Seven million drivers have used the toll lanes on I-75 and I-575 in Georgia since they opened a year ago.
"Motorists took more than seven million trips on the Northwest Corridor during their first year of operation," reports David Wickert.
The Georgia Department of Transportation announced the trip totals a year after 30 miles of toll lanes, running along I-75 and I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee counties, opened on September 8, 2018.
"The agency says motorists in the toll lanes are traveling about 30 percent faster than those in the free (or “general purpose”) lanes," adds Wickert. "But motorists in the free lanes have also benefited – they’re moving about 20 mph faster at rush hour than before the toll lanes opened."
The positive results in congestion reduction echo positive reviews reported a month after the lanes started service. Bus service along the route has also reported improved trip times, as documented in a post by Planetizen correspondent Irvin Dawid in May 2019.
FULL STORY: Metro Atlanta toll lanes top 7 million trips in first year
Positive Early Returns for Atlanta's Northwest Corridor Express Lanes
About 30 miles of toll lanes (called Express Lanes in the parlance of toll lane politics) on I-75 and I-575 in Cobb and Cherokee counties have been open for month.
Atlanta-Bound Bus Commuters Benefit from New Express Lanes
More evidence that express (toll) lanes benefit public transit when buses operate in the corridor. Riders on Georgia's Xpress buses, which use the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes, saw trip times reduced by 15 minutes.
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Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.
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