Q&A on the News
Q: The shoulder lanes on Ga. 400 have posted hours of use. However, if traffic is congested outside of these hours, is it permissible to use the lanes?
—Jeff Sanders, Dahlonega
A: Flex lanes like the ones on Ga. 400 are meant to alleviate traffic at peak times, but drivers can't legally use those lanes, no matter how heavy the traffic is, outside of the designated times.
“State law limits the number of hours a day that the flex lanes can be operational,” Georgia Department of Transportation spokeswoman Karlene Barron told Q&A on the News in an email.
Different types of reversible, or multiple-use lanes, might be used 24 hours a day, but “the shoulders are just shoulders outside the hours shown on the signs.”
State law allows the state DOT to designate FlexAuto lanes on the state highway system to improve traffic flow in areas with a history of congestion. But those lanes can be only used eight hours a day. An exception is made for emergencies.
Only cars, motorcycles and light trucks can use the lane.
Q: How long has it been since we’ve had a white Christmas?
—Eddie Webster, Douglasville
A: One to three inches of snow fell in metro Atlanta on Christmas Day in 2010, the Atlanta area's first white Christmas since 1882.
Temperatures fell into the 20s that night and ice developed on area roads.
North Georgia received 6-8 inches as flurries continued on Dec. 26.
Andy Johnston with Fast Copy News Service wrote this column; Allison Floyd contributed. 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).
