DEL.ICIO.USTolls coming to metro Atlanta HOV lanes?
14-mile stretch of I-85 could get millions of federal dollars for project
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, November 21, 2008
Georgia transportation officials are abuzz over the prospect that the U.S. Department of Transportation will give the state millions of dollars to add tolls to HOV lanes in a 14-mile section of I-85, mostly in Gwinnett County.
Four people close to the project said word was spreading that a high-ranking federal official, maybe even Transportation Secretary Mary Peters herself, may come to Atlanta to present local officials with a hefty sum, perhaps $110 million. The plan would require the state to put in money, too. Some said the announcement could come as early as Tuesday.
Toll roads are still unusual in Georgia, but state policymakers have concluded that more are necessary to help meet transportation funding gaps.
At present, the state’s only toll road is the inner-Perimeter extension of Ga. 400, which the state built despite a hail of controversy.
Publicity over the HOV toll idea so far hasn’t generated a similar storm. The price of the tolls would rise and fall with the traffic congestion in the main lanes, higher tolls when traffic is heavy, lower tolls when traffic is light. To assess the toll, cars probably would be outfitted with transponders and the toll would be levied by electronic sensors with no stopping for toll booths.
A spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation, Brian Turmail, said the agency was considering applications to a congestion-reduction grant program from a range of cities but “at this point we’re not ready to make any announcements.” Georgia has applied for a grant.
The I-85 project is seen as a prelude to putting tolls on all 44 miles of Atlanta’s HOV lanes in an attempt to free up space — for drivers who are willing to pay. Georgia agencies including the State Road and Tollway Authority and the state Department of Transportation have filed and refiled applications for federal grant money to convert the whole HOV system, or just the northeastern I-85 piece.
The award is a precarious subject and all who said they had heard of it requested anonymity. In 2007, Georgia competed for a similar grant, and as dealings with U.S. Department of Transportation officials progressed, officials here were all but sure they’d won. They didn’t. Miami, Seattle, New York and other cities won, and aides to Gov. Sonny Perdue, who had vaunted the application’s progress in an announcement, were left to explain a defeat.
Thursday, asked about the latest developments and if Perdue would support finding the state matching funds, a spokesman for the governor said in an e-mail, “We don’t comment on buzz.”
“We have obviously supported similar projects in the past so you can take that for what it’s worth,” wrote the spokesman, Bert Brantley.
A state DOT board member whose district includes part of I-85 said he couldn’t confirm the award but said he had heard about the possibility and was excited.
“My reaction is we’re moving forward with a solution to relieve congestion,” said the board member, Robert Brown. “We’re doing something. We’ve done a lot of studying, and it’s time now to implement.”
Georgia’s application for a federal grant in 2007 asked for tolls on 14 miles of I-85’s HOV lanes, from the Perimeter in DeKalb County to Old Peachtree Road in Gwinnett. If an award materializes, could follow that plan.
Variable tolls using “congestion pricing” are a principal initiative of Peters’ administration.
The toll revenues could go toward operating the system, and the point is not necessarily to make money, Georgia officials have said.
The main idea is to push enough people off the HOV lane to guarantee at least one lane on the highway where traffic can flow freely.
Under the 2007 application, larger car pools might still ride free.
The decision about how many people constitute a free car pool is one of many that have yet to be made. In previous interviews, transportation officials have said that while there is consensus on moving forward with the idea, any specific project would still have legal hoops to jump through, board votes to survive, and questions to answer. The toll price is another unknown, but a similar project in California charges about $1 a mile at the most congested time of the week.
One innovative facet of the 2007 proposal whose fate in the eventual project is unclear was a suggestion to give “commuter credits” to teleworkers and mass-transit riders that could be used for a free solo ride in the toll lane.
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Comments
By Paul
Mar 25, 2009 8:48 PM | Link to this
If they want to make revenue on the HOV lanes, instead of making them pay only lanes, why don't they actually start TICKETING the a-holes that drive in the lane that shouldn't be there? Countless times, I've seen single drivers in that lane. I'm sure they could make some revenue by actually scouting out for folks who shouldn't be in that lane.
By Online NCReader
Mar 3, 2009 1:15 AM | Link to this
Over the last 30 years - my opinion - too much emphasis has been on roads and not enough on mass transit, which led to the massive traffic plaguing the people living in Metro Atlanta today. Add to this the rejection of MARTA into the surrounding counties from the heart of the capital city, and the recipe for overcrowded highways and daily gridlock becomes reality! Subways and light-rail service into bedroom communities from a city with a sizable black population will not equal movement of "unwanted elements" into those communities. Case in point: Charlotte, NC, which is seen by some as an example of Atlanta as it began to mature back in the '70s, is dealing with the same kind of racism and misinformation surrounding its highly-successful LYNX light rail, where the southern terminus stops almost 2 miles from a bedroom community that objected to having LYNX end at the community's downtown. Charlotteans and people living in the surrounding metro will eventually pay the price for such shortsighted and selfish attitudes: They should learn from Atlanta, which, if left unchecked, is a reflection of their troubles to come!
