GS 400 Express Lanes and Bus Rapid Transit (Atlanta, Sandy Springs: sales, sales tax)

[primaltech]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

Are you talking about terminating MARTA rail service over the favoring of BRT along its route? or running them simultaneously like they do in Seattle's transit tunnel?

I'm just raising different possibilities. If the third-rail HRT system were converted to an overhead-powered LRT or BRT system, then dramatic system expansion/extensions would be a whole lot easier/cheaper, and without requiring mode transfers. Especially with BRT.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by primaltech

I'm just raising different possibilities. If the third-rail HRT system were converted to an overhead-powered LRT or BRT system, then dramatic system expansion/extensions would be a whole lot easier/cheaper, and without requiring mode transfers. Especially with BRT.

Yeah but the conversion process would be extremely expensive, ontop of which I don't believe LRT have the same carrying capacity as HRT does. Also electric power BRT's are meant for local use only. They're extremely slow (Seattle transit tunnel busses were confined to a maximum of 25 MPH when on all electric, it had nothing to do with any speed limit, it was just the maximum speed of the vehicle when propelled by electricity vs natural gas or diesel..)

[bu2]

Originally Posted by autolycus25

The context of my comment was people ignoring the "buffer", getting into the managed lanes, and slowing traffic in those lanes, including the "BRT", to a crawl like all the general purpose lanes. I absolutely think people would pay $20-30 to keep going 50+mph when traffic is stopped in the general purpose lanes. I doubt people are willing to pay that to be in the same stop-and-go.

To Forhall: Enforcement is a lot simpler for the managed lanes than for HOV lanes. If you're in the lane, you pay the toll, no ifs and or buts. There are also significantly more cameras and toll card sensors to enforce the managed lanes than there are for the standard HOV lanes. The system automatically reads the Peach Pass and charges that account. If there's no Peach Pass in the car, the cameras grab the car's plate number and send a bill to the owner of the car. [basically what N4C said, although I don't entirely agree that people in North Fulton will just get some sort of automatic pass.]

You can't ignore a concrete buffer.

And people really don't drive through those pylons.

It all depends on what they mean by a buffer.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.7842...7i13312!8i6656

This is an example of a pylon buffer. Some of these lanes have concrete buffers as you see on the left separating the west bound HOT lane from the east bound HOT lane.

[bu2]

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.6629...7i13312!8i6656

The ones with concrete buffers like above have limited entrance and exit points.

[autolycus25]

bu2, we don’t disagree about this. You responded to a comment without considering its context. I agree that these lanes will likely flow better than the 85 HOT crapfest because it should have actual buffers and proper dedicated interchanges.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by bu2

You can't ignore a concrete buffer.

And people really don't drive through those pylons.

It all depends on what they mean by a buffer.

https://www.google.com/maps/@29.7842...7i13312!8i6656

This is an example of a pylon buffer. Some of these lanes have concrete buffers as you see on the left separating the west bound HOT lane from the east bound HOT lane.

I will be optimistic that GDOT learned their lessons from 85 HOT lanes and at least make the buffer better than a double white strips.

[autolycus25]

Originally Posted by cqholt

I will be optimistic that GDOT learned their lessons from 85 HOT lanes and at least make the buffer better than a double white strips.

I really hope so. Even some rumble strips, rumble bars, or something like this: https://inhabitat.com/armadillo-cool...safe-on-roads/

[SAAN]

Does anyone truly believe the people in Northern Suburbia are going to ride a Bus on GA 400, unless gas hits and stays at $4 and 400 traffic gets worse?


The only way this BRT would be successful is with comfortable GRTA type buses or the 60ft buses and offices providing shuttles to the 4 stops, so if people chose to take transit, they have a way to get to their office when they get to that stop. Also make parking available for locals like the Mansell and Windward Park and Ride has, along with a frequent schedule of 10 minutes and people might actually use it.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by SAAN

Does anyone truly believe the people in Northern Suburbia are going to ride a Bus on GA 400, unless gas hits and stays at $4 and 400 traffic gets worse?


The only way this BRT would be successful is with comfortable GRTA type buses or the 60ft buses and offices providing shuttles to the 4 stops, so if people chose to take transit, they have a way to get to their office when they get to that stop. Also make parking available for locals like the Mansell and Windward Park and Ride has, along with a frequent schedule of 10 minutes and people might actually use it.

This is also for the employees who work along 400 and come from other areas. The BRT will operate 2-way, all day.

[Atlanta Scientist]

I guess I might use it. It'd only be one transfer for me. I might look into some of the jobs recruiters are trying to sell me on out in Alpharetta.