Wow! how amazing that everyone is so negative about this project. ANYTHING they do will be an improvement on the current situation. if a 50 cent toll scares you then dont use the lanes. stay in the slow moving lanes or buy you a helicopter. These engineers are smart people and know what they're doing. Although it appears that everyone on here knows more than the professionals who do this day in day out. Like i said, anything is an improvement...anything so yall chill out and give it a chance.
I've been commuting this route for 16 years. The reason it's not gonna work is beyond evident! Northbound traffic is JUST as heavy in the afternoons as southbound! I-75 is the ONLY road to Florida that has a population of 20 million with 100 million tourists a year. Give up your pipe dream GDOT and build 5 lanes each way to Macon already. Idiots...
Traffic would flow with truck only lanes. They have to gear down and slowly gear back up to get past Hudson Bridge. The merging onto SB 75 at Hudson Bridge just adds to the backup.
theyre actually are going to add truck-only lanes on Interstate 75 in between McDonough and Maco. the express lanes will work good in suburbia, where there will be lots of working commuters willing to pay a small fee for much quicker travel time. i think both ideas will work out well for the different sections of Interstate 75
I it looks like many crashes will occur with vehicles trying to enter/exit these lanes. For example: going from I675 south and cutting across traffic to access the express lane. Traffic always flows good on this strip of highway except at Hudson Bridge Rd area. I think that if you can move the big trucks to a ALT I-75 lane that will help.
Watch 3:42 to 3:49, accidents happen so often because some of i75 EXPRESS LANE commuters mistakenly exit to i75 N instead of i675N; then trying to enter i675N from the ending of i75N EXPRESS LANE lanes WHILE high speed i75 commuters are going North, which causes a very dangerous situation for i75 commuters. In addition, there are so many big pot holes at that section of i75 lanes. Why didn't they (GADOT) fix these pot holes when they had been finishing the EXPRESS LANES by the way?
Or just pull people over for driving in the damn left lane. The left lane hoggers should receive a fine as big as speeding ten over the speed limit and with an equal value of points. Police officers are pulling people over for driving ten mph over the speed limti when hogging the left lane is much more dangerous and creates traffic and causes more accidents. I've seen more traffic and close-calls as a result of left lane hogs more than anything else and I used to drive for work.
I would like to know where the toll monies will be spent. How can we know for sure that people will be willing to pay to ride in the express lane? My family certainly won't. Why didn't we just add lanes that can be used by all taxpayers, not just the ones who want to shell out more money? Or maybe a car pool lane since the car pool lane doesn't start until way past Henry? I'm glad to see the GDOT working towards easing traffic, I just feel like charging people to have a better commute is not the way to go.
Lynda Hewell The reason that so many new toll roads are being built is 100% the result of the purchasing power of the gas tax being eroded away by inflation and more fuel efficient cars. It's really just that simple. There is less than half as much money for road improvements as there used to be and so tolls are the only way to make up the difference. It's either build toll roads or raise the gas tax and toll roads are more politically acceptable these days given how mad people get about taxes (especially in a Republican state like Georgia).
To Lynda Hewall; the answer to your question is that there is an overhead scanner that scans for the peach pass. Later the electronic identifier transmitts to your bank account and subtracts money from there
Why does GDOT never have an original idea? Instead of copying traffic systems from other cities (that still have terrible traffic flow) why not address the problems of Atlanta and come up with a proper solution. You are creating a traffic pattern for those who live paycheck to paycheck more difficult. Also, you aren't fixing the overall traffic problem (which is a pollution problem). Instead you are adding a lane that makes it better for someone with disposable income. I really wish you guys would stop making bad decisions.
The construction of this project has been one gigantic cluster-something. Can't count the hours I've spent slammed in traffic in Henry County. Whatever is done on 75 in Henry County (remember all the work at Hudson Bridge just a few short years ago?), it's gonna be just as bad as soon as the work is completed, followed by more boondoggle construction.
