DEL.ICIO.USPlan puts tolls on interstate HOV lanes
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
In the midst of a funding crisis, the state Department of Transportation is moving forward with plans for a road project that could cost more than $400 million — and wouldn’t add an inch of travel lane.
The project would transform all 44 miles of existing HOV lanes in Atlanta to toll or HOT lanes.
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For those willing to spend the money, the proposal offers 44 miles of interstate with one guaranteed highway-speed lane at rush hour.
Large car pools could still ride free — but solo drivers and small car pools (perhaps as small as two or three people) would have to pay.
Officials won’t know the minimum car-pool size, the toll price or even the cost of the whole project until they study it more. They hope to start building the system in 2010, and could introduce it in phases.
It could cost from $414 million to $470 million.
“Yes we have a shortfall, which is why we are seeking federal assistance on the project,” DOT spokeswoman Ericka Davis said in an e-mail. “We can’t afford to give up.”
As for the price tag, at least half of the money would pay for the toll system itself. As much as 43 percent of the money would go to mass transit, including more buses and park-and-ride lots to ease congestion.
The rest of the money would pay for public outreach and for monitoring how well it works, according to the submission prepared by Georgia agencies and presented to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Under the plan, provisions would be made for people who ride mass transit or shift their commute to off-peak times to get credits toward free rides in the toll lane.
State DOT officials were limited in their response to requests for information.
“These questions are ahead of where we are in the process,” Davis said in an e-mail. “We are in the middle of working out the logistics of how this project can be developed, implemented and managed holistically.”
The state has already chosen vendors for some preliminary services and is in contract negotiations with the firms.
The Atlanta Regional Commission will be working with DOT to study computer models and put it out for 30 days of public comment, said Tom Weyandt, comprehensive planning chief at ARC.
The earliest the ARC board could hope to vote on the matter is December or January, Weyandt said.
“I also see no land mines here,” he said. “I think it will move forward expeditiously.”
The submission to the federal government indicates that 80 percent of the project would need federal funding.
Whether the start-up costs come from federal or state taxes, or private companies that are repaid with tolls, the ultimate source is individual taxpayers or drivers.
The state Transportation Board has already approved the general idea, and the state unsuccessfully applied in 2007 for federal grants for such a project on I-85 in Gwinnett County.
In a presentation at the Atlanta Regional Commission last week, DOT chief engineer Gerald Ross said, “We’re talking about the entire 44-mile system, not just one corridor. You’ve really got to be looking at the system.”
Although Georgia had lost that previous pass at a federal grant, “we will move forward because we’ve got to provide some solutions,” Ross said.
DOT Commissioner Gena Evans said she and Gov. Sonny Perdue’s transportation policy adviser met with U.S. DOT Secretary Mary Peters recently and discussed the more comprehensive proposal.
“Did she say she had $400 million to throw our way? You know that’s not going to happen, but she did say she’s very interested,” said Evans.
The Cost:
Toll system: $235.8 million
Public outreach/commuter credit: $18.1 million
Transit improvements: $204.3 million or $148.0 million
Performance and environmental monitoring: $12.5 million
Total: $470.7 million or $414.4 million
Source: Proposal by GDOT, State Road and Tollway Authority and other agencies based on preliminary estimates
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Comments
By Bryant
Jan 11, 2009 12:24 PM | Link to this
This isn't a good idea. It defeats the purpose of encouraging people to carpool.
By JerryT
Nov 26, 2008 9:52 AM | Link to this
The HOV lanes were not intended solely to relieve traffic, they were mostly designed to relieve air pollution. Letting people pollute more for a fee is stupid- unless the money goes toward some other air quality program.
By Tommy
Sep 19, 2008 6:16 PM | Link to this
Clearly, this is not focused on improving traffic flow. This is focused on raising more money for the state. And it is wrong to take lanes that all of us have paid for with taxes and limit it to folks who are wiling to pay for it again. It punishes the people who are already carpooling. Thanks for nothing GDOT!
