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Politics & Government

I-85 HOT Lanes – Your Pocketbook or Your Watch?

Opinion: DOT "Peach Pass" may really be a "Diamond lane" targeting carpoolers.

In case you missed it, the current High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes on I-85 are undergoing a conversion to what the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) calls High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes.

The conversion is scheduled to complete during the summer of 2011. After that time, single-rider cars and two-person vehicles can ride in the lane if they pay a variable toll based on the time of day and amount of traffic. The GDOT states they are doing this to manage the lanes more efficiently and to guarantee consistent trip times for commuters.

The toll will vary from 10 to 90 cents a mile, based on the traffic congestion. By charging a higher price during traffic peaks, officials hope to guarantee a 45 mph trip. After lane conversion, riders are required to use a "Peach Pass" transponder, which records when a car enters and exits the lanes and will calculate the fee. The Peach Pass campaign is scheduled to launch in March.

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I use the current HOV lanes 3-4 times a week with couple of co-workers for our work commute to Decatur. One of my co-workers, Chrissy Magnesi, is also a Suwanee resident. She likes the current HOV lane because it allows her to put her daughter on the bus at 7:50 and still make it to work in Decatur around 8:40.

But we don't always have three riders because of afternoon commitments. When the lanes convert to a toll lane we'll only use the lane when all three of us can make it on the same day, because none of us is in favor of paying a fee to ride to work. That defeats one of the main benefits of riding together, which is the cost savings in gas. 

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I can tell you that traffic flow on I-85 was dramatically improved when the HOV lanes were opened and the I-85/316 interchange work was finished. Everyone using the road has benefited from the increased traffic flow, especially those who go out of their way to carpool. 

So why is the GDOT changing the current setup? When the existing HOV lanes were created, the stance of the GDOT was that it was the "green" alternative. Use the HOV to reduce carbon emissions and you could also reduce your trip time. That makes sense to me. Carpoolers and public bus transportation have enjoyed those benefits ever since.

Apparently though it's working so well, that the GDOT now feels they need to collect a toll from two-person carpools as well as give single riders the opportunity to buy a pass. I guess taking money from single riders is more important than reducing their carbon footprint. The new justification is to guarantee consistent trip times.

Consider these points:

-- Is this toll really an additional tax on Gwinnett County residents? As a group, we are the primary users of the I-85 corridor. Why are we creating additional taxes on transportation when taxpayer dollars have already been used to build the roads?

-- Will the project increase capacity of the road at peak times? The amount of pavement is not changing. This change will benefit those willing to pay a toll and create more traffic for those that don't. Think about it. If the goal is to guarantee 45 mph rides, then that means the other lanes must absorb those not willing to pay the toll. So the benefit is for a select few, not the greater populace.

-- Will it shorten express bus travel times and increase reliability? In my mind, yes. Yet from my experience in using the HOV lane 3-4 times a week we already have this. The only point that consistently slows down today is the 316 merge during the morning and around the perimeter in the afternoon.

-- Will it encourage more people to take the bus and reduce traffic on the freeway? The toll really targets the two-person carpools today. Will they avoid the higher priced toll to use public transportation? Maybe, but remember the public transportation system doesn't go to every place of work. It's too bad that people willing to adjust their schedules to make a two-person carpool may soon be forced to pay extra for a benefit that was built to serve them.

-- Typically tolls are added to pay for a road. Haven't the taxpayers already funded I-85? What does the funding for I-85 look like after the toll is implemented? 

It's easy to see why so many Gwinnett residents are not happy with this deal. It appears government is mingling with something that already works well in order to find another revenue stream.

Maybe they need to spend a month riding the HOV lanes to see that they already work and benefit commuters. I will admit that public information sessions on this topic were not well attended, but according to Chrissy, my carpool partner, "They were going to pass the proposal no matter who objected to it."

She did attend the meetings and gave negative input on the proposal.  Some have called it the "Lexus lane," while I prefer to call the "diamond lane" because of the diamond symbol painted in the lane. Soon, it'll cost a diamond for your annual commute. You can pay in tolls or with your time.

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