Gov. Deal lowers HOT lane fees for I-85 in Gwinnett

Responding to criticism by frustrated commuters in Gwinnett County, stuck in traffic while those willing and able to pay the price zoom past in new high-occupancy toll lanes on I-85, Gov. Nathan Deal on Thursday afternoon said the state would reduce what motorists pay.

The algorithm used to calculate the higher tolls to be charged as traffic worsens is being rewritten, a spokeswoman for the governor's office said.

"It doesn’t affect the range of potential rates," press secretary Stephanie Mayfield said in an email. Tolls currently range from 10 to 90 cents per mile, depending on the level of congestion.

“Looking at what we’ve learned from our first four work days with the HOT lanes, I’ve asked SRTA to improve utilization of the express lanes,” Deal said in a prepared statement, referring to the State Road and Tollway Authority.

“In the short term, the toll rate will lower – starting with Thursday afternoon’s commute – but the effective rate will continue to change to regulate speed and volume,” the governor said.

Deal’s announcement indicates initial HOT lane usage may have been less than what the state had hoped.

The governor also addressed criticism that the new HOT lanes did not have enough points at which motorists could legally enter and exit the HOT lanes, and of the requirement for at least three riders in a carpool to qualify for a toll-free ride. The high-occupancy vehicle express lanes that the toll lanes replaced required only two riders per vehicle.

“Even before the lanes opened, we knew we needed to improve the access and exit points in the southbound direction. SRTA and the Georgia Department of Transportation are working together and I’ve directed them to prioritize this action,” Deal said.

“Lastly, I-85 has long required two passengers for the express lanes,” he said. “Federal regulations in effect with the HOT lanes increased the requirement to three passengers. I will pursue a federal waiver to move the requirement back to two.”

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported earlier that the state was investigating the lack of access points in the toll lane, an issue raised weeks ago by carpoolers and transit passengers who saw their old HOV entrances disappear, forcing them to ride miles in the regular lanes before being able to enter.

A spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation, Karlene Barron, said Thursday that the DOT had not decided yet how many access points to add or where to put them, but they definitely will be added, and a consultant’s report under way would help answer the questions.

As for lowering the occupancy requirement for a free carpool back to two people, a U.S. Department of Transportation official in the Bush administration who was instrumental in the I-85 HOT lane project, Tyler Duvall, said that a key point in the project was that I-85’s HOV lane was already congested and not performing as it was supposed to.

“The region has got to correct the congestion problem in the HOV lanes regardless of what we're doing here,” Duvall said.

The I-85 toll lanes opened over the weekend. To use the lanes, a driver must have a Peach Pass, even if there are enough riders in a car to qualify for free passage.

Solo drivers and two-person car pools must pay tolls. Car pools of three people or more ride free, as do transit vehicles, motorcycles, cars with alternative fuel license plates and mass transit. Violators are subject to a $25 SRTA fine and a police fine of up to $150.

The toll lane was about 33 minutes faster than the regular lanes during the worst congestion from 7:30 to 8:45 a.m. Monday, SRTA director Gena Evans said.

Yet driver outrage has been growing.