Regional Snapshot is a monthly publication that compiles the latest data to explore important regional issues.

Metro Atlanta and Congestion: How We Compare and Compete

This Regional Snapshot looks at several of different sources of traffic congestion data and finds that metro Atlanta remains one of the most congested places in the country, and the most congested area in the Southeast. It also shows the strong link between congestion and jobs – those places with the largest job bases tend to have more congestion.

The data analyzed here come from the American Community Survey, the American Transportation Research Institute and the most recent Urban Mobility Report from the Texas Transportation Institute. They show various measures of congestion at the metro level to show how Atlanta compares nationally. They also give clues to how Atlanta may compete with other metros in attracting new or relocating business.

Figure 1: Congestion Cost Per Commuter by Urban Area, 2010

Metro Atlanta (the red dot in Georgia) ranks in the highest range (top 20 percent) in cost of congestion per commuter in 2010, and one of the highest in the Southeast.