Atlanta traffic down in 2008 but still awful

By Ariel Hart

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Metro Atlanta’s traffic has jammed, convulsed, eased and seethed over the last couple years, and a state study is trying to paint the overall picture. One thing that stayed the same: Congestion here is notorious.

The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, working with other agencies, is drawing together information on different facets of transportation for the Atlanta region. It’s not finished with the annual study yet, and it doesn’t include numbers for 2009. But a draft shows a slightly brighter picture than a driver stuck on the Downtown Connector might think. Unemployment may be sky-high, and the price of gas may be unpredictable; but as of 2008, highway traffic was down. Mass transit ridership went up. Some measures of air quality and safety showed improvements. So it’s not all bad — unless you’re stuck in a sea of cars.

TRAFFIC

● Congestion on major highways fell in 2008, a trend that started in 2007. That’s when gas prices started to rise, topping $4 in July 2008. As for 2009, we’ll see: Lower gas prices brought some drivers back to the roads, but now the recession means fewer commuters.

● The worst place on the metro highway system? The top half of the Downtown Connector southbound at afternoon rush hour.

● Miles per individual driver fell consistently throughout the time the report measured, since 1998. There are just so many more drivers each year that for many years, the overall driving increased.

● This measure doesn’t count smaller surface streets.

MASS TRANSIT

● The number of times a passenger boarded has been up, up, up.

● Though people turned to mass transit to save gas money in 2008, stabler gas prices and a poor economy may cause people to ride less in 2009.

● More people live within walking distance of a mass transit stop.

AIR POLLUTION

● Total air pollution put out by cars and trucks has fallen by one-third since 2000.

● The study credits better cars and government inspection programs for the improvements.

● In spite of that, Atlanta still doesn’t meet federal air quality standards.

SAFETY

● Crash deaths fell in 2007. The study’s authors just started crunching newer data, and they expect the final report to show more improvement in 2008.

● There are fewer car-crash deaths in urban areas than rural areas. Drivers don’t get the chance to go as fast on city roads, and on suburban or rural roads there are more long stretches of highway with driveways or streets opening into them.

● Pedestrian and bicyclist crash deaths also were down in 2007.

THE NUMBERS

Afternoon traffic for metro Atlanta highways:

2002: 26 percent slower than free-flow

2006: 36 percent slower than free-flow

2008: 23 percent slower than free-flow

Afternoon traffic on I-75/I-85 southbound:

2008: 142 percent slower than free-flow

Transit passenger boardings in the Atlanta region:

2000: 170 million

2004: 148 million

2007: 162 million

Total transit service hours provided by six local services:

2000: 150,000

2004: 544,000

2007: 805,000

Average time it took to clear highway car crash sites:

2002: 40.1 minutes

2006: 29.8 minutes

2008: 22.9 minutes