Atlanta is a mess. Atlanta's outerbelt is flooded with cars, and has helped fuel an outer ring of suburban sprawl that is now home to some of the region's most congested areas. Air has become so polluted from cars that the region is facing economic sanctions unless it cleans it up. Competing interests, racial politics and the outlying counties' perception of Atlanta as a haven of crime has left a regional solution to the problems seemingly impossible to achieve. Sporadic growth has led to urban sprawl.
Some suburban counties have larger populations than Atlanta.
Traffic problems have spilled over to suburbs some 50 miles from Atlanta's downtown. On a bad day, it takes an hour and a half. Still, check out the Charlotte region's poor air quality and booming growth. Drive north on I-77 to Lake Norman during rush hour. Or head south to Rock Hill.