Faced With Infamously Bad Traffic, More Atlanta Residents Choose to Telecommute

More people are telecommuting in Atlanta, keeping cars of the road, but the percentages of people driving alone to work, taking transit, and walking or biking to work are holding steady.

1 minute read

June 6, 2019, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Atlanta Traffic

Ken Lund / Flickr

The Atlanta Regional Commission recently published an analysis of commuting patterns in the region, analyzing a decade's worth of Census data and finding very little change in driving alone to work and public transit commutes.

"About three out of four metro Atlanta residents drove alone to work in 2017, unchanged from 2008," according to David Wickert. And "[a]bout 3.5 percent of workers took public transportation to their job – about the same as a decade earlier."

One area experiencing a notable increase was telecommuting. "In 2008, about 5.7 percent of residents worked from home. By 2017, that had jumped to 7.3 percent – or an estimated 208,000 people," according to Wickert.

Paul Donzky also provides detailed coverage of the new study, in an article written for the Atlanta Regional Commission's "What's Next ATL" website.

Wednesday, June 5, 2019 in Atlanta Journal Constitution

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Blue and white Seattle Link light rail train exiting concrete Downtown Bellevue Tunnel in Bellevue, WA.

Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?

Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.

April 7, 2025 - Todd Litman

Silhouette of man holding on to back of bicycle ridden by woman with Eiffel Tower in background.

Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution

The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.

April 14 - Momentum Magazine

Multifamily housing under construction.

Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas

Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.

April 14 - San Francisco Chronicle

Western coyote looking at camera in grassy field.

San Diego County Sees a Rise in Urban Coyotes

San Diego County experiences a rise in urban coyotes, as sightings become prevalent throughout its urban neighbourhoods and surrounding areas.

April 14 - Fox 5