Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens drew backlash after a reply from his Instagram account told a constituent to “shut up” for raising concerns about pedestrian improvements and voter-funded transit projects.
The exchange began after Dickens posted a video surprising Nature Gurlz, a group of Black women who gather outdoors. Grant Park resident Jonathan Brimer urged the mayor to restore downtown Peachtree Street’s pedestrian-focused design and deliver Beltline rail promised through the More MARTA sales tax, the New York Post reported.
“Shut up and respect our legacy Black women residents that made this city that you get to enjoy freely,” the mayor’s account replied. “We on the southside today.”
Brimer later told Fox News his comment targeted policy, not the women featured in the video. He said he once supported Dickens but now questions the mayor’s leadership. Asked whether Dickens wrote the response, stood by it or planned to apologize, the mayor’s office declined to comment.
The complaints have a broader history. Atlanta’s Peachtree Street Safe Street project carries a $4.85 million budget and calls for a protected bicycle lane, narrower vehicle lanes and safer crossings. The city projects construction from May 2027 through February 2029.
Atlanta voters approved the More MARTA half-penny sales tax in 2016, with the program expected to generate about $2.7 billion over 40 years. However, work on the proposed Streetcar East Extension along the Beltline was stopped at the 30% design stage last year after a city-MARTA-Beltline committee vote. Officials later described it as paused while priorities are reconsidered.
Reaction was divided. Some residents accused Brimer of hijacking a celebratory post, while others said an elected official should answer policy criticism without insulting a constituent. The exchange turned a community video into another dispute over Atlanta transit delays, transparency and City Hall’s treatment of dissatisfied residents.
