State scraps plans for HOT lanes on 75 & 575 (Atlanta, Douglas: quality of life, move)

[BobKovacs]

Just read on wsbtv.com that the state has abandoned plans to add HOT lanes on 75 and 575. I can't say that I'm surprised, given the lukewarm reception that they got on 85.

[ATLTJL]

I'm jealous!

I hope they abandon them on 85. They are stupid and don't work.

[wxjay]

When this state wakes up and realizes that commuter rail and expansion of the 'subway'/light rail would actually improve quality of life and yield a better commute across the metro area, then things will finally move up. The longer these people continue to debate HOT lanes, truck-only lanes, and silly expansion of highways, the more rundown and undesirable Atlanta becomes for future employers and people in general.

[ATLTJL]

I agree with everything you said except one point....

Light rail is not going to cut it. We need an expansion of our heavy rail.

[billl]

Now in the AJC:

DOT pulls plug on $1 billion I-75/I-575 project *| ajc.com

I especially like this bit near the end:

Then last month, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that traffic predictions showed the project was expected to make commutes slightly worse for some drivers, and would not provide major congestion relief for most in the main lanes.

In other words, it would have been a repeat of the I-85 HOT lanes, despite the fact that they were actually adding lanes.

I'm glad it was scrapped. Now can we take that $1B and put it towards something that will actually help?

[WanderingImport]

Originally Posted by ATLTJL

I agree with everything you said except one point....

Light rail is not going to cut it. We need an expansion of our heavy rail.

Completely agree. Expansion needs to be beyond Fulton and DeKalb. Places like Gwinnett, Cobb, Douglas, Henry, Rockdale, etc.

Continue expansion northward up the 400 as well as up and down 75, 85 and 20. Projects like this will help get smart, pedestrian friendly developments going and continue to make Atlanta a prosperous region.

[neil0311]

So the dreaded and maligned state Republican administration listened to feedback, reviewed a policy for effectiveness, and made a change accordingly. Too bad our federal gov't can't do the same.

[cqholt]

Completely agree. Expansion needs to be beyond Fulton and DeKalb. Places like Gwinnett, Cobb, Douglas, Henry, Rockdale, etc.

Continue expansion northward up the 400 as well as up and down 75, 85 and 20. Projects like this will help get smart, pedestrian friendly developments going and continue to make Atlanta a prosperous region.

Yes, rail transit is the only answer, now the stat needs to take the $1 billion and put it towards commuter rail from Cherokee and Cobb Counties inside the perimeter. Have multiple stops with the terminus in Downtown Atlanta. Eventually light or heavy rail will need to be built across the top-end perimeter to connect Cumberland with Perimeter and Doraville. Then the suburb-to-suburb commute will be possible with rail based transit.

[gtcorndog]

I'm not sure how this would make traffic worse since unlike the I-85 debacle, this plan calls for the adding of new lanes and not the conversion of existing lanes. I'm not sure how adding capacity on the highway would make things worse. I understand why I-85 HOT lanes flopped. They essentially cannibalized the existing capacity.

I think this is likely just a political knee-jerk reaction to the mismanagement of the I-85 HOT conversion.

I'm all for expanding the heavy rail, but that isn't going to help the drive up I-75 and I-575 past Woodstock (unless you plan on building 30 miles of heavy rail up that way which would easily take 50% of the 10 year revenue expected from the TSPLOST).

[tonygeorgia]

I think everybody in the grit should be fired. Anything other than light rail is not acceptable