United States
Atlanta
UMR Index Rank
#30
(-2)
Score: 56%
Sustainable Mobility
#37
(=)
Score: 46.9%
Public Transit
#42
(-1)
Score: 46.4%
Technology Adoption
#16
Score: 52.7%
| Population | 6.0 million |
| Surface area (km2) | 7,400 |
| Population-density (people/km2) | 804 |
| GDP per capita ($) | 91,630 |
UMR Index Rank
#30
(-2)
Score: 56%
Sustainable Mobility
#37
(=)
Score: 46.9%
Public Transit
#42
(-1)
Score: 46.4%
Technology Adoption
#16
Score: 52.7%
What Atlanta Does Well In Urban Mobility
Atlanta’s multimodal public transit system provides affordable service to its residents. In 2023 the city began construction on a new 5-mile (8-kilometer) rapid bus system with 14 new stations that is expected to be completed in 2025. And in 2024 the city launched a program to better use technology to improve the commuter experience. For example, Atlanta wants to use smart routing and real-time updates to inform commuters about the fastest routes available to strengthen the efficiency of its multimodal system.
The city has high-quality and connected roads. Its traffic management system is advanced, including coordinated traffic lights and high occupancy vehicle lanes. Additionally, Atlanta is a leader among its peers in connected and autonomous vehicle technologies. It benefits from both public and private investments, with universities like Georgia Tech driving research. Private companies are expanding autonomous ride-hailing services to Atlanta in 2025.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index, Sustainable Mobility, Public Transit, and Technology Adoption scores
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley
Challenges And Opportunities For Atlanta’s Transportation System
Like many cities in North America, Atlanta has struggled to promote active mobility modes as residents prefer to use their cars. The low population density and large surface area means residents must often travel long distances to commute. Car dependence is high and poor cycling and pedestrian infrastructure limits alternative modes of transport. Despite some efforts to make cycling safer and more convenient, active mobility has not yet taken off.
Atlanta has an advanced traffic management system, yet the heavy use of personal cars by residents combined with the many interstate highways that go through and around the city has made the city infamous for traffic accidents and fatalities. While Georgia has a 2022-2024 traffic management plan to establish road safety goals, significant reductions in road accidents and fatalities have not yet materialized.
Dimensions of the Urban Mobility Readiness Index score
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley
How Atlanta Can Improve Its Urban Mobility Performance
Georgia offers state electric vehicle (EV) incentives and EV sales have been improving year-on-year, but Atlanta still lags its peers with an EV market share in sales less than a third of San Francisco’s. Atlanta can expand existing incentives to offer more tax breaks, registration fee and toll exemptions, and special access lanes to encourage EV use. Charging station availability is another factor in deciding whether to purchase an EV. Despite existing funding, Atlanta can encourage private charger installation by providing more subsidies. In 2024 some companies operating in Georgia provided rebates for chargers, including an up to $2,000 rebate for the installation of up to five Level 2 chargers.
Public transit station density is low in Atlanta, with residents often facing lengthy walks to local metro stations and bus stops, which discourages use. To encourage ridership, the city can add routes and stops for buses to help connect residents with metro stations — a cost- effective improvement that would help lower walking distances and overall commute times. Extending metro lines — which is already underway — will also be key, despite being time-intensive and expensive.
Urban Mobility Readiness Index relative ranking evolution (2020-2024)
Source: Oliver Wyman Forum and University of California, Berkeley