You can go left. Or you can go right. What you can’t do is go straight.
It doesn’t seem like that would be so hard to figure out, but some drivers exiting I-20 onto Bill Kennedy Way seem confused by the choice.
When traveling eastbound on the highway, anyone who veers right to exit at Memorial Drive and Glenwood Avenue will see flashing yellow lights signaling that they should exercise caution ahead. Straight ahead is where concrete barriers wall off the Atlanta Beltline’s pedestrian and cycling traffic, as well as a row of homes.
Still, this exit ramp is becoming notorious.
Back in May 2020, a driver lost control of a car coming off the ramp. It crossed over lanes of traffic, jumped the curb and crashed into a home.
Fortunately, no one was killed.
Then, in January 2022, another car crashed into the concrete barriers pushing them onto the Beltline path.
Fortunately again, no one was killed.
From 2018 to 2022, there were at least 23 accidents at this particular highway exit, according to data from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). In January 2024, another vehicle barreled into the barricades and onto the Beltline.
Though no fatalities have been recorded, I can’t count the number of times someone has made reference to this exit ramp and followed it with a comment along the lines of “It’s just a matter of time before someone is killed.”
Ken Boff, a cyclist, made the same prediction to State Sen. Nan Orrock (D-Atlanta).
That conversation led to a meeting with GDOT and local residents soon after. The meeting attendees took a walk over to Bill Kennedy Way to inspect the concrete barricades that have been battered and cracked as a result of so many vehicles ramming directly into them, Boff said.
GDOT’s analysis suggests that most of the accidents (65%) are caused by distracted driving (one of the most common causes of collisions everywhere), while 19% could be attributed to design flaws.
This location isn’t the only exit ramp off I-20 that is a cause for concern. (Shout out to McDaniel Street in Mechanicsville.) But Bill Kennedy Way’s proximity to this well-traveled stretch of the Beltline has put that strip of roadway in an unflinching spotlight.
Accidents there have been the subject of social media threads, blog posts and statements from Atlanta city council members, all with a similar conclusion: Something needs to be done to improve safety in the area.
Something is being done. But more needs happen, and it needs to happen faster.
Boff invited me to a follow-up meeting earlier this month where several representatives from GDOT, the Beltline, the city council and the community discussed options for additional safety measures.
GDOT representatives outlined some of the enhancements made as recently as February to improve safety. These measures included the installation of an additional traffic signal, the “signal ahead” flashers on both sides of the ramp and large signs overhead.
Other possible improvements include adding rumble strips (noise makers that can jolt a distracted driver into paying attention) to the exit ramp and painting directional arrows on the concrete barricades directly in front of drivers exiting the highway.
But some residents have said they want more.
As early as 2018, residents were lobbying for either closing the street to car traffic or closing the exit from the freeway. Some of them also acknowledged at the time that this is probably an impractical solution, given the large commercial developments located just off the expressway.
Beltline officials have proposed building a separate pedestrian bridge at Bill Kennedy Way to connect the completed Eastside Trail and upcoming segments of the Southside Trail. But they also say the exit ramp concerns pre-date the Beltline.
A pedestrian bridge is being designed, but GDOT must give final approval, as the I-20 interchange falls under its jurisdiction, Beltline officials said in an email. “Throughout the process, we will ensure designs maximize trail user safety, improve traffic safety, while incorporating community input,” the email said.
The project is currently in the early preliminary stages of design work, and Beltline officials are seeking federal funding for the bridge construction, which isn’t likely to begin until winter 2027, according to information presented at the community meeting in late March.
A lot of accidents have happened at this exit. A lot more can happen in three years.
So, let’s not wait for a tragedy to spur more urgent and collaborative action.
Read more on the Real Life blog (www.ajc.com/opinion/real-life-blog/) and find Nedra on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AJCRealLifeColumn) and Twitter (@nrhoneajc) or email her at nedra.rhone@ajc.com.
