Atlanta traffic is not that bad. Why keep harping about it? (Sandy Springs: schools, living)

[noah]

Good points. Its not really the city of Atlanta that has bad traffic. The bad traffic appears to be rush hour outside the perimeter and in many cases a good ways outside such as I-575.



[quote=neil0311;10932381]
Atlanta has some bad stretches of a few major highways. GA400 can be bad. I-85 out of Gwinnett can be bad. I have taken I-75 into Atlanta during rush hour on many days, and I get on at Delk Rd heading southbound and traffic is moving at the speed limit. Sure, it's bad a few miles back towards I-575, but it's not a pervasive backup or jam for everyone as some want us to believe all over the city. Even I-285 hasn't been bad for me the times I've driven from Marietta to Gwinnett via the inner loop.
[quote]

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by PKCorey

What about The Connector between Brookwood and 166?

285 East or Northbound between I20 and US29?

The job losses and folks who started taking MARTA and GRTA commuter busses during the high gas prices are off the highways too...

Its runs smoothly UNLESS there is a event downtown (Braves, Ga Tech game, etc)

[bayarea-girl]

Sure Atlanta has some traffic but it is nothing like traffic that I experience on a daily basis in CA. At least the traffic in Atlanta moves.

[DeaconJ]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

Its runs smoothly UNLESS there is a event downtown (Braves, Ga Tech game, etc)

Not true...the connector is backed up every morning coming into the city from both the north and south sides, for at least a couple of hours during the rush. Afternoons are terribly backed up going south, mostly because of people exiting onto I20. Throw in a random fender-bender and it's twice as bad.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Not true...the connector is backed up every morning coming into the city from both the north and south sides, for at least a couple of hours during the rush. Afternoons are terribly backed up going south, mostly because of people exiting onto I20. Throw in a random fender-bender and it's twice as bad.

False, there is traffic but it still moves. Bad traffic is considered traffic that doesnt move. Bad traffic is when you are traveling at 0 mph.

Every city on Earth has traffic issues which cause more traffic such as accidents, rain, construction, etc but for the most part traffic on the connector MOVES

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by DeaconJ

Not true...the connector is backed up every morning coming into the city from both the north and south sides, for at least a couple of hours during the rush. Afternoons are terribly backed up going south, mostly because of people exiting onto I20. Throw in a random fender-bender and it's twice as bad.

Well, there's actually another example of why traffic in Atlanta isn't as bad as people make it out to be. In many cities, you have traffic on major highways, bridges, and tunnels almost 24/7. I've been on the 405 in LA and sat in traffic at 1am. Same waiting on a Sunday at the GW Bridge in NY. In Atlanta you may have traffic in one direction backing up for a couple of hours in rush hour, but the rest of the time you can do the speed limit + 25mph.

[RainyRainyDay]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Well, there's actually another example of why traffic in Atlanta isn't as bad as people make it out to be. In many cities, you have traffic on major highways, bridges, and tunnels almost 24/7. I've been on the 405 in LA and sat in traffic at 1am. Same waiting on a Sunday at the GW Bridge in NY. In Atlanta you may have traffic in one direction backing up for a couple of hours in rush hour, but the rest of the time you can do the speed limit + 25mph.

I've flown into Hartsfield-Jackson after midnight and sat in near-motionless traffic on the connector after 1am. This was just one occasion, but it happens. I have a few other horror stories too, but of course this is all anecdotal.

In my somewhat more extensive experience of the north side of I-285 and north of I-285 on I-75 during the afternoon rush hour, traffic does typically just inch along for many miles. I can't imagine doing that drive day in and day out. For those who are obliged to drive those routes daily in rush hour due to work schedules, it's surely cold comfort that traffic moves briskly a couple of hours later.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by RainyRainyDay

I've flown into Hartsfield-Jackson after midnight and sat in near-motionless traffic on the connector after 1am. This was just one occasion, but it happens. I have a few other horror stories too, but of course this is all anecdotal.

In my somewhat more extensive experience of the north side of I-285 and north of I-285 on I-75 during the afternoon rush hour, traffic does typically just inch along for many miles. I can't imagine doing that drive day in and day out. For those who are obliged to drive those routes daily in rush hour due to work schedules, it's surely cold comfort that traffic moves briskly a couple of hours later.

I flew in at midnight over 30+ times and never sat in traffic downtown

[AcidSnake]

Lol at people arguing over the degree to which traffic is bad in Atlanta compared to other places.

In my opinion, I despise heavy traffic PERIOD. The sad part is Georgia's leadership had plenty of advanced warning on this decades ago and had AMPLE opportunity to practice good Neighborhood development and transit planning but unfortunately our "particular" southern brand of politics nipped all of that in the bud.

This is the legacy, and even with the U.S. Transportation Secretary currently on board with providing Georgia with seed money for better transit our politicians STILL can't get it together...

[noah]

I agree. The only time outside of rush hour it is ever even slow is if there is an accident. I go through the downtown connector from North Ave to I-20 each day and quite frankly it is rarely slow but I understand that other parts of the connector and the areas outside the perimeter get much worse.

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

I flew in at midnight over 30+ times and never sat in traffic downtown