FAQ
The state of Georgia is experiencing unprecedented growth in population and its leaders recognize that new and innovative approaches are needed to address the mobility and travel demand challenges it faces. High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes combined with value pricing is just one of many solutions Georgia is studying to improve its statewide transportation network. The realities of today’s economy and the current funding shortfall in Georgia make HOT lane conversions, which require minimal construction, one of the most cost-efficient improvements available to the state.
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Georgia has an agreement with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) to receive grant funds to convert existing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to HOT lanes on Interstate 85 (I-85) between Old Peachtree Road (exit 109) in Gwinnett County and Chamblee Tucker Road (exit 94) in DeKalb County to help improve mobility and provide reliable trip times through value pricing.
This is a strategy that has been proven effective in other regions throughout the country and can be delivered faster and cheaper than traditional transportation projects. A HOT lane network combined with enhanced transit and carpooling resources is a multi-modal approach to improving mobility, managing transportation demand and optimizing the state’s existing transportation assets.
The project is currently working toward milestones for the environmental impact study and public outreach phases.
High Occupancy Toll (HOT) Lanes & Value Pricing Explained |
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High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes are limited-access managed lanes that allow eligible carpoolers, transit, motorcycles and Alternative Fuel Vehicles to use lane for free, while allowing previously ineligible solo drivers to buy back into the lane for a fee. The number of cars using these lanes can be controlled through value pricing via electronic toll collection so as to maintain free-flowing traffic in them at all times, even during the height of rush hours.
Value pricing is the method of charging drivers a toll for using congested roads or designated lanes of a road during periods of heaviest use. The fee will be set dynamically to maintain free-flowing traffic and provide reliable trip times. The fee is lower or not applicable during off-peak times or when the lanes are able to handle more capacity.
The state is proposing to convert the HOV lanes on I-85 between Old Peachtree Road (exit 109) and Chamblee Tucker Road (exit 94)—about 15 miles in each direction—into HOT lanes to allow more people to use the lanes while providing more reliable trip time through value pricing.
The program will include the installation of Electronic Toll Collection equipment (no toll booths) along the corridor, monitoring and “back office” equipment—as well as technology, signage, restriping and enforcement equipment needed to manage the lane. The Electronic Toll Collection equipment will enable the HOT lanes to operate at highway speeds without the need for a toll plaza.
Additionally, the funding includes improvements to public transit in the corridor with the addition of 36 new 57-passenger coaches, several new express coach routes and two new Park-and-Ride lots that will create 1,900 additional parking spaces.
Georgia’s transportation partners determined that the existing HOV lane system in the state provides a tremendous opportunity to introduce value pricing as a tool for more effectively managing traffic demand. The I-85 corridor has very high demand and the HOV lanes are regularly overused in peak periods. In addition, the strong commuter transit presence in the corridor supports the multi-modal approach of the project. The approximately 15-mile section of I-85 is envisioned to be the first phase of an expanded HOT network in the state that will:
- Provide commuters with a more reliable, free-flow commute option;
- Complement the state’s multi-modal approach to managing traffic demand; and
- Establish the vision for a future system of HOT lanes in the region.
There are currently successful HOT lanes in operation in Orange County, California; San Diego; Houston; Denver; Salt Lake City; Minneapolis, Miami and Seattle. More are planned in the Capital Beltway (Washington, DC and Northern Virginia), Maryland (on I-95), Austin, Dallas, the San Francisco Bay Area, Raleigh-Durham and Portland.
Georgia has studied these HOT lane projects and is learning from their experiences. The HOV to HOT conversion project on I-85 is part of Georgia’s vision of a statewide HOT network and will provide the region with experience and data to make long-term decisions on the future of HOT lanes.
No. Unlike taxation, only the user will be charged a fee to use the HOT lane; a motorist simply is given the option to pay to use the lane if better mobility and more reliable trip time are desired. If a motorist does not want to pay the toll assessed for use of a HOT lane at a given time, he or she does not have to and may use the regular general travel lanes at no cost.
