Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms authorized the installation of 25 miles per hour (mph) speed limit signs throughout Atlanta. Administered by the Atlanta Department of Transportation (ATLDOT), this initiative to reduce vehicular speeds is part of a citywide commitment made in 2020 to adopt and implement Vision Zero to safeguard the streets of Atlanta. Vision Zero is a systems-based approach to eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries through safer street design, speed management and other proven strategies.
“Our Vision Zero plan is designed to reduce vehicular incidents and ensure residents and visitors alike are safe on our streets—regardless of their method of transportation,” said Mayor Bottoms. “In addition to reduced speed limits, the City will continue to explore every tool available to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries in our communities.”
In early February of 2021, ATLDOT began replacing approximately 1,000 speed limit signs on more than 300 city streets. Electronic message boards are being placed nearby to alert drivers to the new speed limits. When the sign installations are complete, nearly 75 percent of the city’s streets will be reduced to a 25 mph speed. Through this new campaign ATLDOT is urging all motorists to #Drive25 to #SaveLives.
“We recognize that improving safety and saving lives does not always have to be complicated or expensive,” said ATLDOT Commissioner Josh Rowan “Reducing the speed limit to 25 miles per hour has proven to be a quick and effective way to combat the dangers of speeding and make streets safer for people walking, biking, rolling, and taking transit.”
Atlanta’s Vision Zero strategy will continue to use an equitable, data-driven approach to develop strategies and multi-year actions that target the city’s biggest roadway safety issues. Changing how streets are engineered is a key part of the program. In the coming months, the City will form a task force of safety partners and stakeholders to support the development of the Vision Zero Action Plan.
