Just saw that ATL traffic data for 2024 and I'm shook

I was checking the GDOT stats online last night and apparently the average commute time in Atlanta is now 32 minutes one way. That's up like 4 minutes from 2019. I thought my drive from Marietta to Midtown was bad at 45 minutes but I guess that's normal now. The worst part is they said 285 westbound between I-75 and I-85 averages 18 miles per hour during peak. How is anyone still driving there without losing their mind? Anyone else seen better routes around that mess or just stuck dealing with it?

4 comments

4 Comments

sean482d ago

My old commute from Smyrna to Buckeye took me past that same 285 mess, but I started leaving at 6:15 instead of 7 and knocked off almost 15 minutes each way. Your mileage may vary of course, but taking the side roads like South Cobb Drive instead of the highway helped me dodge the worst of the gridlock. Try Waze on the morning of a random weekday to see if a back route saves you time, that's how I found my current path.

coleman.hannah1d agoMost Upvoted

Yeah, Waze saved me on that exact same stretch. I was stuck on 285 every day for months until I finally looked at the side roads on a Saturday morning and found a route that cut my time almost in half. South Cobb Drive is a solid call, but I found a way through some neighborhoods past the old stadium that skips most of the lights too. It's wild how people will just sit in traffic for years without trying something different.

lee.cora1d ago

That thing you said about 'your mileage may vary' really sticks with me, @sean48. It's funny how we all just accept the highway as the only option, when really the side streets are where you can actually get ahead. I've noticed that pattern in a lot of things lately, like how the obvious way to do something is rarely the best one once you actually try something else. It's like we're all in this race to take the same road, but the real trick is just not racing at all. Idk, maybe it's just me but that mindset of 'there has to be a better way' saves me time in more places than just the car.

robin8961d ago

That whole thing about not racing is spot on. I used to drive from Douglasville to midtown every day and just accepted the 45 minute slog on I-20. Then one day my GPS rerouted me through some backroads past Six Flags and I got there in 25 minutes. Made me wonder how many other parts of my life I was just sitting in traffic for no good reason. Like going to the grocery store at 5pm on a Wednesday vs Sunday morning, same kinda thing. People really do just pick the most obvious path and never question it.