Thursday, February 21, 2013
The extension would take the lanes from Old Peachtree Road to Hamilton Mill Road. Share your thoughts.
Attention, Gwinnett commuters. The I-85 HOT lanes may be extended another 10 miles northward soon. According to wsbtv.com, the state Department of Transportation wants to extend the toll lanes from Old Peachtree Road near Suwanee to Hamilton Mill Road, in the Dacula and Buford areas. Two public hearings will be held in March, one in Gwinnett, for DOT officials to present their plans, according to the report. The work could begin in 2014 and be completed in three years. "The design work proposal is under way that would pick up the express lane that currently ends at Old Peachtree," GDOT spokesperson Teri Pope told WSB. "The great thing about this project is that it’s new construction. We'll be adding that express lane. It will not take …
Friday, March 2, 2012
State Sen. Curt Thompson presents SB 347 before Senate Transportation Committee.
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Friday, March 2, 2012
State Sen. Curt Thompson (D-Tucker) presented Senate Bill 347, which would place a moratorium on the development of high occupancy toll (HOT) Lanes in Georgia, before the Senate Transportation Committee Tuesday (Feb. 28). “While the effort to cut Metro Atlanta’s unbearable commute times is laudable, it has become clear that the HOT lanes were a poorly researched initiative,” said Thompson in an announcement. “The typical I-85 commuter has seen their drive time doubled, and those who can afford the steep tolls are watching the costs reach all-time highs.” “We need to closely re-evaluate the effectiveness and impact of HOT lanes before integrating them into Georgia’s other highly traveled roadways,” he said. SB 347 would also require the …
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Lt. Governor Casey Cagle says he’d like to add movable barriers to help the flow of traffic. What do you think?
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Wednesday, December 28, 2011
With the public still reeling from the HOT lane project on I-85, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle has brought a new idea to the table: creating “reversible” lanes that widen one part of the highway during the I-85 commute. The Gwinnett Daily Post reports that the “grandiose” idea may be even more real the earlier thought, with county officials saying that the reversible lanes have been discussed by an advisory group whose report could be ready as early as March. The idea is to add movable barriers that would change some northbound lanes into southbound lanes in the morning, and vice versa in the afternoon. Some say they are all for any measure that would improve commutes—and have commended the idea for its creativity. Others have said it is …
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
A request to lower the limit to two people instead of three in a car in order to qualify to ride in the express lanes on I-85 has reportedly been denied by the Federal Highway Administration.
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Tuesday, November 22, 2011
CBS News Atlanta is reporting that federal authorities have denied Georgia’s request for a waiver on requiring three people in a car in order to qualify to ride for free on the new I-85 toll system. The state made the request following an outcry from the public after traffic backed up on the toll portion of I-85 through Gwinnett and Dekalb counties when the new system went into effect Oct. 1. According to reports, in denying the request, U.S. Department of Transportation officials said it is too early to evaluate the effectiveness. A waiver would have allowed cars carrying two people to also use the lanes for free. About 10,000 a day are reported to now use the express lanes. Although use has increased since it was first launched, …
Monday, November 14, 2011
Against the Peach Pass, Stop the HOT Lane and Stop Peach Pass organizers have joined forces to oppose the use of HOT lanes in Georgia.
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Monday, November 14, 2011
In an effort to address a controversial issue with a single, stronger voice, organizers of three groups opposed to the controversial I-85 toll lanes have joined forces to create StolenLanes.org. Victor A. Ramkisson of Against The Peach Pass, Howard Rodgers of Stop the HOT Lane! and Chris K. Haley of Stop Peach Pass hope to solidify the community’s opposition to the HOT (High Occupancy Toll) lanes. According to StolenLanes.org, nearly 10,000 people have rallied behind the cause. "The number of citizens represented by our combined coalition is a force to be reckoned with," said Rodgers in a released statement. "The number of people opposed to the recent implementation of the HOT lanes keeps growing," added Ramkisson. "This is not a problem …
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Pay-as-you go express lanes aren't working says one state senator.