I agree with aspects of several comments on here. This would really only benefit those who have the money to pay the toll, which is probably going to be the upper class, who are more likely the ones already with fuel efficient or even electric vehicles that have decreased the gas tax fund in the first place, since they're the ones who can afford those type of vehicles. You really are hurting the lower and middle class. You're creating a situation that causes them to still have to sit in traffic and suffer simply because they can't afford to pay for a toll lane and gas, too (and all the other things that have to be bought and paid for out of a paycheck.) It's already hard enough for them financially. They (and their kids) already get "left out" of a lot because of money. True, there are several other options for them just as there are other options for those who'll actaully benefit from these lanes. Quite frankly, I've been suggesting for years that Georgia should use the divided portion of the Interstates and major highways to build a high speed rail system going to/from these busy areas. I never understood why they didn't. (Actually, I think I did hear something similar to it recently, in or near Cobb-probably only because of the new baseball stadium-but it was centralized very close to Atlanta and wasn't to the extent I'm referring to.) As a family, I think we'd branch out and visit other areas. I might not even mind possibly working in Atlanta if that happened. As of now, I don't drive the Interstate, unless I'm going out of state or have no other choice, and I only go to Atlanta if I have no other choice. (Been here since 2008 and haven't been to zoo, aquarium, The Varsity, any of it, because of traffic, some rude drivers, and confusing roads. With a high speed train, we could ride with no worries and get dropped off at or near our destination.)
I'm sorry but I just don't see a lot of "upper class" folks driving north from Henry County in their "fuel efficient cars". Please get a clue. I do 100 miles a day in my round trip commute and live near Hampton. I see it all every day. Not sure what you're talking about. As for the train option, delivering passengers into an existing system (Marta rail) that doesn't go anywhere isn't going to help anything.
understandable argument, however a lot of this is weighing your options. yes its a fee, but a very small one, and its about what would you rather do, pay a small fee or sit in traffic. obviously some people have more money than others, but it still comes down to weighing your options. would you be willing to pay a little money for faster travel, or sit in non-moving traffic wasting gas and wasting money that way. what would ya rather do
i suppose GDOT is simply trying new things. weve tried to expand lanes, look at how many I-75 in Marietta has, but its still bumper to bumper traffic. there are a variety of options, including this. by building the express lanes, we at least give people the option to have faster travel. in addition to these lanes, it also might not be a bad idea to add more rail transport or such, or maybe widen the exisiting interstates even a little bit more. GDOT is desperately trying things to solve Atlanta's terrible traffic problem.
David Carson, did you tell my cousin to "get a clue"... I don't care if it was 10 years ago...don't talk to her like that or I will have to slap you down👍👍
Waste of time 7 years ago and waste of time now. Traffic is still backed up going both ways. They should have made 4 lanes going north and south plus 2 toll lanes going both north and south. This was a waste of time.
So the government is going to spend almost $200 million on a toll road that only goes 12 miles and does absolutely nothing to alleviate the problem of too many vehicles on the road. The obvious solution would have been to extend MARTA rail service all the way to Hampton. But the board of commissioners of Henry County continue to argue the theory that MARTA = black people, black people = crime, therefore MARTA = crime. And they argue this theory despite FTA statistics that show there are only 3.09 crimes per 1,000,000 riders on MARTA. In other words, you are more likely to be a victim of crime in your own home than be a victim of crime on MARTA.
This express lane is totally greed enduced. Major traffic back up on Southside of Atlanta near McDonough. Instead of state of Georgia adding 4 lanes they add 1 single toll lane{ that toll lane is big enough for 4 extra lanes} ... Stupid
Someone will have a wreck and block the express lane, causing worse delays as Then we have not way out. People like to bump into each other...that's causes a lot of the traffic. Interesting idea. Stupid to charge. Especially if stuck behind a wreck.
"I have a bad feeling about this". Why aren't they adding an extra lane to the regular flow while they are doing all this work? $170M, three years of work that in the end will save me (and you) 9 minutes by their own calculations. IF you pay to use the new toll lanes. Yeah, thanks for nothing.
Wow! how amazing that everyone is so negative about this project. ANYTHING they do will be an improvement on the current situation. if a 50 cent toll scares you then dont use the lanes. stay in the slow moving lanes or buy you a helicopter. These engineers are smart people and know what they're doing. Although it appears that everyone on here knows more than the professionals who do this day in day out. Like i said, anything is an improvement...anything so yall chill out and give it a chance.
I would prefer if carpools and motorcycles could use the lanes for free, though. Anything less is a disgusting handout.
