GDOT releases visualization video of proposed GA 400 express toll lanes (Atlanta: buy, school)

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by Gulch

You found Georgia state government to be open and honest prior to 2002-04?

It was magnatudes more transparent than it is now, the DOT in particular - so yes.

[JMatl]

Originally Posted by bu2

I was wondering when the Republicans took over city of Atlanta, Fulton County and Dekalb County.

With the exception of North Fulton they didn't, but you already know this. You're being obtuse.

Did you somehow miss the part where I said the STATE of Georgia? I know you're used to this in Texas, but it's not normal and it didn't use to be like this.

[architect77]

Originally Posted by samiwas1

Well, that and "We could go forward with the 400 Express Lane proposal. “Just pave it” and add four to six lanes every 20 years." No lanes have been added to 285 in over 20 years. I mean, nothing in the history of Atlanta supports this narrative, but they seem to love using it. Most Atlanta interstates haven't seen any lanes added in well over 20 years, and only one or two lanes in the years before that. But yeah...let's keep pretending that 4-6 lanes every 20 years is normal.

Yes, our freeways are deceiving, because people from other states assume we have a well-developed network of secondary roads and the 5th and 6th lanes on the freeways are a luxury, icing on the cake.

In reality the 5th lane on I-285, and the 4th and 5th lanes on I-75 and I-85 are the only response in 25 years to a population that more than doubled.

It was the absolute least effort that could be made to accommodate the explosive growth of the metro.

On the flipside though, other state's residents are impressed and intimidated by our wide freeways that place Atlanta in a higher league.

And Atlanta's infamous traffic has been legendary since the 80s where people just conjure up images of a packed freeway, whereas I also think of the lethargic pace of the secondary roads.

I've come to the realization that one of our biggest problems metro-wide is roads briefly piggy-backing on one another that causes odd-angled intersections that people traverse more-slowly and in general create chokepoints.

Anyone else agree?

sandysprings by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr

cheshire by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by architect77

Yes, our freeways are deceiving, because people from other states assume we have a well-developed network of secondary roads and the 5th and 6th lanes on the freeways are a luxury, icing on the cake.

In reality the 5th lane on I-285, and the 4th and 5th lanes on I-75 and I-85 are the only response in 25 years to a population that more than doubled.

It was the absolute least effort that could be made to accommodate the explosive growth of the metro.

On the flipside though, other state's residents are impressed and intimidated by our wide freeways that place Atlanta in a higher league.

And Atlanta's infamous traffic has been legendary since the 80s where people just conjure up images of a packed freeway, whereas I also think of the lethargic pace of the secondary roads.

I've come to the realization that one of our biggest problems metro-wide is roads briefly piggy-backing on one another that causes odd-angled intersections that people traverse more-slowly and in general create chokepoints.

Anyone else agree?

sandysprings by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr

cheshire by Stephen Edwards, on Flickr

I agree but it's not the only problem. Theres a severe lack of cross suburban connector arteries, some which do connect like you stated, end at other streets sometimes with even less capacity. The ones that are more complete often to go through large business of commercial sectors making them impractical to use to travel between distant suburbs. Most cross suburban traffic has to use the freeway or it's a painful drive.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by JMatl

With the exception of North Fulton they didn't, but you already know this. You're being obtuse.

Did you somehow miss the part where I said the STATE of Georgia? I know you're used to this in Texas, but it's not normal and it didn't use to be like this.

Is it possible that they are being in-transparent mainly because they know these projects would be largely unpopular by the public but the state is determined to push them through? That was my first thought.

Much in the opposite sense that Gwinnett sabotaged the MARTA expansion vote that may have gained traction.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by MattCW

The vast majority of the people along the GA-400 corridor are going to Perimeter, Buckhead, Midtown or Downtown. MARTA's own estimates of the red line extension showed something like 40,000 additional riders. That's NOT small change by any stretch.

Wow, that would be huge.

They say about 75,000 people a day currently use MARTA to commute to work, so another 40,000 would be quite a jump.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Wow, that would be huge.

They say about 75,000 people a day currently use MARTA to commute to work, so another 40,000 would be quite a jump.

Only 75k? MARTA rail gets something like a quarter of a million rail trips/day, and buses take system ridership to nearly half a million trips/day.

[Gulch]

Originally Posted by JMatl

It was magnatudes more transparent than it is now, the DOT in particular - so yes.

As someone who does work alongside GDOT on projects, the agency is far better in public outreach now than 30+ years ago, though that's less related to political party control and more due to changing attitudes among its staff and mission.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by toll_booth

Only 75k? MARTA rail gets something like a quarter of a million rail trips/day, and buses take system ridership to nearly half a million trips/day.

Well, trips is not the same thing as the number of riders.

75,000 commuters per day is what MARTA says.

According to their stats, about 124,000 people a day use MARTA, so it makes sense that 60% of them would be commuters.

[toll_booth]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Well, trips is not the same thing as the number of riders.

75,000 commuters per day is what MARTA says.

According to their stats, about 124,000 people a day use MARTA, so it makes sense that 60% of them would be commuters.

How do they define "commuter"? What are these other 40%?