Gridlock Guy: Take new studies on ugly Atlanta commutes with a grain of asphalt

Living too close to the fire can often warp perspective. People are often far more sensitive to issues affecting their local areas or are so familiar with their auspices that they do not realize how good or bad things are.

Atlantans nearly universally agree that the metro area’s traffic stinks and that having an automobile to commute is essential. New numbers support this these axioms, though the studies lack nuance.

A recent Consumer Affairs study ranks Atlanta’s traffic as the fifth-worst out of the top 50 U.S. cities researchers analyzed, three spots worse than in 2024. Based on the U.S. Census Bureau’s data of commuters 16 and over, Atlantans averaged the third-worst average daily commute time at 31.3 minutes. Atlanta has the 12th-highest average daily time of congestion at 4 hours, 57 minutes per weekday. And our city sees 10.75 fatal car crashes per 100,000 people, making it the 17th-worst rate in the nation.

Compared to 2024, Atlanta commute times are 1.3% worse and the congestion-per-weekday is 13.7 minutes longer. But the study does show that the fatality crash rate is 41% less, though many cities in the data sheet saw big swings both ways in that metric.

The study weighted both commute-time measurements at 45 points each and the fatality rate at only 10. And researchers weighted each city’s score in comparison to the other 50 cities, so the worst cities in each measure would get a 100 score — and so on.

In another, less scientific study commissioned by auto exhaust manufacturer exhaust company B2 Fabrication, researchers ranked Atlanta as the 55th-most walkable out of 100 U.S. cities. This study assigned weighted scores in six areas: walkability, transit access, bike infrastructure, average public transit commute time, safety and climate.

One should not lose the irony of an auto parts company sharing a walkability study.

Given Georgians’ dependency on cars, the spread and sprawl of metro Atlanta, and the dearth of public transportation, Atlanta’s place in the top 100 is surprising. But the study’s authors cited Atlanta’s average temperature of 63.5 degrees (year-round, also includes nighttime temps) as a positive factor. Atlanta’s transit, biking, and walking scores are slightly lower than average. Its 35.35 crime and safety score is one of the lowest of the 100 cities on the list.

But what makes one’s daily drive bad — or their trip walkable — has so many layers and is very subjective.

One reason that Atlanta commute times are so long, for instance, is that many people drive from so far away. Even with no delays, many people drive over 30 miles to their jobs because metro Atlanta is so spread out. Atlanta has few geographical barriers and the far-flung suburbs have copious population pockets.

Also, as the Consumer Affairs study states, ugly traffic is not simply a sign of poor planning and lack of adequate transit. When economies are booming and people want to be in a desirable place, the delays grow.

New York City (sixth) and San Francisco (fourth) have some of the worst traffic in the United States, but also some of the best public transportation systems. And they are dense and walkable. So does the city with the worst ranking, Washington D.C.

Walkability also has many layers. Atlanta has a great average climate all year, but many people are not trying to walk a half-mile in the near triple digit heat of summer this city has recently felt. Summer storms also torpedo the desire to walk.

People in Midtown may find many of their needs are a walk or bike ride away. But lower income residents who are not near the city center may lack access to public transportation. Walking could very well be less of an option for them, too.

Ask any meteorologist: generalizing Atlanta as a monolith is practically impossible. Metro Atlanta is roughly the size of New Jersey. Life in the suburbs is very different from city life. Some suburbs have their own, well-planned city centers that are walkable. But many neighborhoods are not technically within walking distance of those Main Streets anyway.

My suburb, Chamblee, for example, is extremely walkable for Momo and me. We live in its downtown area. But a neighborhood just a mile or two away from the city center, say, across Peachtree Boulevard or Clairmont Road, is far less walkable. Would a family of four or an elderly couple want to walk 2 miles for dinner? Heck, would I?

Statistics and studies help tell broader stories, but the exceptions are far and wide. That said, Atlanta has worsening traffic and is not overall that reliable for commuters outside of cars — until the next broad studies drop, anyway.

Doug Turnbull covers the traffic/transportation beat for WXIA-TV (11Alive). His reports appear on the 11Alive Morning News from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and on 11Alive.com. Email Doug at dturnbull@11alive.com.