Brian Vanderhoff's North Fulton Real Estate Blog

By Mike Morris
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This weekend marks the beginning of the end for the Georgia 400 toll booths, as road crews start the year-long process to dismantle the toll plaza.
Two northbound lanes will be blocked between Lenox Road and Glenridge Drive from 10 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Saturday, and again during the same hours Saturday night as crews prepare to change the road striping to route motorists around the toll booths when the tolls disappear late next month.
Workers will reroute the highway’s three lanes through the Cruise Card lanes and lower the speed limit through the area to 45 mph for the demolition of the toll booths.
The actual demolition of the toll booths will take place next year. The $3.5 million project is expected to take about a year to complete.

Labels: Ga 400, GA 400 Tolls, Georgia 400, Toll booth removal, Toll removal

In a few months you may be able to throw away that quarter jar to save change for the Ga. 400 tolls.

According to the State Road and Tollway Authority, the Ga. 400 bonds will be retired and the toll booths will disappear figuratively if not literally the fourth weekend of November.

Gov. Nathan Deal scored a popularity point when he announced last year the Ga. 400 toll would end in December 2013. His predecessor, Gov. Sonny Perdue reneged on the decades-old pledge to retire the toll on Ga. 400 when its construction bonds were paid off in 2011.

Perdue ordered new bonds purchased for Ga. 400-related projects and the 50-cent (for two-axle vehicles) continued on. Deal rescinded those plans and ordered the bonds repaid early. Now it seems Nov. 21 and no later than Nov. 23 will be toll-free.

The date was announced to avoid having the change Thanksgiving weekend. Demolition of the toll plaza won't occur until after the first of the year, SRTA announced. That is slated to cost $4.5 million.

The three left lanes will be open to Ga. 400 traffic north and south. Cones will direct traffic away from the toll plaza until its demolition.

Labels: Ga 400, GA 400 Tolls, Toll Plaza

If the purpose of the Georgia Department of Transportation's open house March 13 was float the idea of toll lanes on Ga. 400, it went over like a lead balloon.

The public hearing, and two like it in Forsyth County and Sandy Springs, are part of GDOT's Ga. 400 Express Lanes Feasibility study.

Residents who attended the GDOT meeting at the Cottage School listened to a 10-minute video on why High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes similar to the electronically billed tolls on I-85 in Gwinnett County were the most viable option to relieve congestion on Ga. 400 along 24 miles from I-285 north to Ga. 20 in Forsyth County.

HOT lanes, the video stated, offered drivers an alternative in exchange for a "reliable trip," rather than being held up in traffic – as long as the driver is willing to pay.

As in Gwinnett's HOT lanes, the toll continues to rise until the congestion in that lane abates. Of course, what it does to the congestion in the "free" lanes goes unmentioned.

According to the GDOT spokespeople at the meeting, there is no money to add capacity to Ga. 400 and on the GDOT priority list, Ga. 400 trails projects for I-75 in Henry County, as well as I-75 and I-575 projects in Cobb and Cherokee counties.

In other words, there does not seem to be much hope of getting any relief for Ga. 400 in the foreseeable future. But don't expect any help if the toll lanes are installed. GDOT says tolls alone are not enough to fund any new construction projects for the corridor. Tolls would only go to maintenance of the corridor.

A public comment board at the meeting did not reflect any support of toll lanes. Comments, often sarcastic, pointed out Ga. 400 already bears a toll.

GDOT spokespeople said the there simply is not enough money in its budget to get the projects already on the board done. GDOT's funding sources, $900 million from the state motor fuel tax and about $1 billion in federal transportation funding, are not enough for new construction.

Billy Wise of Duluth said he was opposed to more tolls on roads.

"I'm concerned that we are not spending tax dollars effectively," Wise said.

Jack Wyche of Alpharetta said the tolls on Ga. 400 that are collected now should be enough. He said he did not want to see toll lanes as well.

GDOT District Engineer Bryant Poole said State Transportation Board policy now is any new capacity for roads will have a toll component.

"Adding capacity will mean managed lanes [tolls]," Poole said.

But any additional lanes for Ga. 400 would not be programmed sooner than 2040. Meanwhile, Poole said he can understand the public reaction to more tolls.

"But we want to get the public's ideas. This is our normal procedure, to get their input," he said.

Labels: 400 Tolls, Ga 400, Ga 400 new exit, GA 400 Tolls