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DeKalb County Georgia. Source: Google Maps.

The Atlanta Regional Commission’s annual Metro Atlanta Speaks survey says that DeKalb County residents ranked transportation is their No. 1 challenge for the region.

“In DeKalb County, 22 percent of respondents rated transportation as the biggest problem facing the region,” a summar of the survey results says. “Public education came in second, with 19 percent of respondents rating it the region’s biggest problem.”

Here are some of the other highlights from DeKalb County’s responses:

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• 96 percent said improved public transportation is important to the region’s future.

• In a new question on this year’s survey, 53 percent of DeKalb respondents said they’d be willing to pay more in taxes to fund expanded regional public transit.

• 70 percent are satisfied with arts and cultural opportunities in their community.

• 1 in 3 DeKalb residents said they frequently lack transportation to get where they needed to go.

• 53 percent of respondents said expanding public transit is the region’s best long-term traffic solution, compared to 49 percent of respondents regionally.

• 29 percent of residents would not be able to cover a $400 financial emergency or could do so only by selling something or borrowing money.

  Source: ARC

The survey was conducted by Kennesaw State University’s A.L. Burruss Institute of Public Service and Research. The survey polled 5,450 people in 13 counties.

“The survey is statistically valid for each county and the city of Atlanta, with a margin of error of 1.3 percent for the 13-county region as a whole and 4 percent to 7 percent for the individual jurisdictions,” the survey summary says.

The survey also showed support for expanding transit across the metro area.

“Nearly half of respondents – 49 percent – said expanding public transit is the best long-term traffic solution, the top choice on this year’s survey,” the summary says. “That’s an increase from 43 percent last year and 41 percent in 2013, the survey’s first year.” 

According to the survey, 51 percent of respondents said they’re willing to pay more taxes to pay for expanding transit.

“The figure is higher in the region’s most populous counties, with support strongest in Gwinnett and Fulton counties, at 56 percent,” the survey says.

To see the full survey results, click here.

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