"Sustained public rejection of the I-85 [HOT] lanes" - Atlanta

[RamblingRose]

Deal: much is riding on success of I-85 HOT lanes

By Craig Schneider and Aaron Gould Sheinin

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
6:24 p.m. Friday, October 7, 2011

Gov. Nathan Deal said Friday that he felt compelled to act swiftly to reduce tolls on the just-opened I-85 express lanes, because if the project fails, it could endanger plans for more HOT lanes on other congested highways.

HOT lanes feature prominently in plans to reduce traffic congestion throughout metro Atlanta, with another 41 miles slated for completion in the next five years and hundreds of additional miles in coming decades.

"If toll lanes are going to be the future ... then we don't want to leave any unnecessary bad taste in the public's mouth," Deal told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Sustained public rejection of the I-85 lanes, which had attracted fewer than 5,000 drivers a day through Thursday, would put "a serious damper on any future projects," the governor said.

However, beyond adjusting the formula by which tolls are calculated, in the hopes that lower costs will attract more drivers, there is little Deal can do in the short term to stem the tide of criticism that met the lanes' debut.

Neither of the other fixes he is pledged to pursue -- making the lanes free for two-occupant vehicles and increasing the number of access points -- can be accomplished in less than several months, if at all, state and federal transportation planners said Friday.

And, as for the people who just want the HOT lanes scrapped, they can forget it.

"Millions of dollars have been invested in this project," said Deal spokesman Brian Robinson. Much of that money came from the federal government, and it carried certain conditions, including the requirement that a vehicle have at least three occupants to use the lanes at no cost.

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“We’re supposed to be happy that reduced the fee,” she said. “Give me a break. We already paid for that lane, everybody who has lived in Georgia all of their lives have paid for that lane.”

Self said her daughter has used the lane a few times but seems unaware of just how much her electronic Peach Pass has been charged per trip.

“She doesn’t have a clue how much she is paying for it,” she said.

Victor Ramkissoon began an anti-HOT lane Facebook page one month ago after learning the project would alter his daily commute from Snellville to Sandy Springs. Ramkissoon, an IT salesperson, carpooled each workday with his girlfriend on the HOV lanes, and wasn’t pleased with his new options: pay a varying rate to take the same road as before, or find a third passenger.

When the HOT lanes were unveiled Monday, he had about 20 fans for his Facebook page, www.facebook.com/againstpeachpass. By mid-week, about 1,000 fans. And by Friday, nearly 3,000 had joined his online cause to vent their frustrations.

“It’s frustrating when you’re stuck in traffic, and the lane beside you is empty,” he said.

The region's long-term transportation plan envision a system of tolled lanes on just about every interstate. Officials say there is simply no longer enough money to build enough roads to accommodate the region’s commuters. Giving drivers the option of saving time by paying to use the HOT lanes is one way to help fill the gap, they say.

Deal said he supports putting HOT lanes on other interstates only if they are created by adding new lanes, not by converting existing HOV lanes as occurred on I-85. The planned HOT lane project on I-75/I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee counties would add lanes.

However, in the long term, the state's plan calls for converting all HOV lanes to lanes that are also accessible, with payment of a toll, to low-occupancy vehicles.

The HOT lane tolls are calculated trhough a complicated formula that balances the cost per mile against the level of traffic. Before Deal changed the formula Thursday, the maximum that had actually been charged to travel the full 15.5 miles was $5.50; under the new pricing it will be $3.05, Robinson said.

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http://www.ajc.com/news/deal-much-is-riding-1196758.html

[begin_within]

1. What kind of journalism doesn't bother to explain the difference between HOV and HOT lanes?

[Iris]

3. What makes you think AJC employs real journalists?

[I Have A Dream]

2. Another thing that poor people can't use without hardship.

:(

[Confusious]

4. Cars are sucking us dry

time for different types of transportation.