In the year since her father was killed while crossing Peachtree Street, Puja Jabbour has watched countless other people make the same walk, from the AmericasMart to Peachtree Center, that cost Pradeep Kumar Sood his life.
When struck, Sood was in a crosswalk where today there is none, the faded stripes having been removed by the city of Atlanta.
And as Jabbour spoke of her father’s life, on the one-year anniversary of his death, pedestrians continued to cross the tide of Peachtree traffic where Sood was hit and killed on Feb. 11, 2025.
“It’s a natural crossing,” said Jabbour, whose family still runs a showroom at AmericasMart. “The city needs to respond to people’s natural behavior and natural tendencies.”
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
Sood’s family gathered at the site Wednesday, with pedestrian safety advocates from Propel ATL and Families for Safe Streets. They lobbied for the city to reinstall the crosswalk, a request that’s been echoed by some businesses and City Council members.
Sood’s death reignited a years-long debate over how to improve safety on Peachtree Street. During a 2021 pilot program, the city narrowed traffic to two lanes and painted the crosswalk at 225 Peachtree St.
It opened back up to four lanes after a complaint. But the crosswalk remained, paint fading.
After Sood’s death, city crews painted it over, saying it was part of a previously scheduled plan to resurface downtown roads. There was no timeline for safety improvements.
In June, Atlanta City Council members passed a resolution seeking the crosswalk’s restoration.
There have been few updates since. Jabbour said her family doesn’t understand the delay and that they want the crosswalk reestablished so no one else is hurt. She said if her father’s death can save a life, “then his life continues to carry meaning beyond my grief.”
An Atlanta Department of Transportation spokesperson said Wednesday that safety improvements are tentatively scheduled to begin in fall 2026. There will be public engagement sessions in advance of that work.
He did not elaborate on what improvements are planned.
Rebecca Serna, Propel ATL’s executive director, said there shouldn’t be further delay.
“The solution here is not hypothetical. We’re not wondering what to do,” Serna said at the gathering with family and advocates. “We need a safe, raised crosswalk.
“The only remaining question is when.”
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
The city completed designs for a raised crosswalk last May, according to copies of engineering reports shared with Propel ATL and provided to the AJC. The designs were updated in October to install a crosswalk at grade.
In an interview, Serna said the crosswalk must be raised, or it won’t “achieve safety results.” She said the need is even greater now that the city has repaved the street, making it easier for drivers to go faster.
City Councilmember Jason Dozier, who represents the area, spoke at the gathering and said he would like to see improvements before the FIFA World Cup in June. Dozier said he, too, was confused by the city’s delay.
“As recently as last July, our Department of Transportation said this was something that not only needed to be fixed but was going to be fixed,” he said. “And yet here we are in February.”
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
