Transportation
about the transportation group
A huge contributor to North Fulton’s lack of affordability is transportation. With rising housing costs and no concurrent increase in wages, fewer and fewer working families are able to afford to live near their jobs. Without a system that allows people to live and work in the same community, the economy and infrastructure become taxed, meaning more burdens on working families, a less stable workforce to fill available positions, and significantly more congested roads.
According to the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Housing and Transportation Affordability Index (H+T Index), residents of North Fulton spend over half of their income on housing and transportation— the lowest at 56% of income in Sandy Springs, jumping to a staggering 81% in Mountain Park. Moreover, less than 2% of all neighborhoods in North Fulton are location efficient, or close to jobs and services with a variety of affordable, accessible, and efficient transportation options.
North Fulton is home to a thriving economy. However, the overwhelming majority of its workers are not residents of our community. In fact, only 7% of the 315,622 jobs in Sandy Springs, Roswell, Johns Creek, Milton, and Alpharetta were filled by residents of each city in 2017. Almost 300,000 individuals commuted to one of these five cities, and almost 150,000 left these towns for their jobs.
Only 7% of the 315,622 jobs in Sandy Springs, Roswell, Johns Creek, Milton, and Alpharetta were filled by residents of those cities in 2017.
NFIN’s Transportation group seeks to identify creative solutions to this transportation crisis in North Fulton. From private solutions such as van pools, to public transit options, to workforce housing, we are working to include all sectors in increasing quality options for either commuting to work or being able to sustainably live close to one’s job.
We meet on the second Thursday of each month. Contact us here to join the conversation; we would love to have you share your perspective and support our efforts.
Check out our research and work: The 2019 Our Invisible Neighbors Report.
Goals
Identify mission and partnership opportunities.
Identify areas for bus service expansion.
Identify viable commute options in addition to transit.
Conduct outreach on commute options.
Co-Chairs
Machelle Clarke
State Farm
Samantha Pratt
Georgia Commute Options
Transportation resources
Go to Georgia Commute Options and Enterprise to find active vanpools and carpools for your commute. Vanpools are available through both organizations, and Georgia Commute Options additionally offers carpool options.
Check to see if you have a viable transit route for your daily needs through MARTA.
Visit the GDOT website or call 511 to see if there’s construction on your route’s major roadways.
Fireside Chats
The transportation work group hosted our second Fireside Chat of 2020 in October, hosting Amelia Nickerson of First Step Staffing, Kristen Winzeler of North Fulton Community Improvement District (NFCID), and Machelle Clarke of State Farm. Watch the recorded event to learn more about commuting and transportation in North Fulton.
