Metro Atlanta gridlock is costing you more time and money

Metro Atlanta drivers spent more than three days sitting in traffic last year.

Driving the news: For the second year in a row, the metro ranked 10th in the country for traffic congestion, according to the 2022 INRIX Global Traffic Scorecard report released this month.

• The study looked at travel delays, collision trends and speeds in metro areas across the country and around the world.
• Globally, Atlanta ranked 28th.

Details: Drivers on average lost 74 hours due to congestion in metro Atlanta last year — still down 10% compared to pre-pandemic figures.

Yes, but: Trips to Atlanta's "city center" rose by 3% from 2021 to 2022, indicating more workers are returning to the office.

Why it matters: Bottlenecks cost drivers about $1,257 in lost time.

• Metrowide, the gridlock added up to more than $3 billion in lost time.

What they're saying: "I hate to say traffic congestion is welcome," Bob Pishue, a transportation analyst at INRIX, told the Washington Post. "But it does signify a little bit that 'return to normal' that most of us were used to."