State of Transportation: Atlanta, GA

Chris ClarkUniversity of New Orleans

10 February 2011

Currently ranks among top 10 US cities for:

• Annual Excess Fuel Consumed

• Annual Hours of Delay per Auto Commuter

• Annual Congestion Cost

http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/congestion_data/tables/complete_data.xls

Currently ranks among top 20 US cities for:

• Travel Time

• Commuter Stress

http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/congestion_data/tables/complete_data.xls

Length of Commute

14.3%

29.9%

20.6%

16.0%

11.1%

5.5%

2.4%

United States

9.8%

31.4%

24.0%

17.8%

9.2%

5.1% 2.7%

Atlanta city, Georgia

8.5%

23.2%

20.0%19.7%

16.2%

8.9%

3.4%

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metro Area

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005-2009 American Community Survey

Mode of Work Commute

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2005-2009 American Community Survey

Drove alone

Carpooled:

Public transportation (excluding taxicab):

Taxicab

Motorcycle

Bicycle

Walked

Other means

Worked at home

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta Metro Area Atlanta (city) United States

Mode of all Trips

Car, Truck, or Van Driver

Car, Truck, or Van Passenger

Transit

School Bus

Bike/Walk

Other means

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0%

65.40%

20.70%

2.50%

6.10%

4.90%

0.50%

Atlanta Metropolitan Region

Atlanta Regional Commission HouseHold Travel Survey, March 30, 2002

Time Wasted Due to Congestion

1982 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 20090

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Atlanta GAVery Large US CitiesUS Cities

Annu

al C

omm

uter

Del

ay (i

n ho

urs)

http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/congestion_data/tables/complete_data.xls

Effect of Congestion in ATL

22.6 miles per gallon*

21 miles per capita traveled every day**

18 pounds CO2

produced every day

*http://www.epa.gov/oms/climate/420f05001.htm**http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/congestion_data/tables/complete_data.xls

Atlanta Transit

• MARTA– Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority

• Fulton and DeKalb Counties• $495.7 Million Operating Funding• 815 Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service

(0.00023 per capita)

507 126 182 Buses Demand Response Light Rail Cars

Atlanta Transit

• Marta (per capita) – Served: 3,499,840

16.54 44.73 233.91Annual Vehicle Unlinked Annual Revenue Miles Passenger Trips Passenger Miles

Atlanta Transit

• Cobb County Department of Transportation Authority (CCT) – Subcontracts to Georgia Transit Authority

• City of Atlanta• $21.3 Million Operating Funding• 101 Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service

(0.00003 per capita)

101 Buses

Atlanta Transit

• CCT (per capita) – Served: 3,499,840

1.15 1.32 11.86Annual Vehicle Unlinked Annual Revenue Miles Passenger Trips Passenger Miles

Atlanta Transit• Douglas County Rideshare (Rideshare)

• City of Atlanta• $586,974 Operating Funding• 62 Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service

(0.00002 per capita)

62Vans

Atlanta Transit

• Rideshare (per capita) – Served: 3,499,840

0.31 0.05 1.60Annual Vehicle Unlinked Annual Revenue Miles Passenger Trips Passenger Miles

Atlanta Transit

• GRTA– Georgia Regional Transportation Authority

• City of Atlanta• $17 Million Operating Funding• 133 Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service

(0.0004 per capita)

83 50 Buses Vanpool (Purchased Transportation)

Atlanta Transit

• GRTA (per capita) – Served: 3,499,840

.85 .53 12.96Annual Vehicle Unlinked Annual Revenue Miles Passenger trips Passenger Miles

Atlanta Transit

• GCT– Gwinnett County Board of Commissioner

• City of Atlanta• $12.7 Million Operating Funding• 73 Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service

(0.00002 per capita)

67 6 Buses Demand Response

(Purchased) (Purchased)

Atlanta Transit

• GCT (per capita) – Served: 3,499,840

0.80 0.66 11.06 Annual Vehicle Unlinked Annual

Revenue Miles Passenger Trips Passenger Miles

Atlanta Transit• Marietta VPSI, Inc.

• City of Atlanta• $3.2 Million Operating Funding• 331 Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service

(0.00009 per capita)

331Vans

Atlanta Transit

• VPSI, Inc. (per capita) – Served: 3,499,840

1.33 0.26 6.90Annual Vehicle Unlinked Annual Revenue Miles Passenger Trips Passenger Miles

Atlanta Transit

• CTRAN– Clayton County Board of Commissioner

• City of Atlanta• $8.2 Million Operating Funding• 27 Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service

(0.00001 per capita)

19 8 Buses Demand Response

Atlanta Transit

• CTRAN (per capita) – Served: 3,499,840

0.45 0.62 4.85 Annual Vehicle Unlinked Annual

Revenue Miles Passenger Trips Passenger Miles

Atlanta Transit• BCID

– Buckhead Community Improvement District• City of Atlanta• $775,746 Operating Funding• 6 Vehicles Operated in Maximum Service

(0.000002 per capita)

6Vans

Atlanta Transit

• BCID (per capita) – Served: 3,499,840

0.03 0.04 0.07Annual Vehicle Unlinked Annual Revenue Miles Passenger Trips Passenger Miles

Atlanta Transit

Other Transit Systems not reporting• EUS—Emory University Shuttles• BUC—Buckhead Uptown connection• Tech Trolley—GIT Stinger Bus System

What if Atlanta Transit Were Discontinued?

• 8,314,800 Hours: Annual Increase in Delay– 3 Hours per Auto Commuter

• 5,850,500 gallons wasted fuel• 4,192,863 lbs. additional CO2 produced

– 1lb for every person in Atlanta

http://mobility.tamu.edu/ums/congestion_data/tables/complete_data.xls

Bicycle/Pedestrian2007 Atlanta Region Bicycle Transportation & pedestrian Walkways Plan• Determined Level of Service

(LOS) for 400 miles of streets throughout 18-county MPO area including Atlanta

• Developed recommendations to improve LOS: – 80 mi LOS met– <5 mi Restriping Candidate– 300 mi Add Paved Shoulder– 275 mi Detailed Corridor Study

Needed• Balance under construction or

lacking complete data

Bicycle/Pedestrian

Atlanta Regional Commission Bike/Ped Taskforce Presentation, January 20, 2010

Funding

• Estimated $1.5-2 billion spent on transportation in the Atlanta region annually

• Federal– $1.1 billion federal obligated FY2009– $110 to MARTA and other transit FY2009

• State– Motor Fuel Excise Tax, 7.5 cents per gallon– Prepaid Motor Fuel Sales Tax, 3% on avg. retail

price of fuel

Total State Revenue from Motor Fuel Taxes(FY 2010 value)—FY 2000 FY 2009 ‐

$1,000.0

$900.0

$800.0

$700.0

$600.0

$500.0

$400.0

$300.0

$200.0

$100.0

$0.0

in $

mill

ions

at

FY

201

0 va

lue

http://www.atlantaregional.com/File%20Library/Transportation/Financing_Transportation/tp_finance_alternatives_report_030510.pdf

Local Funding

• MARTA FY2009: – $102.85 Million Passenger revenue– $153.17 Million 1% sales and use tax

• Vehicle Registration/License Plate fees• Regional Millage Rates• Regional Vehicle Ad Valorem Tax• Regional Income Tax• Regional VMT Tax• Parking Fees

http://www.atlantaregional.com/File%20Library/Transportation/Financing_Transportation/tp_finance_alternatives_report_030510.pdf

MARTA Farebox Recovery

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0%

Farebox Recovery

Farebox Recovery

MARTA Comprehensive Annual Financial Report FY2009