing a $250,000 donation to FCS Urban Ministries, Inc. DBA Focused Community Strategies to support community leadership in the Thomasville Heights neighborhood.