The development and preparation of the I-85 HOT lanes project will take approximately two years. The I-85 HOT lanes are scheduled to be in operation by early summer, 2011.
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Yes. The 2010-2030 Statewide Strategic Transportation Plan (SSTP) outlines the current strategy to create a statewide response to mobility and other transportation funding concerns. The plan is a “business case” for new investments in transportation improvements to transform the state’s transportation network and create over $480 billion in GDP growth for Georgia over the next thirty years and generate up to 425,000 new jobs.
This plan recommends the use of demand management, a suite of tools and policies that encourage people to travel at less congested times, to use less congested facilities (e.g. transit or less congested roads), to use carpooling or vanpooling, to combine activities into a single trip or to not take a trip at all (e.g., telecommute to work). By far the most effective of these tools is the use of price signals (e.g. variable tolls, variable parking prices) to convey the true cost of using transportation assets, particularly during peak travel periods. The SSTP describes a substantial commitment in state and federal funds over the next 20 years to support demand management mechanisms, particularly managed lanes that will employ targeted congestion-pricing strategies.
HOT lanes will give you more and better choices for planning your commute. If you carpool, vanpool or ride transit, you will experience more reliable trip times because the HOT lane will be managed to provide traffic that is free-flowing. If you ride alone, you will have the option to use the lane for your commute at a price that will vary depending on the time of day and the amount of traffic in the lane. By varying the pricing, it is possible to manage the lane and ensure consistent trip times through the corridor. In other parts of the country, HOT lanes have proven to be a very popular option.
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A portion of Phase I funds will be used to build two new Park-and-Ride facilities at Hamilton Mill and Cedars Roads, which will create 1,900 additional parking spaces for transit users. The project also includes the purchase of 36 new commuter coach buses that will support seven routes serving the I-85 project corridor. In addition, funds will also provide for enhanced Highway Emergency Response Operators (HERO) incident management services in the corridor.
The expansion of transit in the I-85 corridor is a major component of this project. In addition, the metro Atlanta region’s Concept 3 Transit Vision includes expanded rail and BRT in the corridor that could potentially be part of a future expanded HOT network. While new and expanded forms of public transit and roadways are all options, the population is growing faster than the time it takes to complete expensive, long-term projects. This project will make investments that will have a more immediate impact on commuters.
One of the goals of this project is to promote commute alternatives. In San Diego, carpooling and transit use increased after the I-15 HOT lane was implemented. The free-flow of traffic in the HOT lane encouraged commuters to take transit or form carpools or vanpools to use the lane for free or share the fee. Commuters will also have increased incentives to ride in vanpools or in buses due to shorter and more reliable trip times in the HOT lane.
In order to maintain operational efficiency and ensure reliable trip time, the availability of federal funding for the program is contingent upon the HOT lane being used by buses and passenger vehicles that contain at least three occupants. Vehicles with less than three occupants may use the HOT lanes for a fee. The State Transportation Board passed a resolution in March 2009 to change HOV occupancy requirements from 2 passengers to 3 passengers. This change was made to ensure optimal use of the lane and provide more reliable trip times.
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HOT lanes make use of variable pricing collected through Electronic Toll Collection. The price to use the lanes changes to keep traffic moving even during rush hours. As demand increases, the tolls rise to ensure the optimal number of cars is moving through the lanes. Motorists will see the posted cost and decide whether or not to move into the HOT lane. Through the use of Electronic Toll Collection, toll plazas will not be necessary, allowing traffic to maintain highway speeds.
No. Three person carpools, vanpools, motorcycles, Alternative Fuel Vehicles, and transit will be able to use the HOT lanes without paying. Vehicles not meeting occupancy requirements will be able to use the lanes for a fee that will be set to ensure free-flowing traffic and reliable trip times in the HOT lane. Drivers will be informed of the cost before they get into the HOT lane so that they can make informed travel choices. Travel in the adjacent regular general purpose lanes will remain free for drivers at all times.
