oh, Atlanta... what has happened to you?

today i happened upon two separate articles online that list the top cities for traffic congestion and pollution. guess what? yup, ATL is on both lists! and pretty high up on the traffic list, coming in at #2, behind houston. It's #6 for particle pollution and tied with San Diego at #12 for ozone pollution.

10 years ago, i don't think Atlanta was even on either list. so, wtf happened? well, everybody and their freakin grandmother decided to move down south, where it's warmer and there are more jobs. unfortunately, Atlanta's infrastructure was not up to par with the influx of new residents. also, Atlanta is one of the most sprawled urban / suburban cities. you HAVE to commute to get anywhere.

i remember the city back when there was way less traffic and better air. i wish it could go back to that sometimes but all cities are supposed to grow, right?