Jun 18, 2024 - News
Metro Atlanta motorists have spinning odometers
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Atlantans do some of the most daily driving among people in major U.S. metro areas, a new analysis finds.
Why it matters: The work-from-home and deliver-it-to-me paradigm shifts of the Covid pandemic did little to shake up the metro's driving habits and sprawling land use.
- The stats also make clear the financial and political challenges facing elected officials when it comes to planning and building transit options.
Driving the news: Atlanta has the eighth-highest daily per capita vehicle miles traveled (VMT) among the 50 most-populated U.S. metros, with 33.6, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick writes.
- Raleigh has the highest, with 38.1. It's followed by Birmingham (36.1), Jacksonville (36) and Nashville (35.5).
- San Francisco (21.7), Philadelphia (21.1) and New York City (14.4) came up last — which makes sense, given their relatively well-developed public transit networks, walkability, density, etc.
How it works: The numbers come by way of Replica, a mobility analytics firm that publishes traffic and other similar data based on anonymized mobile device info, roadside sensors, transit agencies and more.
- The firm looked specifically at private car trips made by adults in fall 2023. The figures include not just personally owned vehicles, but also taxis and ride-hailing vehicles.