All Access

Atlanta

blue

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Atlanta. Written by Kristal Dixon and Thomas Wheatley.

Axios Atlanta

Standard

Atlanta Alerts

Alert

Axios Atlanta Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Atlanta Members

Membership

Atlanta seeks lifetime license suspensions for speeding

The Atlanta City Council wants lifetime license suspensions for the worst driving offenders.

News

Remembering Keisha Lance Bottoms' mac and cheese

On Christmas Day in 2018, the internet reported a murder: Bottoms showed the world her Christmas feast spread.

Keith Lee's Atlanta reviews spark backlash, debate about restaurant scene

His visit has ignited a larger discussion about Atlanta's Black-owned dining culture.

Food and Drink

Five Atlanta restaurants receive Michelin stars

Atlanta's inaugural guide did not include any two or three-star restaurants.

Atlantans drive thousands more miles per year than people in other U.S. cities

But those living near "activity centers" drive far less.

Transit

The average Atlanta metro area household traveled nearly 36,000 miles in 2022, per a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new study" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/05/brookings-building-proximity" data-vars-content-id="3bf2911c-6f08-4178-b92e-2eedd0843ae2" data-vars-headline="Atlantans drive thousands more miles per year than people in other U.S. cities" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/07/05/brookings-building-proximity" target="_self">new study</a>. That&#x27;s higher than the national average of nearly 30,000.<ul><li>But the data also shows that Atlantans living near &quot;activity centers&quot; — or neighborhoods with many community institutions, tourism destinations, consumption amenities and jobs — drive less. </li></ul>

Atlanta's hottest neighborhoods

The city studied heat and flood risk across Atlanta's 249 neighborhoods.

Climate

Residents in some of Atlanta&#x27;s historic Black neighborhoods are more at risk of heat exposure as the climate continues to warm up.Driving the news: The city last week <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="released a study" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/heat-risk-is-growing-these-are-atlantas-most-vulnerable-neighborhoods/BBMOP3BNH5CQDEWBHRWCDVUP5M/" data-vars-content-id="95bff0e5-9d63-424b-a40e-7aede0042745" data-vars-headline="Atlanta&#x27;s hottest neighborhoods" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/heat-risk-is-growing-these-are-atlantas-most-vulnerable-neighborhoods/BBMOP3BNH5CQDEWBHRWCDVUP5M/" target="_blank">released a study</a> assessing the risk of heat and flood risk in Atlanta&#x27;s 249 neighborhoods. The study by Urban Adapt, a climate consulting firm started by two Georgia Tech professors, includes recommendations to help cool down communities.

Illustration of a 3D health cross shape dripping and melting from heat.

Ridwell brings hard-to-recycle pick-up program to Atlanta

Plastics, light bulbs and batteries, be gone.

Business

Ridwell, a service that recycles trash that can&#x27;t go in curbside bins, has started rolling into Atlanta, the company&#x27;s first East Coast location, and Decatur.Driving the news: Founder Ryan Metzger says that more than 3,000 metro Atlantans joined the waitlist for Ridwell. The company says it has more than 84,000 users in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dozens of cities" data-vars-click-url="https://blog.ridwell.com/blog/ridwell-service-areas" data-vars-content-id="2f7e5aee-350b-4afd-ba9c-198356ed1962" data-vars-headline="Ridwell brings hard-to-recycle pick-up program to Atlanta" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://blog.ridwell.com/blog/ridwell-service-areas" target="_blank">dozens of cities</a> including Austin, Denver and Portland, Oregon.

Atlanta's federal forecasters know when to seek shelter too

Here's how the National Weather Service in Peachtree City works.

Through rain, sleet, snow, tornadoes… and heat waves, sunny skies, and everything else Mother Nature can conjure, the National Weather Service&#x27;s Atlanta division is there. Here&#x27;s how they work.Why it matters: The 24/7 forecasting hub outside Atlanta Regional Airport in Peachtree City keeps watch on the weather in roughly two-thirds of Georgia&#x27;s 159 counties and provides real-time data hoovered up by government officials, TV meteorologists, financial analysts and more.<ul><li>The forecast you check daily using an app on your phone? The weather update at the top of every edition of Axios Atlanta? They&#x27;re built using NWS data.</li></ul>

A man sits at a desk looking at a bank of computer screens with weather information in an weather operations center

