If you’ve ever driven through Atlanta, then you know that traffic and congestion is a huge problem in the city. And you might’ve noticed that it doesn’t really matter if you leave work early or late… you’re going to be stuck in traffic for at least a little while. According to a new report conducted by Texas A&M and reported by WSB Atlanta, a traditional ‘rush hour’ no longer exists in Atlanta anymore. But that doesn’t mean the traffic is magically gone.
Which day has the worst traffic in Atlanta?
According to the Texas A&M study, Thursdays have the heaviest traffic. Why? WSB Atlanta reports, “Researcher Khartik Jha says the change is linked to post-pandemic work habits, which have altered when, where, and how people commute.”
Thursday actually doesn’t have the highest overall volume of traffic. That’s still Friday. But Thursdays have a worse travel time because traffic is more congested, making commuter routes more densely impacted by traffic.
Atlanta doesn’t have a rush hour anymore
In Atlanta, we’ve got a popular joke that morning rush hour is from 7am – 7pm, and evening rush hour is from 7pm to 7am. And while, of course, that isn’t true… it’s also not that far fetched. According to the study, the concept of a work ‘rush hour’ no longer applies to Atlanta because of the more flexible and modern way that we work. Traffic tends to be spread out throughout the day, since more people have a hybrid or WFH job. The classic 9-5 is less common than it was even just a few years ago.
Of course, many people still feel that traffic is heavier around 5-6pm and in the mornings between 7-9am.
So while it’s no big news that Atlanta has bad traffic… it might surprise you that Thursday is the worst day for traffic.