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ATL DOT reports more paving, fewer fatalities but council presses for resurfacing equity and timelines
Summary
ATL DOT told the Transportation Committee it repaved roughly 96 miles in the past year, reported a 20% year-over-year decrease in surface-street fatalities and zero bike fatalities year to date; council members pressed the department for district-level resurfacing schedules and pledged follow-ups on enforcement and contractor accountability.
The Atlanta Department of Transportation presented its Q3 2025 quarterly report Wednesday and said the city has stepped up resurfacing while tracking safety improvements, though council members pressed the department to produce clearer district-by-district plans and to address enforcement and contractor restoration issues.
Commissioner Solomon Caviness told the Transportation Committee the city saw an approximately 20% year-over-year decline in surface-street fatalities and about a 40% drop from the 2021 peak; he also said there were zero bike fatalities year to date and that the department repaved roughly 96 miles of roadway in the last year. "Our goal is 30 potholes a day, and we're seeing, more recently an average triple that," Caviness said, citing recent improvements to service levels and enforcement coordination.
Council members used the presentation to demand more granular evidence of progress. "These paving projects are incorrect. The limits are wrong," Council Member Dustin Hillis said of project documentation in the packet. Hillis and others called for a short-term resurfacing plan and a longer life-cycle management strategy; Caviness said the department is conducting a pavement condition audit (cited at roughly a 62 PCI, versus a U.S. city average of about 65) and will work with council on prioritization.
Members also asked about the $120 million bond amendment that has funded resurfacing in prior cycles. Commissioner Caviness said permanent restriping is scheduled for spring and that safety features from the Moving Atlanta Forward program will be incorporated during design and implementation phases; temporary improvements and early construction work will continue where weather permits.
Council members pressed for stronger enforcement of permits and restoration when utilities or contractors cut into city streets. Caviness said the department has realigned standard operating procedures, increased deputy commissioner coordination, pursued citations where warranted and engaged with contractors to improve restoration work.
The presentation listed active projects such as Cascade Road Complete Streets, Joseph E. Lowry Complete Streets, Juniper Street and other corridor sidewalk and signal upgrades. Caviness said the Comprehensive Transportation Plan is set to begin this winter, a roughly 18- to 24-month effort that will be paired with community engagement.
Council members requested follow-up briefings and district-specific timelines. The commissioner pledged continued updates and promised staff would share designs and schedules for parks, pedestrian scrambles, Safe Routes to School and other projects slated to advance to construction by the end of the calendar year or early next year.
Actionable follow-ups included additional data on resurfacing encumbrances, contractor performance, the outcome of enforcement citations and a life-cycle management plan for pavement investment.