By rdhood
Sep 18, 2008 12:12 PM | Link to this
First, they build lanes with ALL tax dollars. Then, they take away one of those lanes and make it HOV. Then, they charge a toll in that lane for those with three people or less in the car.
So, in essence, the DOT has taken one complete paid-for-with-tax-dollars lane and made it a toll lane. So, how long till they take another lane? and another lane? and the rest of the lane?
If the DOT wants to build toll roads, they need to build it so that it pays for itself without tax-payer dollars. Otherwise, the people are paying twice... once to build the road and then again to use the road. I should not have to pay for a lane of traffic that I cannot ride on for free.
By NoOne
Sep 18, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
We already pay for roads in the fuel tax. Now you want us to pay twice? Gimme a break.
By Again
Sep 18, 2008 9:27 AM | Link to this
Once again, GDOT throws money to its contractors, while ignoring the need for rail and mass transit. All of GDOT's contractors are licking their chops to get part of the HALF BILLION dollars to be spent.
By Matt
Sep 17, 2008 11:42 PM | Link to this
Just out of curiousity, do you guys realize that the toll won't be on those vehicles which are high occupancy? Due to the malicious, ignorant reporting of this journalist, the facts behind HOT lanes are unclear. In most situations, users of HOT lanes that are high occupancy vehicles do not pay the toll. This usually includes vehicles which contain two or more drivers.
I think this option is a great idea, and in fact, I think that a congestion pricing (modified plan mingling a London & Houston toll plan) placed on all major arterial roads in the 20 County Metro Atlanta would greatly increase funding to improve the transportation network (roads & transit) of the Metro area. However, by adding this additional funding, our representation in the Gold Dome might be encouraged to take transportation dollars from the Metro Area and spend more money improving the transportation network of the rest of the state.
Using a combination of bonds & private investment, the potential to build up our transportation network could be done very quickly. But just like all gov't projects, it would need to be managed by those who are intelligent enough to make it work.
By Leo
Sep 17, 2008 9:45 PM | Link to this
Ten years ago these highways had 5 or 6 lanes each way that all the drivers could use...Then we took one away (oh yeah, to force us to carpool which we didn't) and that left virtually the same number of cars with one less lane.
What would be great is if they now converted it to a quick-commute lane for folks who can afford to pay...it's not like my (and everyone else's) taxdollars built that lane to start with!
By Jersey Girl
Sep 17, 2008 8:09 PM | Link to this
This kind is the same backwards logic they used in NJ when they put the EZ Pass toll system up; they (wrongly) assumed that the money generated from violations would pay for it. EZ Pass was a huge, costly mess for the taxpayers of NJ.
Instead of looking for real commuter options they present this pile of shi AND we have to borrow money for it? No thanks.
HOW ABOUT A RAIL SYSTEM THAT WORKS, HMMM? I bet I'll die first...
By Chaz
Sep 17, 2008 7:34 PM | Link to this
To those people who aren't from here in ATL or haven't been here that long, I think one of the other posters mentioned that the HOV lanes are ALREADY congested with people who ARE carpooling as well as those sneaky ones who AREN'T. So, to now give the option to those who don't carpool to pay to legally drive in those lanes doesn't make much sense. Because if they're sneaky about it now, what makes you think they won't be sneaky then.
Question #1: Who and how will the toll system be enforced?
Question #2: What happens if someone has to use the lane to go around a stall or accident? Will they be charged?
Question #3: How will allowing those who pay decrease the congestion? It's still the same number of cars on the road. When there's gridlock, it's in ALL lanes here, not just the regular lanes. Pretty much the only times the HOV lanes aren't clogged is during the times when the rest of the road is clear, and then what's the point? If the rest of the lanes are clear, why use the HOV?
But if they can somehow manage to make it work, I'm all for it. But to say "there are no land mines" is a little too optimistic for me. How often have the DOT had to drive in gridlock? Do they even travel during rush hour? If not, then how can they accurately diagnose the problem and come up with a viable solution? They seem a little out of touch to me. But again I say, if they can figure it out then by all means go for it. But I'm not getting my hopes up.
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