400 toll plazas to come down--at a cost (Atlanta, Ideal: maintenance, suburban)

[toll_booth]

Dismantling of GA 400 toll plaza takes big step forward | www.ajc.com

I'm not one to rag on every minutia inefficiency that I find in the public sector. Lord knows it happens all the time in the private sector as well, but they are allowed to use confidentiality rules to keep most of that secret.

But this one just seems a little odd. $3.5 million to take this thing down? That's more than half of what it cost to take out Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh or Texas Stadium in North Texas. And it's gonna take an entire YEAR?? Heck, I say just shut the highway down one weekend, get some monster trucks out there, and let 'em have at it! Or something that works a little faster than the current plan.

[cqholt]

Should leave the tolls to fund the 285/400 interchange improvements.

[Born 2 Roll]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Should leave the tolls to fund the 285/400 interchange improvements.

...Exactly.

The state should have never made the promise to take the tolls off of GA 400 as GA 400 is currently the only road in the state that pays for its own maintenance needs.

If the state was going to take the tolls off of GA 400, the state should have at least waited to do so until after it paid for the improvements to the outmoded interchange at I-285 and GA 400.

[flamadiddle]

What do promises have to do with anything? just look at the toll roads in Illinois.

Politicians doing what they said they would do is quite a shocking concept for me.

[GeorgiaLakeSearch]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Should leave the tolls to fund the 285/400 interchange improvements.

Agree.

I wonder if this will change traffic patterns?

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by GeorgiaLakeSearch

Agree.

I wonder if this will change traffic patterns?

Yes, more people will use 400 now that the tolls are gone. It may only be 50 cents, but it kept some people away.

[ATLHRLGUY]

I agree, the toll should have remained, but in exchange for keeping the toll have the rate always remain at 50 cents. (wouldn't hold my breath with politicians) Comparing Atlanta to other majors cities, we have been super spoiled when it comes to toll roads.

I believe driving patterns during the work week would remain the same. No one is going to hop off ga 400 to save 50 cents (which would cost more than 50 cents in gas driving around the toll) and waste almost 10 minutes doing so. So if taking GA 400 wasn't already in your daily commute it won't begin to be apart of it.

However, I foresee an uptick in weekend traffic.

[wendydufv]

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[adio]

i vote to keep it and reduce the fee to .25 cents

[testa50]

I agree we should keep it.

Ideally, I'd go for a 50-cent toll on the inbound-only direction of every limited-access highway (85, 75, 400, 675, and 20), just outside of the perimeter. This will cause most suburban-urban, urban-suburban, and suburban-suburban commuters to pay one or two tolls per day. Dedicate 100% of the funds to roadway improvements within the five core counties.