Atlanta not in top 10 for worst traffic in US. Boston is #1.... (best, better)

[architect77]

Atlanta's jobs are in the Northern half of the metro, as evidenced by every afternoon Southbound traffic backs up from downtown to the Buckhead.

I don't see everyone living in one quarter of the metro. Cobb, Gwinnett and Forsythe are populated substancially making up half.

And that traffic from the South headed North to the jobs means they live in the South metro.

Boston wasn't congested when I lived there in 1999-2000 but it may be now.

I just sent a friend an article from AJC listing Atlanta as one of the worst in the country.

These lists never corroborate one another. Don't put all of your faith in just one.

I think DC is the worst, LA has always just crawled slowly, NY Tri-State area can be bad in places like the GWB in the morning where it's a 45 min. wait just to cross, but the city is so compact that it's amazing how quickly you can traverse the nation's biggest metro and be back in what looks like a rural area on the opposite side.

With everyone forced to use the same interstate in each direction without any alternate parallel routes (just like D.C. has only I-95 through Northern Va.) I think Atlanta has it pretty bad.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by Ericmrtt

I lose 1-3 hours a week commuting from Northern CObb to Dekalb. Thank you express lanes! Because it used to be more hours wasted, but since the opening of the express lanes in Cobb, my afternoon commute is now a more reasonable 60 minutes average. These studies, lists and such, not sure about them. NYC and Chicago were usually excluded, I don't usually see Boston(top 10) on worst traffic list, also Portland and Pittsburgh I usually wouldn't see. I believe I even seen Orlando on a list of the worst before, I'm just waiting for one to have Dallas on it. Boston is worse than NYC? Worse than LA??

Metro Atlanta traffic is a nightmare! In my world its definitely in the top 10. Whether commuting or driving for work, traffic or a traffic jam ahead, always! Only worse I have experienced is LA, NYC area, and DC area really. Austin, Seattle, Portland are worse than Atlanta?? I know Austin isn't on this list but if my memory serves me right I seen Austin ranked higher than Atlanta a time or two. But ok if you say so, Atlanta traffic is under those cities. I brought up studies and was being sarcastic with Dallas because any study can find data to support, well, Boston drivers (or any other city) actually are in traffic more than any other major city in the US. NYC and LA may disagree on that. I think I seen Atlanta #1 worst on time wasted couple years ago(which I would agree on). SO Dallas, Kansas City, Saint Louis, Detroit, Buffalo, Denver, Salt Lake City, you will probably see, oh I almost forgot Chattanooga. Will soon be in the top ten list...

Take with a grain of salt these lists, Metro Atlanta traffic is terrible!

Yeah...when you're traveling forty miles or so at peak rush hour, of course it's going to take a while. Even moving at 30 MPH, that's going to take just under an hour and a half minimum.

[citidata18]

Originally Posted by architect77

I don't see everyone living in one quarter of the metro. Cobb, Gwinnett and Forsythe are populated substancially making up half.

Depends on how you define "quarter"

I define the quarter as anywhere north of I-20, from I-75 to I-85 corridor in Cobb/Gwinnett County, and places in between

[brownhornet]

I don't care about other cities. The commute anywhere across town here is still awful. Not to mention the fact that Atlanta IS rated one of the top cities for worse drivers which just makes the traffic even worse.

[Need4Camaro]

Sorry, no offense and all but Boston has nothing on Los Angeles, Houston, New York or Chicago....nothing.

As for Atlanta traffic, you get different results based on what you really consider 'Atlanta'. If you're only considering Atlanta proper or ITP, then Atlanta traffic is actually not that bad. If you consider the Metro, Atlanta is definitely a contender with Houston and Los Angeles.

As for Austin, Austin definitely has bad traffic in areas, primarily I-35 and a select few state roads out in the western portion of the city that are mainly the only artery roads in the area but....it still has nothing on Atlanta. On average my commutes in Atlanta for a distance of approximately 8 miles took about 45 minutes during commute hours. I have the same distance in commuting in Austin and it takes a grand 15 minutes thanks to the Toll Roads.

[ATLTJL]

That's true, it's really not that bad.

In fact.... I think we should just ignore it for 20 more years and see what happens.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Sorry, no offense and all but Boston has nothing on Los Angeles, Houston, New York or Chicago....nothing.

As for Atlanta traffic, you get different results based on what you really consider 'Atlanta'. If you're only considering Atlanta proper or ITP, then Atlanta traffic is actually not that bad. If you consider the Metro, Atlanta is definitely a contender with Houston and Los Angeles.

As for Austin, Austin definitely has bad traffic in areas, primarily I-35 and a select few state roads out in the western portion of the city that are mainly the only artery roads in the area but....it still has nothing on Atlanta. On average my commutes in Atlanta for a distance of approximately 8 miles took about 45 minutes during commute hours. I have the same distance in commuting in Austin and it takes a grand 15 minutes thanks to the Toll Roads.

I've lived and worked all over Houston (and also lived in Dallas and Austin). After moving to Atlanta, I've sworn never to complain about Houston traffic again. Atlanta is much worse.

LA, Chicago, NY, DC and Atlanta are the top tier. Boston is bad, but my experience there wouldn't put it in that top group.

[bu2]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

That's true, it's really not that bad.

In fact.... I think we should just ignore it for 20 more years and see what happens.

Kind of like the last 25-30 years.

[blktoptrvl]

Originally Posted by Citykid3785

While there are a few nonsensical bottlenecks that need to be addressed in the metro, and all too many 1 lane arterial roads, I too have not seen Atlanta to be a top 10 worst traffic city. After taking it at least 20 times, I've yet to be backed up on 75, nor on the Western portion of 285 going to and from the airport. I also amount the amount of dedicated right turn lanes (to keep traffic moving) in my part of the metro.

Now, I'm not saying we aren't without our traffic issues, and I don't doubt some peoples stories who are stuck driving in a terrible bottleneck day after day. But I also believe the near universal exaggeration that Atlanta is the worst traffic city in the country, or even that it has worse traffic than a 6M person city should to be very overblown

I must be mis-reading this... You are saying you have never been stuck in a traffic backup on I-75 going though Atlanta?

[ATLTJL]

Kind of like the last 25-30 years.

Exactly! Look how well we've done despite the traffic.

Let's see how long we can keep it going!