I've been commuting this route for 16 years. The reason it's not gonna work is beyond evident! Northbound traffic is JUST as heavy in the afternoons as southbound! I-75 is the ONLY road to Florida that has a population of 20 million with 100 million tourists a year. Give up your pipe dream GDOT and build 5 lanes each way to Macon already. Idiots...
Traffic would flow with truck only lanes. They have to gear down and slowly gear back up to get past Hudson Bridge. The merging onto SB 75 at Hudson Bridge just adds to the backup.
theyre actually are going to add truck-only lanes on Interstate 75 in between McDonough and Maco. the express lanes will work good in suburbia, where there will be lots of working commuters willing to pay a small fee for much quicker travel time. i think both ideas will work out well for the different sections of Interstate 75
Macon*
Thank you.
I it looks like many crashes will occur with vehicles trying to enter/exit these lanes. For example: going from I675 south and cutting across traffic to access the express lane. Traffic always flows good on this strip of highway except at Hudson Bridge Rd area. I think that if you can move the big trucks to a ALT I-75 lane that will help.
Getting the MARTA up to Kenessaw woould be idea. The more people OFF the road, the less traffic there will be.
paisis123 that's what I'm saying too, we need Marta closer to kennesaw even up to woodstock
No ! Stay away from us
i love this idea and wish GDOT would do more distance on 20 / 75 & 85
They need to do all the interstates
Watch 3:42 to 3:49, accidents happen so often because some of i75 EXPRESS LANE commuters mistakenly exit to i75 N instead of i675N; then trying to enter i675N from the ending of i75N EXPRESS LANE lanes WHILE high speed i75 commuters are going North, which causes a very dangerous situation for i75 commuters. In addition, there are so many big pot holes at that section of i75 lanes. Why didn't they (GADOT) fix these pot holes when they had been finishing the EXPRESS LANES by the way?
This is the absolute stumped-est thing I have ever seen or heard.
Interesting. I would pay any price if I were a citizen in the state of Georgia for this.
A two lane express lanes will be much better than a reversal one.
Or just pull people over for driving in the damn left lane. The left lane hoggers should receive a fine as big as speeding ten over the speed limit and with an equal value of points. Police officers are pulling people over for driving ten mph over the speed limti when hogging the left lane is much more dangerous and creates traffic and causes more accidents. I've seen more traffic and close-calls as a result of left lane hogs more than anything else and I used to drive for work.
I would like to know where the toll monies will be spent. How can we know for sure that people will be willing to pay to ride in the express lane? My family certainly won't. Why didn't we just add lanes that can be used by all taxpayers, not just the ones who want to shell out more money? Or maybe a car pool lane since the car pool lane doesn't start until way past Henry? I'm glad to see the GDOT working towards easing traffic, I just feel like charging people to have a better commute is not the way to go.
Lynda Hewell The reason that so many new toll roads are being built is 100% the result of the purchasing power of the gas tax being eroded away by inflation and more fuel efficient cars. It's really just that simple. There is less than half as much money for road improvements as there used to be and so tolls are the only way to make up the difference. It's either build toll roads or raise the gas tax and toll roads are more politically acceptable these days given how mad people get about taxes (especially in a Republican state like Georgia).
To Lynda Hewall; the answer to your question is that there is an overhead scanner that scans for the peach pass. Later the electronic identifier transmitts to your bank account and subtracts money from there
Why does GDOT never have an original idea? Instead of copying traffic systems from other cities (that still have terrible traffic flow) why not address the problems of Atlanta and come up with a proper solution. You are creating a traffic pattern for those who live paycheck to paycheck more difficult. Also, you aren't fixing the overall traffic problem (which is a pollution problem). Instead you are adding a lane that makes it better for someone with disposable income. I really wish you guys would stop making bad decisions.
I would prefer if carpools and motorcycles could use the lanes for free, though. Anything less is a disgusting handout.
IS THE TOLL EVER GET PAD OFF
"Wow! This is a great idea that will totally work!" - No one ever
The construction of this project has been one gigantic cluster-something. Can't count the hours I've spent slammed in traffic in Henry County. Whatever is done on 75 in Henry County (remember all the work at Hudson Bridge just a few short years ago?), it's gonna be just as bad as soon as the work is completed, followed by more boondoggle construction.
