The Georgia Department of Transportation is continuing work on an expansion of I-285, claiming the new express lanes could cut travel times by as much as 39 percent.
On Labor Day, Georgia’s Cobb County unexpectedly expressed support for a plan by the state Department of Transportation to expand Interstate 285 by adding toll lanes from South Atlanta Road to Henderson Road. As Josh Green explains in Urbanize Atlanta, “The project would cross three counties (Cobb, Fulton, and DeKalb) and the jurisdictions of several cities (Smyrna, Sandy Springs, Dunwoody, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Doraville, and Tucker).”
The article notes that “Another intent of the express lanes project, as GDOT has stressed from inception, is to provide mobility choices (and more reliable trip times) for metro Atlantans.” But the proposal, first revealed in 2019, does not add any new rail lines. Instead, “public transit providers that already operate buses and other vehicles in the corridor—MARTA, Xpress, and ‘state-registered vanpools’—will be able to use the new lanes for free, with no additional costs to riders, according to GDOT.” Pricing on the toll lanes will adjust in real time based on traffic conditions. GDOT estimates the toll lanes will be completed in 2032.
FULL STORY: Cobb County expresses support for huge system of elevated highways
Georgia's $11 Billion Road-Building Program Evolves
Recently announced changes to a massive road-building program in Georgia will shift moves projects aimed at improvements for the trucking industry earlier onto the calendar, while pushing back projects located closer to Atlanta.
Georgia DOT Takes $4.6 Billion Highway Expansion Plan on the Road
The Georgia Department of Transportation held a series of public meetings this month to reveal details of a plan to add toll lanes to I-285 and Georgia 400 outside Atlanta.
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.
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.
Colorado’s Largest Data Center Could Rise Next to Homes — Without a Public Hearing
The proposed campus would consume 11 times the power of Denver International Airport; as it has across the country, opposition mounts.
5 New England states march closer to 800 megawatt wind energy project
Securing federal approval for the project may be complicated under the Trump administration, which has historically been hostile towards domestic wind power.
Baltimore to break ground on $50 million Transit Priority Project
The project will bring faster bus trips, safer streets and better bike connections to Baltimore.
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.
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