I-85 HOT Lanes in Gwinnett... Your Opinion? (price, buses)

[IdiotPilot]

Originally Posted by mike7586

In response to your bolded statement, GDOT does have plans to build barrier separated express toll lanes...

The first project is I-75/575... they will build barrier separated toll lanes (these are NEW capacity) from Akers Mill Road to Hickory Grove Road in Cobb and on 575 to Sixes Road in Cherokee County:

NWCP Presentations Page

The second is on I-75 in Henry County. They will also be barrier separated, new capacity lanes and will run for about 12 miles:

I75 Express Lanes

While it's nice to see some plans for it, they should have started these kinds of projects 10+ years ago.

[tonygeorgia]

Originally Posted by mike7586

Maybe some of you should look check out these websites of other HOT lanes to see how they do work and that this is not some new idea from GDOT:

95 Express

Virginia Megaprojects

Miami and Washington DC are both similar in size to metro Atlanta. In Miami, they took the HOV lane and 1 general purpose lane to make their managed lanes (can't even imagine the uproar if they did that here) similar to what they did on I-85, and it works. In DC, they are building new barrier separated lanes like what GDOT will do on 75 in Cobb, Cherokee (575), and Henry Counties.

What I will say is GDOT needs to lower the toll rate similar to Miami's... 25 cents on the weekends always (unless there is traffic which is rare) and fluctuates with traffic during the work week... $1-3 maximum for the entire length. They started out way too high here at over $5 and turned a lot of people off, and they aren't do much in the way of damage control.

Keep this crap out of Ga! If they want to improve traffic build more rail

[tonygeorgia]

Good News!!!

Gwinnett | I-85 continues to jam up in area where new 'HOT lanes' are

[BobKovacs]

Originally Posted by tonygeorgia

Good News!!!

Gwinnett | I-85 continues to jam up in area where new 'HOT lanes' are

From the article above:

"Deal said if the project fails, it could endanger plans for toll lanes — also known as HOT lanes — on other highways in metro Atlanta."

Good, because it's got to be about the stupidest thing I've ever seen. If you want to increase traffic flow on 575 (which I drive daily), add a third lane that's open to all. Adding a third lane that is going to cost someone $5.00+ to go 10 miles is a complete joke, and will result in the same problem that I-85 is experiencing.

[mike7586]

Originally Posted by BobKovacs

From the article above:

"Deal said if the project fails, it could endanger plans for toll lanes — also known as HOT lanes — on other highways in metro Atlanta."

Good, because it's got to be about the stupidest thing I've ever seen. If you want to increase traffic flow on 575 (which I drive daily), add a third lane that's open to all. Adding a third lane that is going to cost someone $5.00+ to go 10 miles is a complete joke, and will result in the same problem that I-85 is experiencing.

Actually it won't, because it is a new capacity lane and will have no effect on the current lanes. The lanes on 75/575 are different from the HOT lanes on I-85 (they just replaced the HOV lane with the HOT lane to make it more effective as the current HOV lanes were just as congested as the general lanes so they were pretty much useless). Oh, and it's not $5 anymore.

Also, just adding another lane isn't going to do much, because it will just get clogged up again. This has been proven on pretty much every highway in Atlanta... it doesn't matter how much you widen it, it's going to get congested again... plus, widening these roads and even double decking to add more "free" lanes is cost prohibitive.

People here just aren't used to tolls and I don't think they realize they live in a major metropolitan area and not a mid-sized city anymore.

[arjay57]

Before long people will figure out how to use these lanes and they'll like having the additional options. SRTA or GDOT (whoever's in charge of it) will have to make some adjustments too. It always takes a while to work these things out.

Consider how even one little wreck can tie up an entire sector of the metro area.

[tonygeorgia]

Crime is going to increase if they don't get rid of these hot lanes

[cwkimbro]

I think it is important to note... while we keep seeing the headlines (and traffic conditions) like Gwinnett | I-85 continues to jam up in area where new 'HOT lanes' are , we need to remember that is mostly not from the HOT lane concept. It is mostly caused from no one using the lanes yet.

It will take a little while for people to get use to them. Many people don't even have the toll tags yet (including 3 person cars). Over time we might need to lower (or raise in the long-run) the toll to entice the proper number of cars into the lane. Once more cars start using the HOT lanes there will be fewer cars in the general purpose lanes like there has been this past week.