By Ed
Dec 4, 2008 10:01 PM | Link to this
This is ridicules, I travel 55 miles one way to work, I drive with another (yes just 2 of us) all the way from Grayson/Dacula to Government Walk (City Hall, Board of Regions, and Courts of all sorts) in down-town Atlanta. With the 316 change, traffic is incredibly smoother. So why screw something up that is working just fine. Wait I get it push the heck out of car pooling and then think up some ignorant plan to make money off a clean air campaign. Wait even better lets let the morons who drive Hummers use the HOV lanes cuz they paid (who) money... what happens once their out of Gwinnett... Hmmmm... I get it! the entire Metropolitan area benefits... Oh come on this is STUPID. No, No, No I know lets punish the ones who are effectively using the free highway (freeway Payway) including the wonderfully thought out HOV lanes. Where do we go to send this idea to the trash? Please someone feel free to contact me (edward@arogeo.com)
By David Marshall
Dec 2, 2008 4:36 PM | Link to this
Hello. I was extrememly disappointed to hear that plans are being made to change the HOV lanes through Atlanta to toll lanes "to reduce traffic congestion." HOV lanes WILL reduce traffic congestion, because the number of single-occupancy vehicles that now clog the interstates will be reduced as drivers favor carpooling. The fact that the HOV plan is on the verge of making great strides is evident in the pressure by some to abandon it. This is the critical time at which commitment to HOV lanes mustn't waver. Incentives to carpooling and air pollution abatement must be made MORE attractive, not less! The DOT's own web sites says the HOV lanes are "...designed to help reduce air pollution, improve traffic congestion and ensure a substantial time savings for commuters who rideshare (two or more occupants per vehicle)." Making HOV lanes into toll lanes may bring in some Federal $$, but it will increase traffic congestion over time, increase air pollution, and favor drivers with greater disposable wealth over taxpayers of lower economic status. The taxpayers of Georgia have paid for our state's interstate highway system, and pay to maintain it. Now the DOT apparantly wants to make sure they don't fairly enjoy the benefits. Shame on the DOT for even considering this. --David Marshall
By David
Nov 24, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this
This is dumb.
You want people to car pool and your going to charge money to use car pool lanes. And during peak time the car pool lanes are full.
Seems like somebody has posted the exit sign after the turn.
Oh wait, that GA DOT
And when was that 400 extension going to be paid off with tolls? Yea right, pull the other one.
By R LM
Nov 22, 2008 10:27 PM | Link to this
This is so the rich living in Duluth can get to town without having to associate with the rest of us. This is purely for big contributors and does not lessen the cars on the freeway. For shame.
By The Bomb
Nov 21, 2008 9:04 PM | Link to this
Oh great, we get to pay for the road with taxes and then get to pay to ride on them. How about a novel idea, let's do away with the equalization rule that sends all the Atlanta money to pay for pet projects in rural georgia and for building roads that few use. Yes the build it and they will come mentality for all the rural projects have not worked.
And talk about the GA DOT, just who has the chairlady not bedded in her personal life. I guess Sonny is getting some of that too the way he protects her!!!
By Atlanta1
Nov 21, 2008 6:07 PM | Link to this
I'm all for trying something different, however I envision this freeing up the HOV lanes and clogging up the regular lanes with more cars because most people will not pay that fee. There needs to be more HOV exits for the HOV system to really work here. If you are in the HOV lane you have to cut across all the lanes to exit. The point of the HOV system is to get easy access, but there simply arent enough HOV exits.
By Lee Olson
Nov 21, 2008 5:57 PM | Link to this
Isn't this typical of Georgia state Government. For over a decade, commercial and residential development has gone unchecked. With no concern for the traffic problems created, as long as more taxes could be collect. Now, they want the federal Government to pay for their poor management. I thought the Republicans were all about reducing taxes. How about putting the breaks on all the develpoment and finding ways to reduce the average tax payer's burden !!
By Jeff
Nov 21, 2008 2:33 PM | Link to this
Just what I expect from the federal government, continue to throw more tax money at a broken system. The real question is how to decrease the amount of cars traveling on those roads during peek periods? The answer is, restrict the number of lanes single occupied vehicles (SOV)can travel in down to one or two lanes. That will force single occupied motorist to carpool rather quickly!
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