Atlanta has ONLY the 15th worst traffic in US... (Washington: unemployment, cost)

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by NorthernBornGent

I'd hate to see the other 14 places then.

Kvetching about traffic is a popular pastime in Atlanta and it's egged on by the media at every opportunity. Turn on the news and listen to these "traffic copter" characters and you'd think Armageddon was approaching.

The reality is far different. The vast majority of time you can zip around in the ATL with little or no delay. Even our rush hours are not that bad unless you venture out onto one of the superslabs or get on a clogged arterial like North Druid hills.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Kvetching about traffic is a popular pastime in Atlanta and it's egged on by the media at every opportunity. Turn on the news and listen to these "traffic copter" characters and you'd think Armageddon was approaching.

The reality is far different. The vast majority of time you can zip around in the ATL with little or no delay. Even our rush hours are not that bad unless you venture out onto one of the superslabs or get on a clogged arterial like North Druid hills.

Just because you tell a lie enough times doesn't mean people will believe it!

Maybe its that way in John's Creek or wherever you live. Sure not that way in DeKalb County or Buckhead.

Clogged arterials-Clairmont, Clifton, Houston Mill, Briarcliff, Cheshire Bridge, Piedmont, Peachtree, DeKalb Industrial, Scott St., Ponce de Leon, North Avenue, North Decatur, North Druid Hills, La Vista/Lindberg, Chamblee Tucker, Buford Highway. Can't think of any exceptions in the northeast part of town.

[Caleb Longstreet]

Originally Posted by ATLfromJAX

Hmmm...confirmed my suspicions about all the people that WHINE about Atlanta traffic!

Used GPS data to analyze traffic flow:
http://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/n...ongestion.html

Almost everyone that complains about Atlanta traffic has never lived or driven in a major city. I lived on the West Coast and travel quite a bit.

These other cities are WORSE:
LA - 405 from 7am til 8pm is a parking lot every weekday.
SF Bay Area - 101 and all bridges from East Bay to San Fran and Silicon Valley are parking lots during rush hour. Bay Bridge and 101 into San Fran jammed on weekends.
NYC - Holland Tunnel is ridiculous at all times
Seattle - 405 at 90 by Bellevue and Redmond during rush hour is a parking lot
Austin, TX - only 1 highway (I-35) that hasn't keep up with growth, backs up going downtown even on weekends

At least in ATL I know all the side roads and back ways in-town.

Darn, and we always try to be number 1 at everything.....

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by bu2

Clogged arterials-Clairmont, Clifton, Houston Mill, Briarcliff, Cheshire Bridge, Piedmont, Peachtree, DeKalb Industrial, Scott St., Ponce de Leon, North Avenue, North Decatur, North Druid Hills, La Vista/Lindberg, Chamblee Tucker, Buford Highway. Can't think of any exceptions in the northeast part of town.

Yep, all of those roads are subject to some delays at peak hours. However, you can otherwise generally zip right along.

I am genuinely baffled by complaints that Atlanta traffic is a "nightmare." I can almost always make local shopping, errand and dining trips in 10 minutes. Commutes to and from the office are routinely 20 minutes.

It's possible that I've just gotten really good at knowing when to travel and what the best routes are. I'm also not concerned about hitting a few red lights and keeping my speed at 30 mph and under. In my opinion that's plenty fast for city streets.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Yep, all of those roads are subject to some delays at peak hours. However, you can otherwise generally zip right along.

I am genuinely baffled by complaints that Atlanta traffic is a "nightmare." I can almost always make local shopping, errand and dining trips in 10 minutes. Commutes to and from the office are routinely 20 minutes.

It's possible that I've just gotten really good at knowing when to travel and what the best routes are. I'm also not concerned about hitting a few red lights and keeping my speed at 30 mph and under. In my opinion that's plenty fast for city streets.

Well if you consider peak hours to be 6 am to 8 pm, yes they are only clogged at peak hours. I frequently drive many of those streets between 9 am and 4 pm and they can be clogged, sometimes bumper to bumper, at any time. And when you frequently get delays non-peak hour, you've got a serious problem.

[arjay57]

It may be a case of different strokes for different folks.

I don't like North Druid hills but for the most part I find it easy to get around in the ATL and significant delays are rare.

To me seeing other cars on the road and hitting a few red lights is just normal. It's quite unusual to have to wait through more than one cycle of the signal at most intersections.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by arjay57

It may be a case of different strokes for different folks.

I don't like North Druid hills but for the most part I find it easy to get around in the ATL and significant delays are rare.

To me seeing other cars on the road and hitting a few red lights is just normal. It's quite unusual to have to wait through more than one cycle of the signal at most intersections.

There must be about half of those streets you don't drive.

And even when you only have one cycle, you may be driving along at 10 mph and miss every light (see Clifton near Emory for a prime example).

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by bu2

There must be about half of those streets you don't drive.

And even when you only have one cycle, you may be driving along at 10 mph and miss every light (see Clifton near Emory for a prime example).

I am thinking I may just be very good at picking when to travel and knowing the alternative routes. It probably doesn't hurt that most of my destinations are within a few miles.

[LovelySummer]

Originally Posted by bu2

Well if you consider peak hours to be 6 am to 8 pm, yes they are only clogged at peak hours. I frequently drive many of those streets between 9 am and 4 pm and they can be clogged, sometimes bumper to bumper, at any time. And when you frequently get delays non-peak hour, you've got a serious problem.

I don't see clogged streets between 945 - 2 and I only drive in-town. Sorry, it empties out after rush hour.

[AnsleyPark]

Originally Posted by bu2

Just because you tell a lie enough times doesn't mean people will believe it!

Maybe its that way in John's Creek or wherever you live. Sure not that way in DeKalb County or Buckhead.

Clogged arterials-Clairmont, Clifton, Houston Mill, Briarcliff, Cheshire Bridge, Piedmont, Peachtree, DeKalb Industrial, Scott St., Ponce de Leon, North Avenue, North Decatur, North Druid Hills, La Vista/Lindberg, Chamblee Tucker, Buford Highway. Can't think of any exceptions in the northeast part of town.

Dude, he doesn't live in Johns Creek. Pay attention.