The HOT lane concept is designed to keep the maximum number of cars flowing in that lane, even when the rest of the lanes get congested and fewer cars can travel through the lanes due to the slow, congested crawl. This has largely gone unmentioned in the press and on forums like these. I wish more people would consider this, because 1-2 years from now... this is what we need to analyze to see if the HOT lane concept really works or doesn't.

The toll itself isn't even about generating revenue as people suggest, it is really meant to be the mechanism used to keep the lane flowing.

[tonygeorgia]

https://www.facebook.com/#!/AgainstPeachPass?sk=info <---Against The Georgia Peach Pass



On October 1st, 2011, the High Occupancy Vehicle lane on I-85 will be changed to a Georgia Peach Pass Lane aka High Occupancy Toll Lane. The lane will require a Peach Pass and they can charge between $0.10-$0.90 EACH MILE, depending on traffic congestion. And that is for normal circumstances as they can increase the price for "special circumstances." And the only way to ride free is 3+ commuters, ...mass transit use and alternative fuel vehicles. How is this helping traffic, how is this helping commuters?!?!? A $60M project (correction apparently: $147M) being funded by tax-payers, yet tax-payers don't want it?!?!? And this is just the start of many HOT lanes in GA. Up next: I-75, I-575, I-20, I-285. This can't happen and we CANNOT allow it to happen!

This is your forum to speak your mind on it. If we get enough support, we can make things go back to the way they were! I have already sent an email and others have as well so do so and let them know how you feel!

11Alive's Consolidated GA Officials Contact Info Page (recommended): http://topics.11alive.com/i-85%20express%20lanes/

And if you want to reach out to the people who are overseeing this project, go here:
http://www.georgiatolls.com/about/leadership

For Governor Deal's email: http://www.georgia.gov/00/gov/contact_us/0,2657,165937316_166563415,00.html

USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood's Contact Information:
http://independenceave.org/congress/member/il/18

//www.facebook.com/sec.lahood?sk=wall&filter=1

If you want to see how the state's " market research" determined this was/is a benefit, go here:
http://www.georgiatolls.com/assets/docs/Market%20Research_16JUNE10.pdf

CRD Reduction Demonstration Agreement between the USDOT & Atlanta-area Congestion Reduction Partners:
http://www.dot.state.ga.us/informationcenter/programs/crd/Documents/CRD%20Agreement%20-%20Atlanta.pdf &

http://www.upa.dot.gov/crd/agreements/termsheetatlanta.htm

My email to Executive Director, Gena Evans:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yxl2O3HJw8w_ULUC7gUf36IMOHc5VOWnJbVNeSAO6-E/edit?hl=en_US

My email to Governor Deal:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ynRl5qbGovrAtYG1pbvbB3sKTg85K9tROpiZRptsvUs/edit?hl=en_US

Leave your thoughts with the SRTA here:
//www.facebook.com/pages/State-Road-Tollway-Authority/144581358949104?sk=wall

Information on public sessions for I75/575 HOV/HOT Project: http://por.dot.ga.gov/projectInfo/projectInfo.cfm?projID=714130-&projNum=NH-73-3%28242%29&projName=Northwest+Corridor+I-75%2FI-575+HOV%2FBRT+Project

Fox 5 Segment: http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/local_news/Facebook-Page-Protests-New-I85-Toll-Lanes-20111005-pm-pk

WSBTV Article: http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/state-looking-hot-lane-changes-drivers-fight-back/nD2ZB/

Jackie Kass's Examiner.com Article: http://m.examiner.com/exAtlanta/pm_63195/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=jP5MOVRy

Camie Young's Article in Gwinnett Post: http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2011/oct/06/deal-price-i-85-tolls-needs-be-examined/

Kristi Reed's Article in Dacula Patch: http://dacula.patch.com/articles/peach-pass-protest-page-launched-on-facebook

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[tonygeorgia]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/300868_183015108442798_182990085111967_388389_1340 503058_n.jpg (broken link)

One vehicle...a motorcycle (lower left of picture) using the new HOT lanes near pleasant hill road at 9am on Monday morning.