HOV vs Express lanes (Atlanta, Register: spring break, house, construction)

[dollabillz217]

I'll be traveling from IL to Florida in a couple weeks for vacation. I'll be traveling 75 southbound coming into Atlanta. That being said I have a couple questions. 1) what is the difference between the HOV lanes and the express lanes? From what I've read online the HOV lanes are free to use as long as you have 2+ people in the car, but the express lanes you have to have a peach pass to use? I'm curious about the express lane cause on the Peach Pass website it says:

Does everyone have to pay to use the I-85 Express Lanes?
No. Registered accounts for transit, state-registered vanpools, carpools with three or more occupants, motorcycles, emergency vehicles, and Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFV) with the proper AFV license plate (does not include hybrid vehicles) can use the Express Lanes without paying a toll by properly selecting the corresponding toll mode.

So its says if you have 3 or more people you don't have to pay, but where do you select the corresponding toll mode?

And my last question would be what is the best time to travel through Atlanta? I can either leave super late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning (its about 9 hours from my house to Atlanta) so I'm trying to plan accordingly.

Thanks for your help

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by dollabillz217

I'll be traveling from IL to Florida in a couple weeks for vacation. I'll be traveling 75 southbound coming into Atlanta. That being said I have a couple questions. 1) what is the difference between the HOV lanes and the express lanes? From what I've read online the HOV lanes are free to use as long as you have 2+ people in the car, but the express lanes you have to have a peach pass to use? I'm curious about the express lane cause on the Peach Pass website it says:

Does everyone have to pay to use the I-85 Express Lanes?
No. Registered accounts for transit, state-registered vanpools, carpools with three or more occupants, motorcycles, emergency vehicles, and Alternative Fuel Vehicles (AFV) with the proper AFV license plate (does not include hybrid vehicles) can use the Express Lanes without paying a toll by properly selecting the corresponding toll mode.

So its says if you have 3 or more people you don't have to pay, but where do you select the corresponding toll mode?

And my last question would be what is the best time to travel through Atlanta? I can either leave super late Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning (its about 9 hours from my house to Atlanta) so I'm trying to plan accordingly.

Thanks for your help

It's free to travel in the lanes if you have 3+ people in the car, but you still have to sign up and get a Peach Pass transponder to stick on your dash. That's how you select 3+ HOV mode and can access the lane.

[dollabillz217]

Awesome, thank you. Do you happen to know if there is a map that shows the locations of the express ways? I'll be coming from the northwest and it looks like they start up in the northeast so I'm wondering if I'd even have a chance to get onto the thing or not. I wasn't sure if it was its own dedicated lane with barriers or if it was just a lane all the way over to the left I could utilize.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by dollabillz217

Awesome, thank you. Do you happen to know if there is a map that shows the locations of the express ways? I'll be coming from the northwest and it looks like they start up in the northeast so I'm wondering if I'd even have a chance to get onto the thing or not. I wasn't sure if it was its own dedicated lane with barriers or if it was just a lane all the way over to the left I could utilize.

NW HOT lanes are not open. 75 South HOT lanes are open, completely separated. If you choose a good time to pass thru Atlanta, you won't need the lanes.

[red92s]

There are currently two tolled "express" lanes: North of the city on I-85, and south of the city on I-75. Two additional projects (I-75/575 north of the city, and an extension of the I-85 lanes farther north) are under construction but won't be open by the time of your trip.

If you are coming down I-75 from IL, the I-85 lanes will do you no good. There are HOV lanes on I-75 that don't require a pass or registration, just 2+ occupants in the car. The HOV lanes on I-75 are only available "inside" the ring formed by I-285.

The tolled lanes on I-75 south of the city are "controlled access" meaning the are barrier-separated from the primary lanes are only have a few opportunities to get on/off. The direction the lanes run changes with commuting traffic patterns. If you are driving through on a weekday morning, they'll be headed against you, into the city. Weekday evenings they'll be headed south. Weekends, not sure.

[flyonpa]

The I75 (NorthWest) "Express Lanes" are not scheduled to open until Mid 2018,
The will be bi-directional dedicated lanes. Changing direction for each rush hours South in the Morning, North at Night.

The I75 South of the City are open, two lanes (Also BiDirectional dedicated les)

You will need a PEACHPass to use them.

I75/I85 in downtown are HOV3+ lanes that are not separated from the other lanes, 1 lane in each direction. You can use them without a PeachPass.

For your Route, I would take i75 South then Take i285 W toward Birmingham/Tampa (To go around the west side of the city) then resume your route to FL.

[Mossberg]

Originally Posted by flyonpa

The I75 (NorthWest) "Express Lanes" are not scheduled to open until Mid 2018,
The will be bi-directional dedicated lanes. Changing direction for each rush hours South in the Morning, North at Night.

The I75 South of the City are open, two lanes (Also BiDirectional dedicated les)

You will need a PEACHPass to use them.

I75/I85 in downtown are HOV2+ lanes that are not separated from the other lanes, 1 lane in each direction. You can use them without a PeachPass.

For your Route, I would take i75 South then Take i285 W toward Birmingham/Tampa (To go around the west side of the city) then resume your route to FL.

Correction. HOV is 2+. HOT is 3+.

[PKCorey]

Originally Posted by red92s

The direction the lanes run changes with commuting traffic patterns. If you are driving through on a weekday morning, they'll be headed against you, into the city. Weekday evenings they'll be headed south. Weekends, not sure.

Weekends have been Northbound Only on Saturday and Sunday. During Spring Break or most likely around Memorial Day, they will alternate it but lately, they leave it in 1 direction on the weekend lately.