Mayor Tim Kelly said police have stepped up patrols along Frazier Avenue in the wake of a deadly accident on Saturday in which two pedestrians were killed and a third critically injured.
He said other traffic calming options are being considered.
Mayor Kelly said, "Like all of our residents, I am concerned about the increased number of pedestrian fatalities we’ve experienced this year. My administration is committed to reversing this sad trend using a combination of data-informed tactical interventions at pedestrian hotspots, roadway design improvements, and traffic enforcement.
"I do think it's important to note that Saturday's tragic incident is an extreme outlier compared to the other pedestrian fatalities we’ve seen this year: The out-of-state driver in this case was seemingly impaired, driving recklessly, and rammed the vehicle into another before losing control into a sidewalk and a building, killing two visitors to our city, including a child, and leaving a third family member injured.
"Since this incident, the Chattanooga Police Department has been engaging in preventive patrols along Frazier Avenue and Cherokee Boulevard to deter the most abundant complaint we get about that stretch of road: Speeding. In response to the speeding issue more broadly, we have installed 61 speed cushions (temp speed bumps) throughout the city so far this year.
"As far as design and tactical interventions, projects like the reconfiguration of Central Avenue that is underway right now are specifically designed to calm traffic and to improve safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers. Other projects in the same vein are in queue. CDOT has put down 575 miles of new thermal lines and markings this year alone to make crosswalks more visible to drivers and safer for pedestrians. More than 100 new ADA ramps will have been installed by the end of the year.
"Bottom line is that we are taking action to make our streets safer and will continue to do what is necessary to reverse the trend. There are additional options in the traffic calming toolbox – bollards, curb extensions, solar-powered signage, reconfigurations, chicanes, etc. – and our folks at CDOT, RPA, and in my office are working together to determine how and where some of them might be quickly deployed here."