Q: How much was spent on the Atlanta HOT lanes (HOV lanes changed over), and what are the projections on income? I never see anyone driving in them.
—Paul Hagan, Atlanta
A: The HOT lanes cost $56 million to implement and were paid for by state and federal funds, The Atlanta Journal-Comnstitution has reported. It also cost $3.9 million to operate the I-85 HOT lane in the fiscal year 2012. The State Road and Tollway Authority said the HOT lanes brought in $3.05 million in revenue in the first 11 months (October 2011-August 2012), short of the projected revenue of $3.3 million to $6.7 million, according to a 2009 state study. Using adjusted 2012 dollars, the "gap is bigger," according to the article. There were 160,000 HOT lane trips in October 2011, the first month of the lane, a number that had increased to 430,000 by August.
Q: Does anyone know what is going on at Trickum Road and Shallowford Road in the Goodwill parking lot? There are numerous tractor-trailers, travel trailers (housing units) and signs pointing to the base camp. It looks like either a movie set or some kind of disaster response drill. Perhaps a National Guard Unit? Any ideas?
—Dave Burroughs, Marietta
A: A film, "Scary Movie 5," was shooting in the area and had its base camp at that Marietta intersection. It was shooting at a residence at 4016 Indian Town Road. Several movies and TV shows, including "Neighborhood Watch," "Footloose," "Necessary Roughness" and "The Walking Dead," have shot scenes in Cobb County over the past few years.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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