Atlanta Traffic (Roswell, Alpharetta, Kennesaw: appointed, home, employment)

[Blake.1977]

Considering a move to Atlanta and was curious of the traffic patterns during Rush hour. Generally speaking, is it a faster commute to be living inside the perimeter and commuting out to the burbs (Roswell/Alpharetta), or better to be living outside the perimeter and commuting into the city?

[fieldm]

Depends on several things.....

What time do you go to work? Generally if you can get to work by 7:15am you should be ok. Traffic in the morning peaks in the city after 7:30am. In the extreme northern suburbs traffic starts backing up at around 6:45am ish....

Is your job near MARTA?

Is your job accessable via Express bus?

Possible reverse commute?

[ATLTJL]

Reverse commutes are tricky in Atlanta. Ask anybody who leaves the city at 5p or 6pm. The connector and I-85 coming INTO the city are often much more congested than the same roads leaving the city, at least inside I-285.

So someone who thinks leaving Alpharetta or Roswell at 5pm would enable them to sail home to midtown would be sooooooooooooorely mistaken!!!!

Traffic patterns in Atlanta are tricky and dynamic. I would venture to say that though some routes are definitely better than others, there is really nothing that is immune to rush hour traffic. Your best bet in all cases is to try to beat it or wait for it to finish before venturing onto the roads. Or live really close to work, if this is possible. Or use MARTA. Obviously, the trains, not the buses.

[MattCW]

In general, yes, having a "reverse commute" is going to be faster. The only corridor I can think of with an exception is GA-400 (Roswell, Alpharetta) where the evening reverse commute can be almost as bad as the morning standard commute.

[lorilove]

Originally Posted by MattCW

In general, yes, having a "reverse commute" is going to be faster. The only corridor I can think of with an exception is GA-400 (Roswell, Alpharetta) where the evening reverse commute can be almost as bad as the morning standard commute.

My thoughts exactly!

[sedimenjerry]

Yea that route in the afternoon may sometimes be worse than outbound. 400 slows between Haynes Bridge and Holcomb Bridge, then again down at 285, then again between 285 and Buckhead all the way down to I 20.

[Mossberg]

I live downtown and commute out to Loganville via I-20 east. That is definitely a good reverse commute during morning and afternoon.

Other "reverse" commutes may not be so friendly.

[samiwas1]

It depends on a lot of things. Some are a given: 85S from the merge of 400 and the connector southbound WILL be clogged up from about 5pm until 7pm. 75 and 85 Northbound get slow around 285 and further north in the early evenings. 85N from the split to 400 is very slow most mornings.

But, it all depends on what locations you are going between. My current 24 mile commute from 20 eastside OTP to NW Atlanta took 29 minutes today at 6:15pm, the height of rush hour. It normally takes between 30-40 minutes. In the mornings, I leave before rush hour, so I can't judge that one. My previous 19 mile commute from NW Atlanta to Norcross up/down 85 took 35 minutes at the peak of morning rush hour (23 minutes off-peak), and anywhere from 40 minutes to over an hour home in the evenings if I left around 6pm (same 23 minutes off-peak). I used to have a 31 mile commute to Pinewood Studios and it would take about 30 minutes in the mornings, and 40 minutes at rush hour.

But, if you try to commute between Kennesaw and Midtown, you'll spend over an hour each way at peak.

It's all about your locations.

[magnetar]

If you're comparing Atlanta to other cities where there's a clear "reverse commute," where most everyone works in downtown and lives outside it, you'll be disappointed here. There are major employment centers in the middle of downtown, in the furthest-north reaches of Alpharetta, and way down south at the airport. If you commute, you'll be stuck in traffic every day at some point. The best advice you can get has already been provided by several posters: live as close to work as you can afford to.