Family of Peachtree Street crash victim urges Atlanta to install raised crosswalks and restore pedestrian protections

A downtown crossing becomes focal point for broader street-safety debate

The family of Pradeep Sood, a longtime Atlanta resident who was killed while crossing Peachtree Street in 2025, is pressing city leaders to rebuild pedestrian protections at the location of his death and to consider raised crosswalks as a traffic-calming measure along the corridor. The renewed push comes as pedestrian-safety advocates and some City Council members question why a promised replacement crossing has not yet been installed.

Sood was struck while using a faded crosswalk in the Peachtree Center area. In the months following the fatal crash, the remaining markings were covered as downtown road work proceeded, leaving no marked crossing at the block where pedestrians had long crossed between major buildings. His family says the absence of a clear, designated crossing has persisted despite formal action by City Council seeking restoration and upgrades.

What the city has considered—and what remains unresolved

City Council approved a resolution in 2025 urging the restoration of a permanent, clearly marked crosswalk, paired with additional safety features such as signage and warning devices. Council members involved in the issue have characterized the previous faded crossing as a source of confusion for both drivers and pedestrians and have argued that the city needs a clear plan for how Peachtree Street should function in one of Atlanta’s busiest pedestrian districts.

However, as of this week, no public construction timeline has been posted for reinstalling the crossing at that specific location. The lack of a schedule has become a central point for Sood’s relatives and street-safety groups, who gathered at the site on the anniversary of his death to call for faster implementation and stronger design changes.

Why raised crosswalks are part of the request

Advocates are urging the city to go beyond repainting stripes, arguing for a raised crosswalk that elevates the pedestrian crossing to sidewalk level. This design is intended to slow approaching vehicles through vertical deflection and to make the crossing more visible. Supporters point to raised crossings already installed elsewhere in Atlanta as examples of treatments that can reduce speeds where people routinely cross on foot.

• Restore a marked crosswalk at the block where the fatal crash occurred.
• Add higher-visibility and speed-management elements, including a raised crossing.
• Clarify the long-term design approach for Peachtree Street in the downtown core.

Peachtree Street’s shifting design context

The debate also reflects recent changes to Peachtree Street’s configuration. A city pilot project begun in 2021 narrowed parts of the corridor and added safety treatments aimed at slowing traffic and improving pedestrian conditions. That pilot was later reversed, and the street returned to a more vehicle-oriented layout. The crosswalk at issue remained in place long enough to fade, leaving an ambiguous crossing environment before it was ultimately covered.

City leaders and safety advocates now face a narrower question with broader implications: whether the corridor’s design and project delivery pace match the volume of people who walk through downtown every day.

Separately, fatal pedestrian crashes have continued to occur on or near Peachtree Street in recent years, intensifying scrutiny of downtown crossings and reinforcing calls for permanent, design-based safety upgrades rather than temporary or piecemeal fixes.