Atlanta's summers are getting hotter

Average summer temperatures increased in Atlanta by 3.3°F between 1970 and 2022, per a new<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" analysis" data-vars-click-url="https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2023-summer-package" data-vars-content-id="33f43b27-4684-42f1-a199-e1f6adc3ad84" data-vars-headline="Atlanta&#x27;s summers are getting hotter" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.climatecentral.org/climate-matters/2023-summer-package" target="_blank"> analysis</a> by climate research group <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Climate Central" data-vars-click-url="https://www.climatecentral.org/what-we-do" data-vars-content-id="33f43b27-4684-42f1-a199-e1f6adc3ad84" data-vars-headline="Atlanta&#x27;s summers are getting hotter" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.climatecentral.org/what-we-do" target="_blank">Climate Central</a>, Alex Fitzpatrick and Tory Lysik report.<ul><li>Average temperatures were 80.7°F in 2022, compared to 77.4°F in 1970.</li></ul>

Red and gray line chart showing the average summer temperatures in Atlanta from the 1970 to 2022 seasons. This is defined as  June 1 through August 31 of each year. The average temperature was 77°F in 1970 and 81°F in 2022. The 2022 season was the 8th  warmest on record from 52 years of data.

Georgia's higher-than-average skin cancer rate

In 2019, 25 cases of melanomas of the skin were reported per 100,000 Georgians — and 203 Georgians died from it.

Health

Skin cancer rates in Georgia are higher than the national average, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" data-vars-click-url="https://gis.cdc.gov/Cancer/USCS/#/StateCountyTerritory/" data-vars-content-id="8cb308dc-6ce1-44f1-a82d-4e56e1a4b470" data-vars-headline="Georgia&#x27;s higher-than-average skin cancer rate" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://gis.cdc.gov/Cancer/USCS/#/StateCountyTerritory/" target="_blank">the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a>. Why it matters: Experts consistently say that the biggest factor in lowering melanoma rates is managing sun exposure and applying (then reapplying!) sunscreen.

Atlanta gas prices are down 22% from last year

Drivers paid $3.23 per gallon in May, compared to $4.13 a year ago.

Atlanta drivers have paid an average of $3.23 per gallon of regular gasoline in May, compared to $4.13 a year ago, Axios&#x27; Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.<ul><li>That&#x27;s down 22% — and 30 cents less than today&#x27;s national average. </li></ul>The big picture: Gas prices set <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="record all-time highs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/10/gas-prices-hit-new-all-time-high" data-vars-content-id="cf49a358-9802-4197-824f-387a48aa06c4" data-vars-headline="Atlanta gas prices are down 22% from last year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/10/gas-prices-hit-new-all-time-high" target="_self">record all-time highs</a> last year amid a broader inflation crisis, and driven in part by Russia&#x27;s invasion of Ukraine, which destabilized global energy markets.

Allergy season has gotten longer in Atlanta

Allergy season increased by 15 days on average between 1970 and 2021 across about 200 U.S. cities.

Allergy season in Atlanta increased by 34 days on average between 1970 and 2021, per an analysis from Climate Central, a nonprofit climate news organization, Alex Fitzpatrick and Alice Feng <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/11/allergy-season-length-map" data-vars-content-id="cf47d352-2a8b-4a61-b2a4-cafcd02a833a" data-vars-headline="Allergy season has gotten longer in Atlanta" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/11/allergy-season-length-map" target="_self">report.</a><ul><li>That&#x27;s based on the number of days between the last freeze each spring and the first freeze each fall — essentially, the annual window during which seasonal allergy sufferers are most likely to rely on their antihistamine of choice to get by each day.</li></ul>

Georgia's carbon emissions have dropped, but no thanks to cars

Greenhouse gas emissions declined between 2017 and 2021 by about 8% per person.

Georgia&#x27;s carbon footprint is shrinking — but our reliance on cars and big SUVs persists.Driving the news: Greenhouse gas emissions declined by about 8% per person between 2017 and 2021, according to new data from <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Drawdown Georgia" data-vars-click-url="https://www.drawdownga.org/about-us/team/" data-vars-content-id="43919df7-9fd5-420f-aca5-64f02f4aa514" data-vars-headline="Georgia&#x27;s carbon emissions have dropped, but no thanks to cars" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.drawdownga.org/about-us/team/" target="_blank">Drawdown Georgia</a> looking at emissions from electricity, transportation, land sinks, agriculture and building.

Illustration of a hand with scissor cutting emissions from a smoke stack

Atlanta's clean energy goal proves an uphill climb

City Hall leaders wanted to hit the 30% mark by 2025. They're closer to 13%.

The city of Atlanta&#x27;s push to go exclusively green is… well, it&#x27;s going.What&#x27;s happening: City Hall has set a goal to achieve 100% clean energy for municipal operations — solar panels on rec centers, EV trucks and the like — and citywide by 2035.<ul><li>Leaders wanted to hit the 30% mark by 2025. However, chief sustainability officer Chandra Farley told members of an Atlanta City Council committee this week, &quot;we&#x27;re about 13% of the way [to the overall goal].&quot;</li></ul>

Illustration of a battery in front of a large hurdle

Climate 🌿