After a second day of slower than normal commutes on Ga. 400 southbound, transportation officials are asking commuters to have patience with a new shoulder lane, designed to ease traffic. But drivers worry the plan has created a new safety hazard on a highway known for its unpredictable and heavy commutes.
Starting this week, the southbound shoulder is open to traffic from 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. Monday through Friday from Holcomb Bridge Road to the North Springs MARTA exit. Following a disappointing debut of the new lane Monday morning, commute speeds remained slower Tuesday during the critical hour between 7 and 8 a.m., said Jill Goldberg, spokeswoman for the department of transportation.
That would mean that cars were going slower than the 30 mph they normally average between Holcomb Bridge Road, where the shoulder lane starts, and Northridge Drive, which is where commuters using the shoulder have to merge into traffic to avoid the exit lane.
After 8 a.m., the commute time improved substantially over the average, she said. "It is only the second day of it, and we expect it to improve every day this week," she said.
But Roswell resident Joan Joslin said Tuesday's congestion was markedly worse than Monday and that safety was becoming a bigger issue. Normally some aggressive drivers entering Ga. 400 cut over to the far left lane, which typically has better speed. Now they are cutting back across several lanes of traffic to the shoulder on the far right, which is advertised as a faster lane, she said.
Traffic studies have shown that type of driving behavior not only increases the likelihood of a wreck but backs up traffic more because other drivers have to brake to let the lane cutters through.
"I think this is going to result in a major accident," she said. "It is just a mess."
Shoulder-lane projects in other states have at least marginally improved traffic flow, according to traffic studies, although it wasn't clear how closely their conditions mirrored Ga. 400.
Following Monday's confusion on where to enter and exit the new lane, DOT installed roadway lettering at Northridge Drive Monday night to better direct drivers , Goldberg said.
"People just need to be patient and let drivers adjust to it," Goldberg said. “There is always going to be that learning curve. People don’t know how to use the lane. Maybe they are timid about using it. ..It is not only new to Ga 400. It is new to Georgia."
Goldberg said the DOT expects the commuting time will improve each day but it will assess the results after a month. The agency doesn't have benchmarks -- such as a specific reduction in commuting time minutes -- that would determine success, but will look at a number of factors to decide whether to continue the shoulder lane, Goldberg said.
Mike Burton, who like Joslin was interviewed on Monday and Tuesday by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said the commute was slightly better Tuesday. But so far he said the extra lane is a route to trouble because it forces drivers to merge back into the normal lanes at exits.
"Why would I drive in that lane?" the Cumming resident said. "I think it is dangerous."
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