Atlanta's commutes are costliest in U.S.

By TAMMY JOYNER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 05/18/05

Metro Atlanta is the most expensive place in America for commuters.

A family with two commuters here can expect to pay more than $4,500 at the gas pump this year, according to an Oregon demographic research firm that studied gas prices and commuting patterns.

The study was conducted in late April when gas prices averaged about $2.20 a gallon in Atlanta. Although prices have dropped slightly since then, Atlanta still holds the distinction of being the most expensive.

We aren't paying the most for gas - that distinction belongs to San Francisco, where commuters paid an average of $2.69 a gallon for gas in mid-April - but we do have one of the worst commutes and burn up plenty of gas crawling in rush-hour traffic, said demographer Bert Sperling.

Sperling's firm, Sperling's Best Places, has been tracking American trends, habits and lifestyles for 20 years. He said the typical Atlanta commuter averages 60 miles each workday behind the wheel of a car, and another 60 miles on the weekend.

"People [in Atlanta] are getting hit really hard," Sperling said.

The study looked at gas prices, commutes and rush-hour traffic. The average price of a gallon of regular-grade gas has risen more than 40 cents, or nearly 25 percent, in the past year, the report noted. The gas squeeze has become so bad that Sperling said gas station officials across the country are telling him they're seeing "more people fill up and then drive off without paying."

The largest cities in the South and Midwest were in the top 10 because of their sprawl, Sperling said. Seven of the top 10 most expensive cities were in the South, where people tend to live far from where they work.

While we'll spend a lot of time at the gas station, folks in Pensacola, Fla., and Birmingham will spend a larger chunk of their pay on gas. A working couple in Pensacola, the No. 1 spot, now spends about 14.5 percent of after-tax income on gas. And that doesn't include the cost of buying the car, maintaining it or paying for insurance, the report noted.

"The rising fuel prices have placed an incredible burden on families which were already living very close to the edge," the Sperling report noted. "And often, they have no choice but to keep driving and paying. They've got to go where the jobs are."


TOP 10 MOST EXPENSIVE PLACES FOR DRIVERS

Metro area, Annual cost, Gas price
Atlanta, $4,573, $2.20
Birmingham, $4,448, $2.19
Nashville, $4,418, $2.20
Orlando, $4,382, $2.27
Jacksonville, $4,202, $2.28
Pensacola, $4,181, $2.28
Indianapolis, $4,151, $2.33
San Francisco, $4,149, $2.69
Raleigh-Durham, $4,117, $2.25
Los Angeles, $4,091, $2.61

Source: Sperling's Best Places