In the WSB Traffic Center our lives revolve around numbers. Trip times, average speeds, interstate numbers, exit numbers, mile markers. Numbers fly fast and furious every weekday morning and it’s our job to absorb, and ultimately translate these numbers into usable information to help guide commuters around Atlanta gridlock.
Normally the numbers and the data make sense to us. We can predict trip times, backups and whether or not you need to alter your commute. Last week was a different story. The numbers didn’t make sense. I felt like Russell Crowe’s character in “A Beautiful Mind” — just not as crazy and with a prettier wife.
For some reason, unbeknownst to man, woman or traffic reporter, traffic on Interstate 575 was lighter than normal last week. Usually when that happens, it can be explained by school being out of session or government holidays. Neither was the case last week, but traffic was still much better than normal.
The reduction in delays baffled not only yours truly, but I-575 commuters as well.
Larissa Wiley drives to work daily on I-575 from Sixes Road to Chastain Road. She too was at a loss for a reason for the improved ride.
“It was like a Christmas present to us drivers. Almost every day it was close to being a speed limit shot,” Wiley said. “It was inexplicable.”
Wiley saw a dramatic drop in her average trip time.
“On average, my trip usually takes 30 minutes to travel eight miles,” Wiley said. “This week it only took between seven and 10 minutes.”
Wiley wasn’t alone. Most trips times logged in the WSB Traffic Center were better than normal on I-575 in Cherokee County.
“I talked to other people about and they said they didn’t know why, either. But they were happy about it.” Wiley said.
When I’m at a loss in the traffic realm I often turn to WSB’s Captain Herb Emory for reassurance. Emory thought the weather might have played a factor on I-575 last week.
“We had several rush hours this week that were mostly cloudy,” Emory said “Any time we have clouds up, that makes the rush hour better on I-75 and I-575.”
Was it a weather anomaly? Did the clouds keep things moving smoothly? I’m not entirely convinced. To be fair, there were still delays on I-575 between Chastain Road and I-75 in Cobb County. The Cherokee County portion of the pavement though, was remarkably smooth.
So, was last week just a blip on the normally reliable traffic radar, or perhaps we might be seeing the beginning of a trend of better traffic in Cherokee County? This morning’s rush hour should tell us a lot. If we return to the bumper-to-bumper blues, we’ll always remember last week fondly.
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