Busy downtown Atlanta street could be closed because people say it's dangerous

ATLANTA — A busy downtown Atlanta street could shut down for good.

For the past year, Channel 2 Action News has told you about safety concerns on Mitchell Street.

The street is next to the state Capitol.

In one instance, a man with a gun refused to stop.

In another, a veteran set himself on fire.

“I don’t feel safe at all," one woman, named Kathy, said. She did not want to give her last name, but said people should always be careful crossing Mitchell Street.

Here is why:

“During the legislative session, lawmakers are constantly going back and forth from the state Capitol to their office building, but if they could permanently shut down Mitchell Street, they would not have to worry about the traffic, or their safety.”

Casey Lawson says he is almost been hit several times.

In February, Channel 2 Action News told you about how 22-year-old Charles Brite, armed with a gun, refused to stop for a crossing guard on Mitchell Street.

“The man picked up a Glock, and jacked a round into the chamber,” Lawson said.

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On Thursday, Channel 2's Dave Huddleston saw a man trapped in the crosswalk as drivers failed to stop.

A high-level source within the state capitol told Huddleston the governor's staff and Mayor Bottoms’ staff are in talks to permanently shut down this stretch of Mitchell Street by January.

There are even sketches of what the street could look like.

Huddleston called the mayor's office and her spokesperson told him they would not comment or give a statement about the ongoing negotiations.

Former state Rep. Mark Hamilton told Huddleston that during his nine years at the Capitol, he always thought the state patrol did a good job getting people across the street, but things may have changed.

Cox Media Group