New interchanges, widening are concerns with proposed managed lanes projects on I-285 and GA 400 (Atlanta: neighborhoods, construction)

[Gulch]

New interchanges, widening are concerns with 285/400 managed lanes - Reporter Newspapers

Sandy Springs officials are offering formal input on plans to add “managed lanes” to I-285 and Ga. 400, including ideas for new interchanges with local streets and concerns about the ever-wider highways eating into neighborhoods and limiting mass transit alternatives.

“I like the idea of [recommending] minimally invasive solutions, and let the engineers figure it out,” said Mayor Rusty Paul at the May 16 City Council meeting, where officials discussed a preliminary recommendation letter they planned to finish within 48 hours.

The Georgia Department of Transportation is just beginning its massive reconstruction of the 285/400 interchange, which will continue into 2020. But it’s already in the early planning stages for another, follow-up project adding “managed lanes” to both highways within the next decade. “Managed” means the lanes have some kind of restricted access, usually by a toll. The managed lanes are proposed as entirely new, separate lanes, with early sketches showing them elevated on columns on 285 and as regular surface lanes on a widened 400.

GDOT is already seeking early input from cities along the highways, Assistant City Manager Bryant Poole said at the May 16 City Council meeting. GDOT and city staff are proposing potential new interchanges to study, and the city is pushing for right of way to be left for transit and multiuse trails. Sandy Springs officials want one interchange location off the table – at Sandy Springs Circle – while debating whether to include one near the North Springs MARTA Station, which could be locally controversial.

The timeframe is long, with the Ga. 400 lanes estimated to start construction in 2022 and the I-285 version in 2024. But early right of way acquisition could start as soon as this year, and Mayor Paul said “time is of the essence” on giving input and direction to GDOT.

Proposed layout along I-285:

[arjay57]

Good news! I hope they move up on this quickly.

The top end of 285 is arguably the ATL's Main Street and what happens there affects a huge part of the city.

[cqholt]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Good news! I hope they move up on this quickly.

The top end of 285 is arguably the ATL's Main Street and what happens there affects a huge part of the city.

Atlanta's main street is Peachtree, don't get a human scaled street and a car sewer confused.

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by cqholt

Atlanta's main street is Peachtree, don't get a human scaled street and a car sewer confused.

Congrats on the buzzword to full-sentence ratio here! Impressive!

[tikigod311]

Oh my, that is hideous. That looks like the thoughtless, highway first design that is so popular in Texas. Please no. The new I-75 N lanes are ugly enough, this is setting the bar even lower.

If there wasn't the upside of AVs using Managed Lanes in the future, I would be 100% against them. It's time to invest in actual alternatives, not exclusive lanes for people with more $$$ than others.

[cqholt]

How many billions of dollars will this cost? With the funding for this project, we could build a rail line across the Top-End instead and create a REAL alternative.

[jpatlanta]

Originally Posted by cqholt

How many billions of dollars will this cost? With the funding for this project, we could build a rail line across the Top-End instead and create a REAL alternative.

Yep total waste of money that will just encourage even more congestion and ten years from now they will want more money to upgrade again.

[billl]

Mayor Paul agreed and noted the conceptual designs have no room for MARTA’s proposed Red Line train or bus rapid transit extension along the corridor. The PATH400 multiuse trail is intended to eventually extend there as well.

Stupid! Extend the Red Line first, then they can start thinking about adding lanes.

When I lived in Johns Creek and worked downtown, if the Red Line had come all the way up to Mansell I would likely have taken it every day. Driving all the way to Doraville or Chamblee then getting on MARTA saved zero time and actually made my commute longer, which meant that I eventually abandoned the idea.

[brown_dog_us]

Originally Posted by cqholt

How many billions of dollars will this cost? With the funding for this project, we could build a rail line across the Top-End instead and create a REAL alternative.

According to a quick internet search I285 handles 2 million people a day while all of marta handles 500k. How many of that 2 million people would use your proposed rail line? 20k? 100k?

[samiwas1]

Originally Posted by cqholt

How many billions of dollars will this cost? With the funding for this project, we could build a rail line across the Top-End instead and create a REAL alternative.

Agreed. (I know that probably shocks you) This idea looks terrible.

Extend the red line up through Roswell to Alpharetta. And go much further than just a top-end arc. How about a big northside loop that covers Perimeter, Sandy Springs, Cumberland, Vinings, West Village, Bolton, West Midtown, Arts Center, Emory, Northlake, and Doraville. And extend the Gold line up to at least Norcross. I know I would use the hell out of all that, even though if they started building it today, I'd be dead before it was finished.