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.
Georgia County Adopts On-Demand Transit
Cherokee County will shift its public transit system to an app-based service.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
Mamdani overhauls NYC's Vision Zero plan with 100 new policy goals
The overhaul aims to reduce traffic deaths and make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and drivers through lower speed limits, new safety infrastructure and more.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association