ATLANTA (Railfanning.org) — Transportation is usually among the hottest topics in metro Atlanta, but a new survey found that it takes a “back seat” to other regional issues.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, transportation consistently ranked as the region’s top challenge. However, this year, transportation came in fourth, with 11% of respondents choosing it as the region’s biggest problem, the same as last year’s survey.
The finding was part of the 2024 Metro Atlanta Speaks public opinion survey from the Atlanta Regional Commission. Kennesaw State University’s A.L. Burruss Institute of Public Service and Research administered the hybrid phone and online survey, which asked questions of 4,081 adult residents across 11 counties in the metro Atlanta region in August.
The survey also found strong support for public transit.
More than nine in ten respondents said improved public transit was “very important” (64%) or “somewhat important” (27%) to the region’s future. That’s about the same as last year’s survey.
The survey found that the economy is the Atlanta region’s top concern, outpacing crime and other issues.
