ATLANTA — Atlanta's new Fatal Crash Review Committee met for the first time on Wednesday.
Their goal is to identify contributing factors in fatal crashes and recommend actions to reduce the likelihood of future crashes.
The committee consists of Atlanta City Council members, Propel ATL, Atlanta Police, and representatives for the Atlanta Department of Transportation and the Georgia Department of Transportation.
They reviewed 14 dangerous roads across Atlanta. Nine of them have had recent fatal pedestrian accidents.
Moreland Avenue SW and Campbellton Road were mentioned twice.
Douglas Burks owns Burks Jewelers on Moreland Avenue SW. He's said he's been there for more than 20 years. He watches accidents time and time again through his window.
"Every day, we'll see an accident or someone trying to cross the street and get hit," Burks said.
Burks said he believes unhoused people are usually the victims.
"They don't have anywhere to go," Burks said. "And, plus, we do they closed the missionary in downtown Atlanta. So, that kind of pushed them further out."
Burks said homeless people are playing a dangerous game with traffic.
"They don't, exactly, go to the crosswalk," Burks said. "It's almost like doing a double-dutch thing trying to get across the street."
The committee has noticed as well.
"The majority of our pedestrian crashes that happen on limited access freeways are those people experiencing homelessness," an official said.
"We see just see a larger trend of folks experiencing homelessness or mental illness that contribute an outsized percentage to fatalities," said a spokesperson with the DOT.
Between Moreland and Campbellton, at least five people have been struck and killed in the past ten years, according to the committee's findings.
Councilwoman Liliana Bakhtiari said she understood.
"Oftentimes, it's somebody that's had a mental health episode. And the family just doesn't want to...just doesn't have the capacity to deal with it. And they, oftentimes, that family member ends up on the street."
She reminded the council that this is a human issue and not about material things.
"Our concern is less about any damage to cars and rear ends and more about the human life," Bakhtiari said. "The people that are hit on this corridor—rarely are they living through it."
Bakhtiari said she's working on solutions. Burks suggested adding more shelters.
Both departments of transportation have developed immediate, short-term, and long-term plans. Those plans include everything from adding signals and curve warning signs to adding raised crosswalks and restriping crosswalks.
Councilman Dustin Hillis plans to hold crews accountable.
"I don't want this to just become a book of recommendations," Hillis said.
DOT leaders discussed solutions and listened to suggestions for change.
"We need to do some follow-ups when we craft that—especially around the short-term recommendations and track how those have or have not been implanted," Hills said.
The committee is set to continue to meet every quarter.