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Atlanta HOT lanes hold lessons for D.C. region

Started by cpzilliacus, April 02, 2015, 12:24:00 PM

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cpzilliacus

Dr. Gridlock in the Washington Post: Atlanta HOT lanes hold lessons for D.C. region

QuoteThe Georgia version of high-occupancy toll lanes were almost empty when they opened in fall 2011. Today, they're very popular. Maybe too popular.

QuoteDuring the height of the morning rush, the lanes get so crowded that average speeds may fall below the federal requirement of 45 mph, even though the variable toll can reach $10 for the 15.5-mile trip.

QuoteNeither of those extremes is good for commuters. The variable tolling systems used on many express lanes, including the ones in Virginia and Maryland, are supposed to regulate the flow of traffic. It should be not too heavy, not to light, but just right to provide express lane users with a reliably quicker trip than in the regular lanes, while maybe also providing some relief in the regular lanes as well.


Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.


Mapmikey

The I-495 express lanes SB are now over $7 almost every afternoon and has exceeded $10.  But it has always been drivable at the speed limit.

The I-95 express lanes SB have twice in the last 4 business days had the southernmost segment (Dale City to Garrisonville) cost a little over $11 (and in both cases exiting at the last ramp before the end only cost $2+).  Last Friday with the $11 toll came a several-mile queue to get out and the mainline was actually faster from the last ramp (SR 619 Triangle flyover) to the end of the express lanes (about 7 miles).   VMS signs in the express lanes indicated delays were ahead so many miles (but not how many miles of delay there were).

Yesterday with the $11 toll it was wide open down to where the queue was maybe 1.5 miles and this made the express lanes still faster than mainline 95 by a good bit.  No VMS messaging about delays.

What was really odd was that on Tuesday with a 1-mile or so queue at the south end, the entire southernmost segment was posted for a toll that was under $3.  I don't know if that what was actually charged or if this was some sort of VMS snafu.

Atlanta's long-term problem is that its lane capacity in their express system has no easy way to increase.  The I-95 lanes south of Dale City can just be restriped (I believe everywhere) for a 3rd lane and it would look like the northernmost 15 miles or so with less shoulder space.  I have also yet to have any problems going wide open down to at least Triangle every day.

Don't know how the 45 mph is calculated.  But if I average 65 mph on 24 miles of the lanes and 10 mph for the last 5, my overall average is 41 mph.  65 mph is actually low most days, too.  I have numerous times looked up and realized I was going closer to 75.

In the mornings (5-5:30), 95 NB express lanes are fairly busy but the toll from Garrisonville to the beltway is only about $6.  The 495 NB express lanes are practically empty at that hour but the mainline 495 runs 60 mph+ then too.

Mapmikey

1995hoo

Shortly before 3:00 PM today I crossed over I-95 on the Franconia—Springfield Parkway. The toll to Route 123 was over $4.00 already and the toll to "95-DALE" was $5.15. Struck me as a fairly high toll shortly before 3:00 PM, but then it's also fair to remember tomorrow is Good Friday (and, I believe, Passover begins at sundown), so a lot of people will have left early today or have taken off altogether, and it's also spring break season (Fairfax schools are out this week and downtown DC was overrun with tourists this morning).

What I would be interested in knowing is what percentage of users are HOVs claimed via the Flex, what percentage are toll-payers (regardless of whether they'd be eligible for HOV if they had a Flex), and what percentage do not have E-ZPass. I'd also be interested in a further breakdown: HOV versus paid use (a) during the old "HOV hours" and (b) outside that period. Among other reasons, I think that would be interesting information to be considered when they contemplate the proposal for I-66 inside the Beltway. I'd love to know to what extent, if any, there's been a knock-on effect on the general-purpose lanes and on parallel Route 1.

I suppose it would be more interesting to see this breakdown now, for the first three months of operation, and then again come mid-September to reflect the summer vacation season. As we all know, weekend traffic patterns on I-95 are a vastly different beast than on the portion of the Beltway served by HO/T lanes and it'll be interesting to see what effect the new system has on heavy Saturday morning traffic.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

lordsutch

Quote from: Mapmikey on April 02, 2015, 01:29:31 PM
Atlanta's long-term problem is that its lane capacity in their express system has no easy way to increase.  The I-95 lanes south of Dale City can just be restriped (I believe everywhere) for a 3rd lane and it would look like the northernmost 15 miles or so with less shoulder space.  I have also yet to have any problems going wide open down to at least Triangle every day.

The biggest issue is that the I-85 lanes were done completely on the cheap: the only direct access is at GA 316, and they're single, 24-hour lanes in both directions. (The other issue is that I-85 carries traffic that should be on parallel freeways that were never fully built out, like US 78 and GA 141/Peachtree Industrial Boulevard, and MARTA dead ends at the perimeter.)

The reversible lanes that are going in on I-75 south and I-75/575 north should perform better since traffic will be able to pass along most of their length and there will be direct access to some exits. Adding a reverse commute carriageway should also be possible as well.