A traffic study was conducted to determine demand and toll ranges for the dynamically priced HOT lane. The estimated average trip length that ranges between six and seven miles may result in a typical toll price ranging from $0.60 to $6.00 per trip depending on congestion. It is estimated that over 90 percent of customers will play less than $5.00 for their HOT lane trip. Approximately 25% of customers will use the HOT lane for free including passenger vehicles with three or more occupants, transit, motorcycles and other qualified vehicles.
Research from other states with HOT lanes has shown that they are used by people of all income levels. Decisions to use the HOT lane are based more on individual needs and traffic conditions rather than on income levels. For example, HOT lanes provide reliable trip time for parents picking up their children from daycare or workers late for a meeting.
HOT lanes will be tolled using technology similar to the Cruise Card electronic transponders used on Georgia 400 today. Instead of paying a toll at a booth, the accounts of registered users will be read and/or debited every time they use a HOT lane. Those who choose to use the lane will register in advance and use a transponder to pay their tolls.
HOT lanes will be enforced using the latest technology in video tolling enforcement systems, along with visual patrols by law enforcement. Motorists will be considered violators in the lane subject to penalty if they a) fail to pay the toll; b) do not meet occupancy requirements; and/or c) cross the double white line.
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The USDOT is making available $110 million in federal funds toward the State’s $147 million Atlanta Congestion Reduction Demonstration (CRD) project. The CRD grant will enable the conversion of 15 miles of existing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes on I-85 from Chamblee Tucker Road, just south of I-285, to Old Peachtree Road. The total cost for the HOT lane tolling system, civil construction, public outreach, transit improvements, and performance monitoring is $182 million.
No. The HOT lanes will be operated by State Road and Tollway Authority (SRTA), the same entity that operates the tolls on Georgia 400. Equipment and services needed to implement the HOT lane program will be procured by SRTA, GDOT and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority (GRTA) from private companies pursuant to state contracts. The State will continue to own and operate the HOT lane.
The funds generated will be used to defray the costs of construction, operations and maintenance of the lanes. Long term revenue allocation is being studied and a decision about future excess revenues will be made later in the project process.
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Agency Partners & Public Outreach |
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A robust public outreach and education program is underway and is ongoing. As part of the NEPA process, about 600 people attended and had the opportunity to provide feedback at 8 public information open houses and a public hearing open house in 2009. Participant feedback included concerns about equity and enforcements, the effects of revised occupancy requirements on two-person carpoolers, and an interest in the technology the project will bring to the region.
In addition, six focus groups were conducted with single-occupant drivers and carpoolers as well as a survey of over 700 carpoolers in the I-85 region. One on one briefings with stakeholders, legislators and the media have also taken place—and a project website for the public has been established at www.dot.ga.gov/I85HOTLanes. Overall, as more and more people learn about how HOT lanes will help address congestion, their reaction to the project becomes more positive.
Several critical milestones were achieved in 2009 including:
- In March, the State Transportation Board approved the High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lane policy raising the occupancy eligibility from 2 persons to 3 persons, satisfying a key condition of the CRD agreement.
- In June, the HOV to HOT conversion project and associated transit enhancements were incorporated into the Atlanta region’s Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) and subsequently the State Transportation Improvement Plan.
- In November, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the air quality Transportation Control Measure (TCM) substitution of HOT lanes for HOV lanes along the I-85 corridor and federal tolling authorization for the project was granted by FHWA under Section 166.
- Procurement for tolling RFID equipment using open protocol, non proprietary transponders concluded in 2009. It represents the first part of a two phased procurement that will provide the tolling equipment, technology and related services for the I-85 HOT Lanes project. The tolling system integrator procurement contract is expected to be executed by April, 2010.
The HOT lane conversion project is a state partnership initiative led by GDOT, SRTA and GRTA. This effort also is supported by the following partners:
- US Department of Transportation (USDOT)
- Federal Transit Administration (FTA)
- Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
- Office of Governor Sonny Perdue
- Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC)
- Georgia Department of Public Safety
- Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA)
- Gwinnett County Government
- Clean Air Campaign
- Georgia Institute of Technology
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