The U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) is investing $110 million to reduce traffic congestion in Metropolitan Atlanta. Its project will allow more commuters to use I-85’s HOV lanes northeast of the city in an attempt to alleviate gridlock in the metro area that is tied for second in the country in congestion, according to Texas Transportation Institute's 2007 Urban Mobility Report.
The first phase of the project will create a network of high occupancy toll lanes on I-85, stretching from I-285 to Old Peachtree Rd., by January 2011, DOT said, with future phases including a 49-mile network of additional HOV-to-HOT lane conversions. Similar lane projects have been implemented in Minneapolis and Southern California.
“This ambitious plan will tame traffic, pump new money into the region’s transit services and redefine the way people use I-85,” said Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters. “The goal is simple; make commutes reliable, not ridiculous.”
