Atlanta, GA
Gridlock Guy: Atlanta traffic study shows way more than the headlines say
How the internet got a recent traffic study wrong and why understanding this data is important.
Automobiles travel along the I-75/I-85 connector shown from the 17th Street bridge, Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Few things in the news cycle make me more skeptical than traffic studies. And this skepticism is not normally directed at the studies themselves but how they’re interpreted.
A recent Texas A&M study grabbed headlines because of media and social media misunderstanding what it said about Atlanta. But this study is very worthwhile.
Atlanta’s traffic is some of the worst in the nation, but the delays added during an average rush hour are not as profound, the annual Texas A&M Transportation Institute Urban Mobility Report said. Some outlets confused Atlanta trends with the nationwide patterns the study found.
Thursday is now the worst traffic day in the United States, the data showed. Friday, particularly afternoons, had been the worst. Work patterns have influenced that shift, the report’s senior research scientist, David Schrank, explained.
“Because of hybrid work, we think, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday have climbed in, in the amount of delay,” Schrank said.
My anecdotal observations as a weekday traffic reporter backed this up over the last decade and certainly post-COVID: More people are taking longer weekends or choosing Monday or Friday as teleworking days.
Atlanta now has its heaviest traffic in the 4 and 5 p.m. hours on Wednesday, according to the study. (Many of the outlets that reported on the study said it was Thursday, but that was the national trend, not local.)
As for the idea that rush hours are less than they were: It’s complicated. The study shows that U.S. drivers are commuting in greater numbers and spread out over more hours. This dilutes the peaks or deltas that routine morning and afternoon drive times once held.
Some construed this finding to mean that traditional rush hours were over. That is, very simply, not true and certainly not so in Atlanta.
Metro Atlanta easily saw the most delays — measured in this study as the percentage of roads that experienced congestion — from 7 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 7 p.m. on weekdays. Sounds like rush hours, right?
But the study does show both Atlanta and many other of the 101 urban areas the institute studied have more traffic in off-peak hours. “You’re going into the office on those days, but you may not go in until after the traffic kind of quiets down a little bit,” Schrank said.
Given more information (mainly through GPS apps) and flexibility, many drivers are more productive by steering away from peak drive times. That adjustment lessens but does not eliminate the curve.
Atlanta drivers certainly are filling the roads at these off or nonpeak hours, as they sat in an average of 87 hours of delay each last year. That is the ninth-worst in the U.S., behind the staggering 137 hours that Los Angeles drivers lost.
As to how Texas A&M collects this data — Schrank said that has evolved over the 40 years of this study. Scientists used to take physical traffic counts over certain roadways and then extrapolate that data. Now, connected technology over the last 15-20 years has made the research far more voluminous and precise.
“The largest contributor (to this data) now is your automobile. Any automobile after I think it’s 2018 or something like that has the data that is being pinged up to satellites,” Schrank said, noting that people often opt in to sharing this information when they sign to buy cars. “A lot of vehicles out there every three seconds send a ping to a satellite.”
Atlanta may be ninth or 19th worst in traffic jams … or 90th. That matters very little to a single driver. The worst traffic jam in the world is the one you are in right now. And, thankfully, there are teams dedicated to trying to understand drivers’ habits — and very precisely at that.
Doug Turnbull covers the traffic/transportation beat for WXIA-TV (11Alive). His reports appear on the 11Alive Morning News from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and on 11Alive.com. Email Doug at dturnbull@11alive.com.
Doug Turnbull has covered Atlanta traffic for over 20 years.
This extension reportedly replaces the franchise tag Pitts signed earlier this spring, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. Per the report, Pitts will not play on the $15 million franchise tag and instead receive the $36 million fully guaranteed on the new deal over the next two seasons.
The No. 4 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, Pitts had a resurgent year in 2025 and showcased the playmaking abilities that made him such an enticing prospect. He caught a career-high 88 passes for 928 yards and five touchdowns, his most as a pro. Atlanta placed the franchise tag on Pitts earlier this offseason, ensuring he remained a Falcon for the 2026 season.
“They trusted that they see something in (me), and that’s pretty cool to see,” Pitts said of the franchise tag during OTAs. “It’s a new year. It’s already signed, and it’s going to be a good year.”
With an extension reportedly in place, Pitts is part of the team’s future for years to come.
Pitts turns 26 next season and is entering his first year working with head coach Kevin Stefanski, who got strong production from the tight end position while coaching the Cleveland Browns. That was particularly true of David Njoku, who has some similarities to Pitts. However, Pitts gives Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees a weapon unlike any they’ve had.
The early reviews through OTAs and mandatory minicamp have been strong for Pitts. The new staff has praised Pitts’ buy-in with their program and the effort he’s shown both on and off the field.
“Kyle’s, again, a guy that is here working like crazy. Takes coaching,” Stefanski said during OTAs. “The physical skill set is obvious when Kyle’s on the field, with how big he is and how he moves. But I’ve been impressed with what we’re asking him to do, a couple new things for him. As your players continue on in their career, you want to find out more, what else is in there and what else can we do, and what can we help you with? So I think Kyle’s been outstanding in that regard of trying to continue to get better in so many areas.”