Mapmikey

I was mistaken...north of Dumfries definitely would need more pavement to get 3 lanes on the Express lanes, though there is room to do this.

Today the toll on the last segment was again over $11 and the queue at the end was about 6 miles long,  The VMS right before the SR 619 flyover actually said Exit to Avoid Delays...

Mapmikey

1995hoo

From the pictures I saw, it looks like Atlanta's lane is separated by just a double line? No pylons or other barrier? Is that accurate? To me that'd be a design problem. On the rare occasion when I've been in the HOV left lane on I-66 outside the Beltway with a lane clear enough to allow 55 mph at rush hour, I've never actually gone 55. The reason is that I'm not sure it's safe when the traffic in the other lanes is at a near-stop or a complete stop. Too much risk of someone (whether a legitimate HOV or a violator) suddenly cutting over into the HOV lane without warning. So I'd have the same concern in a left-lane HO/T facility with no barrier.

I've never had that same concern on the Beltway, even though I suppose someone could cut across the pylons. I've done 75 mph in the HO/T lanes when the traffic in the main lanes was at a standstill.
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

Big John

#6
^^ Yes, solid double line for no entry/exit and dashed double line where entries/exits are allowed on I-85.

With a sign telling you it is illegal to cross the double solid white line: https://www.google.com/maps/@33.933112,-84.165238,3a,75y,221.83h,94.36t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sbpBv1mWxoUV5_KXzHKy-Xg!2e0

Brandon

Quote from: Big John on April 02, 2015, 08:14:47 PM
^^ Yes, solid double line for no entry/exit and dashed double line where entries/exits are allowed on I-85.

With a sign telling you it is illegal to cross the double solid white line: https://www.google.com/maps/@33.933112,-84.165238,3a,75y,221.83h,94.36t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sbpBv1mWxoUV5_KXzHKy-Xg!2e0

:rofl: Like that's gonna stop people from entering and exiting the lanes where they please.  That crappola would be highly ignored and violated here, around Chicagoland.
"If you think this has a happy ending, you haven't been paying attention." - Ramsay Bolton

"Symbolic of his struggle against reality." - Reg

Zeffy

Quote from: Brandon on April 03, 2015, 11:08:42 AM
:rofl: Like that's gonna stop people from entering and exiting the lanes where they please.  That crappola would be highly ignored and violated here, around Chicagoland.

They don't do it in New York either. I almost got taken out by some guy (New Yorker) who made a dash from the left lane into my lane while crossing a bunch of double solid whites. The horn was obligatory at that point.
Life would be boring if we didn't take an offramp every once in a while

A weird combination of a weather geek, roadgeek, car enthusiast and furry mixed with many anxiety related disorders

1995hoo

Quote from: Brandon on April 03, 2015, 11:08:42 AM
Quote from: Big John on April 02, 2015, 08:14:47 PM
^^ Yes, solid double line for no entry/exit and dashed double line where entries/exits are allowed on I-85.

With a sign telling you it is illegal to cross the double solid white line: https://www.google.com/maps/@33.933112,-84.165238,3a,75y,221.83h,94.36t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sbpBv1mWxoUV5_KXzHKy-Xg!2e0

:rofl: Like that's gonna stop people from entering and exiting the lanes where they please.  That crappola would be highly ignored and violated here, around Chicagoland.

Your comment underscores the exact point I was making in my prior comment!
"You know, you never have a guaranteed spot until you have a spot guaranteed."
—Olaf Kolzig, as quoted in the Washington Times on March 28, 2003,
commenting on the Capitals clinching a playoff spot.

"That sounded stupid, didn't it?"
—Kolzig, to the same reporter a few seconds later.

cpzilliacus

Quote from: 1995hoo on April 02, 2015, 08:07:23 PM
From the pictures I saw, it looks like Atlanta's lane is separated by just a double line? No pylons or other barrier? Is that accurate? To me that'd be a design problem. On the rare occasion when I've been in the HOV left lane on I-66 outside the Beltway with a lane clear enough to allow 55 mph at rush hour, I've never actually gone 55. The reason is that I'm not sure it's safe when the traffic in the other lanes is at a near-stop or a complete stop. Too much risk of someone (whether a legitimate HOV or a violator) suddenly cutting over into the HOV lane without warning. So I'd have the same concern in a left-lane HO/T facility with no barrier.

I've never had that same concern on the Beltway, even though I suppose someone could cut across the pylons. I've done 75 mph in the HO/T lanes when the traffic in the main lanes was at a standstill.

It has been a few years since I was in Los Angeles, but Caltrans would mark the separation between the (usually single) HOV lane and the non-HOV lanes with three or even four solid lines, and with a combination of Botts Dots and other raised reflectors. 

In general, those lines were not crossed - and getting caught by the CHP meant a ticket that started at $271 or more.
Opinions expressed here on AAROADS are strictly personal and mine alone, and do not reflect policies or positions of MWCOG, NCRTPB or their member federal, state, county and municipal governments or any other agency.



Opinions expressed here on belong solely to the poster and do not represent or reflect the opinions or beliefs of AARoads, its creators and/or associates.