City, APD crack down on illegal street racing

By Collin Kelley and John Ruch

Street racing is not a new phenomenon in Atlanta, but it’s leapt into the headlines and become a hot topic on neighborhood message boards as cars, ATVs, and motorcycles have moved the illegal acts from interstates to local streets.

In early May, video of hundreds of spectators watching illegal street races in West End and on Spring Street in Midtown went viral on social media. The incidents happened just a day after the expiration of the state’s COVID-19 shelter-in-place order.

A few weeks later, the Atlanta Police Department arrested 44 people and impounded 29 vehicles during a crackdown on street racing. But that didn’t stop the activity. During a July 4 street party, two people were shot and killed and dozens injured while watching cars perform stunts and do doughnuts.

Since then, there have been incidents of street racing and stunts on the Peachtree Street bridge over the Downtown Connector and on Highland Avenue on the bridge over Freedom Parkway in Old Fourth Ward, where spectators were tailgating and socializing – again without masks.

Both APD and the Atlanta City Council have stepped in to try and curb street racing with a series of measures and ordinances.

On Aug. 3, the council adopted an ordinance to reinforce existing state law against street racing by increasing fines to $1,000 and specifically outlawing other participants — such as those riding along or paying to join — and calling for maximum penalties to be enforced. The ordinance raised eyebrows when it was reported incorrectly by media and public officials that the directive outlawed spectators from even watching illegal street races.

Last month, the Atlanta Department of Transportation brought in barricades to narrow streets in Castleberry Hill, Sweet Auburn, and Edgewood to both limit crowds and eliminate space for vehicles to race and stunt.

The city council is also considering buying more license plate readers to identify car owners and crack down on street racing.