At his best, he offers the kind of matchup maneuverability that ignites an offensive coordinator’s imagination. That ability was most clearly on display in the Falcons’ thrilling 29-28 win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football in Week 15 last season. As the focal point of Atlanta’s offense, Pitts caught 11 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns.
“I love the position because of the versatility that it provides an offense,” Stefanski said. “And you’ve seen it around the league. This is nothing new or Earth-shattering, but tight ends that can line up all over make life hard on a defense. Whether you can line them up outside, in the backfield, in line, you name it, we love versatility at that position.”
As a rookie, Pitts burst onto the scene and finished the 2021 season with the second-most yards ever by a rookie tight end. His second year was cut short by a knee injury, the impact of which carried throughout the 2023 season as well. With the injuries and changes at the quarterback position since his arrival, consistency has been a focus for Pitts.
Despite those factors, Pitts has gained the third-most receiving yards by a tight end since he entered the league. He has averaged 12.6 yards per reception, which ranks fourth among his position, and has caught 15 touchdowns. Notably, he has improved in that metric with each successive season.
This report comes soon after wide receiver Drake London signed a new extension with the organization, keeping one of the best young outside weapons in the NFL on the roster. With Pitts now reportedly in the fold with a new extension and Bijan Robinson entering his fourth year, the Falcons will continue to have a trio of dynamic playmakers on offense.
A second-team All-Pro in 2025, the arrow is pointing up for Pitts. He is currently 13th on that Falcons’ all-time receiving yards list and has the fourth-most career yards by an Atlanta tight end. With 650 yards next season, Pitts will climb to second on the career yardage list for Falcons tight ends. If he repeats what he did last year, Pitts will not only take over the top spot, surpassing the great Jim Mitchell, but he will climb to sixth on the Falcons’ all-time receiving list, regardless of position.
“I think Kyle is going to be a big piece of this thing,” Falcons passing game coordinator Tanner Engstrand said of Pitts. “He had huge production last year. He’s clearly one of the top guys in the league at that spot. Hopefully, we see a lot more of what we saw last year out of him, and he can continue on that upward trend.”
Atlanta, GA
Summerhill residents oppose plan to move Atlanta Olympic cauldron, citing community history and legacy
A proposal to move Atlanta’s Olympic cauldron from Summerhill to Centennial Olympic Park is drawing opposition from residents and community leaders who say the landmark represents more than just the 1996 Olympic Games — it is also a symbol of the neighborhood’s history and identity.
Dozens gathered Monday evening in Summerhill to protest plans to relocate the top portion of the Olympic Flame Tower, known as the cauldron, from its current location near Center Parc Stadium. The effort comes after Georgia State University announced a partnership with Olympic leaders, including Billy Payne and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young, to move the cauldron while leaving the tower and Olympic rings bridge in place.
In a written statement, Georgia State said the project would help preserve Atlanta’s Olympic legacy while maintaining a connection to the Summerhill community.
For Sheryl Calhoun, however, the debate is deeply personal.
“It’s something that my mom was a part of,” Calhoun said. “So by means of it being here, it keeps her living in here.”
Calhoun’s mother, Mattie Ansley Jackson, spent decades advocating for residents living around the former Olympic Stadium. According to her daughter, Jackson worked on issues ranging from housing and employment to broader neighborhood development efforts.
“She helped the community,” Calhoun said. “She played a big part with summer jobs, housing, unemployment, making sure the community was okay.”
Jackson also carried the Olympic torch during the 1996 Games and remained proud of the cauldron’s presence in the neighborhood, Calhoun said.
“My mom loved this torch,” she said.
Community leaders say their primary concern is not necessarily the relocation itself, but how the decision was made.
“Georgia State called some of the community stakeholders to have a conversation about it and basically just told us what was going to happen,” said Sharon Pitchford, executive director of the Summerhill Neighborhood Development Corporation.
Pitchford said many residents view the cauldron as a lasting symbol of both the Olympic Games and Summerhill’s own story.
“It is literally infused in the culture of the area,” Pitchford said.
The controversy has also revived memories of previous development battles in the neighborhood. Calhoun said her mother spent years fighting to remain in her home as the area surrounding the former Olympic Stadium underwent significant changes. According to the family, Jackson was ultimately allowed to stay in the home for the remainder of her life.
Jackson died in 2020 at the age of 98. Today, the lot where her home once stood is under construction.
Calhoun said relocating the cauldron would feel like losing another piece of her mother’s legacy.
“They taken a piece of my mother,” she said. “They’re taking a piece of one in this community like that here and left.”
Georgia State declined an interview request from CBS News Atlanta and referred the station to its written statement announcing the relocation plans. The university said the tower and Olympic rings bridge would remain in Summerhill even if the cauldron is moved.
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