Metro Atlanta’s population has grown by nearly 600,000 since the start of 2020 and is expected to add another 1.2 million by 2050. And while there are wishes by some to expand public transit, Cobb and Gwinnett voters nixed the most recent attempts in the November elections. The roads can only be built out so far to handle not only the congestion from extra residents, but also the increased freight traffic.
One factor that has helped soothe the growing gridlock pain was quickly learned from COVID shutdowns: working from home. And now that phenomenon is starting to evaporate.
The Trump Administration, in its flurry of changes, implemented an executive action on day one. “Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis,” the White House order read.
“We don’t want them to work from home, because as everyone knows, most of the time they’re not working. They’re not very productive. And it’s unfair to the millions of people in the United States who are in fact working hard from job sites and not from their home,” President Trump said at the White House on the day after the offer to government workers. He said that workers who did not agree to return to the office full time would be fired.
Other large corporations have begun trimming back remote-working options, too. Even tech companies, which used to tout how much of their workforce contributed from home, are starting to close the door on remote work.
All of this adds up to a larger load of traffic on the streets. And to what end?
Companies cite a lack of productivity and oversight as the reasons for rolling back an option that much of the world was forced to make work during COVID. A major reason for asking workers back into the office is to bolster cohesion and collaboration. Those organic interactions passing in the hallway or the breakroom are not recreated in scheduled Zoom or Teams meetings.
And employers have office space they have bought or leased that is being underutilized.
But, in jobs where nearly 100% of the tasks are completed on laptops, does that work need to be done in a specific location? I would argue absolutely not. Employers need to trust people to complete the tasks they hired them to do. If they feel that chemistry or productivity are off, then that is as much, if not more, a result of bad management than of working remotely.
Nearly all commuters would gain hours per week back in not having to drive to and from a job. They would be able to sleep a little longer and spend less time getting ready. They save wear and tear on their vehicles and wardrobes and save money on eating out, which is far more likely when having to bring lunch each day. Working at home provides more freedom to attend doctor’s appointments, run errands, and take care of other things that a more rigid work schedule does not allow.
And while people who work remotely still get out and drive, removing some or all of their commutes takes a big chunk out of traffic volume. Less driving also means less pollution.
If working completely remotely seems outlandish, then allowing hybrid schedules is a great compromise. Allowing employees on more task-oriented days to work remotely — while making meeting-heavy days as on-site days — could achieve the gains that working in both environments bring. Employees would drive less and have flexibility, but still be at an office enough to interact and collaborate in person.
In a growing Atlanta metro area, allowing work-from-home or hybrid arrangements are ways to fight the inevitably bad traffic before having to spend a dollar expanding roads or transit. Plenty of jobs are impossible to do remotely, so having more flexible occupations remain malleable is a great way to take a small stab at growing traffic gridlock.
Doug Turnbull has covered Atlanta traffic for over 20 years and written “Gridlock Guy” since 2017. Doug also co-hosts the “Five to Go Podcast,” a weekly deep dive on stories in motorsports. Contact him at fireballturnbull@gmail.com.
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