I agree with aspects of several comments on here. This would really only benefit those who have the money to pay the toll, which is probably going to be the upper class, who are more likely the ones already with fuel efficient or even electric vehicles that have decreased the gas tax fund in the first place, since they're the ones who can afford those type of vehicles. You really are hurting the lower and middle class. You're creating a situation that causes them to still have to sit in traffic and suffer simply because they can't afford to pay for a toll lane and gas, too (and all the other things that have to be bought and paid for out of a paycheck.) It's already hard enough for them financially. They (and their kids) already get "left out" of a lot because of money. True, there are several other options for them just as there are other options for those who'll actaully benefit from these lanes. Quite frankly, I've been suggesting for years that Georgia should use the divided portion of the Interstates and major highways to build a high speed rail system going to/from these busy areas. I never understood why they didn't. (Actually, I think I did hear something similar to it recently, in or near Cobb-probably only because of the new baseball stadium-but it was centralized very close to Atlanta and wasn't to the extent I'm referring to.) As a family, I think we'd branch out and visit other areas. I might not even mind possibly working in Atlanta if that happened. As of now, I don't drive the Interstate, unless I'm going out of state or have no other choice, and I only go to Atlanta if I have no other choice. (Been here since 2008 and haven't been to zoo, aquarium, The Varsity, any of it, because of traffic, some rude drivers, and confusing roads. With a high speed train, we could ride with no worries and get dropped off at or near our destination.)
I'm sorry but I just don't see a lot of "upper class" folks driving north from Henry County in their "fuel efficient cars". Please get a clue. I do 100 miles a day in my round trip commute and live near Hampton. I see it all every day. Not sure what you're talking about. As for the train option, delivering passengers into an existing system (Marta rail) that doesn't go anywhere isn't going to help anything.
understandable argument, however a lot of this is weighing your options. yes its a fee, but a very small one, and its about what would you rather do, pay a small fee or sit in traffic. obviously some people have more money than others, but it still comes down to weighing your options. would you be willing to pay a little money for faster travel, or sit in non-moving traffic wasting gas and wasting money that way. what would ya rather do
i suppose GDOT is simply trying new things. weve tried to expand lanes, look at how many I-75 in Marietta has, but its still bumper to bumper traffic. there are a variety of options, including this. by building the express lanes, we at least give people the option to have faster travel. in addition to these lanes, it also might not be a bad idea to add more rail transport or such, or maybe widen the exisiting interstates even a little bit more. GDOT is desperately trying things to solve Atlanta's terrible traffic problem.
David Carson, did you tell my cousin to "get a clue"... I don't care if it was 10 years ago...don't talk to her like that or I will have to slap you down👍👍
Look confusing they should have done an express lane for the semi trucks ...tooo
Waste of time 7 years ago and waste of time now. Traffic is still backed up going both ways. They should have made 4 lanes going north and south plus 2 toll lanes going both north and south. This was a waste of time.
I Only Take Southbound.
So the government is going to spend almost $200 million on a toll road that only goes 12 miles and does absolutely nothing to alleviate the problem of too many vehicles on the road. The obvious solution would have been to extend MARTA rail service all the way to Hampton. But the board of commissioners of Henry County continue to argue the theory that MARTA = black people, black people = crime, therefore MARTA = crime. And they argue this theory despite FTA statistics that show there are only 3.09 crimes per 1,000,000 riders on MARTA. In other words, you are more likely to be a victim of crime in your own home than be a victim of crime on MARTA.
then how did u see me
This express lane is totally greed enduced. Major traffic back up on Southside of Atlanta near McDonough. Instead of state of Georgia adding 4 lanes they add 1 single toll lane{ that toll lane is big enough for 4 extra lanes} ... Stupid
Why can they convert it into a bus and truck only lanes.
Someone will have a wreck and block the express lane, causing worse delays as Then we have not way out. People like to bump into each other...that's causes a lot of the traffic. Interesting idea. Stupid to charge. Especially if stuck behind a wreck.
"I have a bad feeling about this". Why aren't they adding an extra lane to the regular flow while they are doing all this work? $170M, three years of work that in the end will save me (and you) 9 minutes by their own calculations. IF you pay to use the new toll lanes. Yeah, thanks for nothing.