ConsumerAffairs raised eyebrows last month when it ranked metro Atlanta traffic as merely the eighth worst in the U.S. right now. But that’s of little comfort, it seems, to Atlantans mired in all-too-common Saturday traffic on the downtown Connector.
The Connector and its frequently clogged cousin Spaghetti Junction have made the dubious cut of “angriest” stretches of road in America, according to a new survey of 3,015 workers from across the U.S.
The commuter poll, as conducted by personal injury firm Munley Law, asked respondents to pinpoint the worst places across the country for unpredictable delays, bottlenecks, aggressive driving, and good old-fashioned congestion right now.
The survey was balanced across age, gender, industry, employment status, and geographic region to reflect the working population of the U.S. and ensure “a broad and representative snapshot of commuter sentiment across all 50 states,” per Munley Law reps.
“Atlanta came up as a repeat offender in the data—fast growth, old infrastructure,” a company rep wrote to Urbanize Atlanta via email.
In fact, Atlanta joined just a small group of metros—Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Boston, and Las Vegas are the others, respectively—with distinct traffic corridors that appeared repeatedly in ranked complaints.
Each of those cities had at least three—or in some cases, five more more—traffic sore spots that qualified as “emotionally volatile,” per survey officials. (We’ve asked for data on what other metro Atlanta corridors earned a dishonorable mention, and we’ll update this story should that come.)
Another takeaway from responses, per the law firm, is that “booming” cities tend to have interchanges that are “boiling” with peeved drivers.
“Atlanta, Nashville, Austin, Phoenix, Charlotte, and Salt Lake City all show up prominently,” reads a survey summary. “What ties them together is fast growth and road systems that weren’t built for the people using them now.”
Sound about right, ATL?
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• Study: Atlanta doesn’t crack Top 5 for worst U.S. city traffic. Hooray? (Urbanize Atlanta)