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Thursday, November 10, 2011
By Sen. Curt Thompson (D-Tucker) “Something is happening here But you don’t know what it is Do you Mr. Jones?” --Bob Dylan, Ballad of a Thin Man It feels Dylan-esque these days. Maybe it’s watching the return of the protest movement by Occupy Wall Street that brings Dylan to mind. But sitting at a standstill in my district watching the HOT Lane boondoggle—not reduce—traffic is what really has me asking, “What’s happening here?” It’s not just the concentration of wealth among a few that is fueling the large scale support of the protestor’s message of “We’re the 99 percent.” It’s a real sense that the folks running our government aren’t even slightly interested in making government work for us. Sitting on I-85 at 4:30 p.m. looking at …
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Stop the HOT Lane's organizers will hold a public forum next month.
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Thursday, October 27, 2011
In light of Monday evening's heated HOT Lane Town Hall in Buford, Stop the HOT Lane organizers announced another Town Hall for next month. The Town Hall will be held Thursday, Nov. 17, at 7 p.m. at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. Howard Rodgers of StopTheHotLane.com said county, state and federal officials will be on hand to answer questions at the non-partisan event. Some frustrated Gwinnett County residents called Monday's meeting "a waste of time" Grayson resident Robert Thompson told an 11Alive reporter he felt bamboozled and "it was strictly political; all they wanted to do is make political speeches." There has been much controversy since the HOT Lane opened on Oct. 1. The outrage has continued even after Governor …
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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Some Gwinnett County residents say they felt duped and didn't get their concerns heard.
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Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Gwinnett County residents were invited by State Sen. Renee Unterman to attend a Town Hall Monday evening to discuss the HOT Lane. When residents arrived at the event in NorthView Church in Buford, many told Fox 5 Atlanta they were duped and could not speak out about the HOT Lane. The meeting was originally scheduled to be a Republican Town Hall, but Unterman invited residents so they could discuss the HOT Lane. WSB-TV says many people who attended the event called it "a waste of time." Channel 2 says the first hour was spent listening to politicians and only a half hour was set aside to answer questions about the HOT Lane. However, officials only answered questions submitted in advance in writing. "They bamboozled us," Grayson resident …
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
A Lawrenceville man made it his mission to put the brakes on the new HOT Lane on I-85.
Howard Rodgers is tired of traffic. He believed the newly opened HOT Lane on I-85 would ease his commute from Lawrenceville to Atlanta. Instead, he says his commute has doubled. “It’s gone from taking me 45 minutes in each direction to get home, to over an hour and a half, two hours each commute.” So Rodgers started a grassroots campaign to put the brakes on the HOT Lane. On Sunday, Rodgers and his family—who are also tired of the commute—set up camp outside of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. They were asking other commuters who were fed up with the HOT Lane to sign a petition. Although “Stop the HOT Lane” only received a few dozen sign-ups in that day, according to the group’s website, more than 1,100 people have given …
Thursday, October 6, 2011
The toll lanes that opened Oct. 1 have caused controversy.
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Thursday, October 6, 2011
The controversy continues over the new HOT lanes on I-85, and now Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is getting involved. According to WSB-TV, Deal says he will "take a very close look and see if the outline that has been put in place is actually working." The lanes opened on Oct. 1 and affect commuters in Peachtree Corners, Berkeley Lake and many other Gwinnett County cities. Also, a Snellville commuter has created a Facebook page for people to voice his opposition to the new lanes and the Peach Pass that is required to use them.
Alex H
3:09 pm on Monday, January 2, 2012
It should be part of any comprehensive solution, but transit's no more a magic bullet than just constructing more lanes. Transit would be a better option if commuters didn't have to navigate among a dozen different agencies and schedules, while trying to make multiple connections and transfers. And it's only worthwhile if the destination you want to go to is served. There are far too many routes … more ›