The Northwest Corridor gives drivers the choice of getting out of congested general-purpose lanes. Photo credit: Georgia DOT
ATLANTA – The Georgia Department of Transportation unveiled a proposal Wednesday to improve the capacity of planned toll lanes along Interstate 285 by asking the private sector to play a larger role in the $6.1 billion project.
The plan would add two barrier-separated toll lanes along 285 just north of its interchanges with I-20 east and west of Atlanta instead of the single lane envisioned when the project was first proposed in 2016. Two barrier-separated toll lanes already are planned along the “top end” of 285 stretching from Cobb County through Fulton and into DeKalb County.
To make that possible, the state would give the private roadbuilding consortium selected to finance and build the project the ability to set toll rates under a 50-year contract. As currently designed, the state would establish the tolls through a 35-year contract with a private partner.
The state would trade the longer contract time in exchange for the developer assuming greater risk, Meg Pirkle, the DOT’s chief engineer, told members of the State Transportation Board Wednesday.
“The state will have limited liability should the contractor not be successful,” she said. “At the end of the day, we’ll be getting more project, more value, for less public dollars.”
Georgia has built a history with toll lanes, starting in 2011 with the opening of toll lanes along I-85 in northern DeKalb and southern Gwinnett counties.
The concept expanded during the last decade with the Northwest Corridor along I-75 in Cobb and Cherokee counties, the I-75 South toll lanes project in Clayton and Henry counties and the extension of the I-85 toll lanes into northern Gwinnett.
Pirkle said toll lanes have gained greater public acceptance by giving rush-hour commuters looking to save time a chance to get out of congested general-purpose lanes into less crowded toll lanes.
Within the first six months of opening in 2018, speeds inside the Northwest Corridor’s toll lanes were averaging 30 percent faster than in the general-purpose lanes of I-75, reducing rush-hour travel times by an hour.
Pirkle said the northern half of I-285 is home to four of the 20 worst traffic bottlenecks in the nation, and the need to increase the highway’s capacity will only grow over time. The highway is expected to carry 263,000 vehicles a day by 2032, up from the current 238,000, she said.
“With projected volumes and demands, this project has a strong potential for private funding,” Pirkle said. “The state needs to take advantage of that.”
Pirkle said the states of Texas, North Carolina, Virginia and Colorado already are financing and building highway projects through public-private partnerships.
Pirkle said the developer chosen to build the project will be incentivized to provide high-quality work because it will rely on a large volume of drivers to pay the tolls.
“No one has to use these lanes,” she said. “They have to provide excellent service to attract customers.”
Board member Tim Golden of Valdosta said the innovative proposal should help relieve traffic congestion on the busy highway.
“It’s getting to the point that anyone in South Georgia doesn’t want to come to Atlanta,” he said. “This is thinking outside the box.”
But board member Kevin Abel of Atlanta, who represents a congressional district that includes a large portion of I-285, urged DOT officials to carefully weigh the plan’s risks as well as benefits before committing to it.
Abel, who chairs the board committee with jurisdiction over projects built through public-private partnerships, said the board should consider putting a cap on the contractor’s return on investment.
He also argued the developer might be reluctant to pursue adding transit projects along 285 because transit service could cut into its revenue from the toll lanes.
“I want to be sure we stipulate [transit] as a requirement for the project early on,” Abel said.
Pirkle said the DOT plans to conduct an industry forum later this year to discuss the plan with potential bidders.
ATLANTA – The two committees in the General Assembly in charge of drawing new congressional and legislative district lines this year have set the schedule for 10 remaining town hall hearings across Georgia.
The House Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment Committee and the Senate Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee held the first hearing on Tuesday at the state Capitol.
Here is the remaining schedule of hearings:
Monday, June 28: Atlanta
Tuesday, June 29: Cumming
Wednesday, June 30: Dalton
Tuesday, July 6: Athens
Wednesday, July 7: Augusta
Monday, July 26: Brunswick
Tuesday, July 27: Albany
Wednesday, July 28: Columbus
Thursday, July 29: Macon
Friday, July 30: Virtual only
All of the hearings will run from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. Locations will be announced later.
The General Assembly draws new congressional and legislative district boundaries every 10 years following the latest U.S. census to account for population shifts that have occurred during the previous decade.
Districts must be as close to equal in population as possible, although legislative districts get a little more leeway in that regard than congressional districts. Lawmakers will draw boundaries for 14 U.S. House districts, 180 state House districts and 56 Georgia Senate districts.
The General Assembly expects to receive the full range of census data lawmakers will use to govern the process by the end of September. Gov. Brian Kemp then will schedule a special session sometime this fall for the legislature to draw and approve the maps.
The Georgia Capitol building in Atlanta (Photo by Beau Evans)
ATLANTA – The Georgia House and Senate committees in charge of drawing new congressional and legislative district lines this year heard an earful Tuesday from activists calling for fairness in a process that is typically highly partisan.
“As communities become more diverse, it is critical that district maps reflect that,” Michelle Zuluaga of the group Latinos for Democracy, told lawmakers during the first of 11 public hearings to be held across the state this summer and fall. “We want maps that will unite our state, not divide our communities.”
The General Assembly draws new district boundaries every 10 years following the latest U.S. census to reflect population shifts that have occurred during the last decade. While redistricting usually takes place during the late summer or early fall, the process isn’t expected until later in the fall because the COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the release of census data.
In Georgia, the party in control of the legislature historically has drawn maps giving it the best chance to maintain or build on its majorities. Democrats were in charge of redistricting through 2001, but in 2011 and again this year, Republicans are in the driver’s seat.
Lawmakers will approve new maps for Georgia’s 14 U.S. House districts, 180 state House districts and 56 Georgia Senate districts.
During Tuesday’s virtual hearing, several speakers argued that Georgia should take power over redistricting away from the General Assembly and put it in the hands of an independent commission, as has been done in some other states.
But more complained that the process thus far is lacking transparency and, as a result, isn’t giving Georgia citizens an adequate opportunity for input.
“It is crucial to a fair and functioning democracy that the process not cut out public participation,” Rebecca DeHart, CEO of the nonprofit Fair Count, said during a news conference before the hearing sponsored by a coalition of progressive groups and fair districting advocates.
State Senate Minority Leader Gloria Butler noted that Georgia has experienced significant demographic shifts since the 2011 redistricting, including a 40% increase in its Asian-American population, a 26% rise in Latinos and a 14% increase in the Black population.
“These maps must reflect the changing face of Georgia and the need for historically disenfranchised voters to have a voice,” said Butler, D-Stone Mountain.
Sen. John Kennedy, R-Macon, chairman of the Senate Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee, promised to keep the lines of communication open.
“We are committed to an open, redistricting process,” he said. “We want to hear from everyone.”
Rep. Bonnie Rich, R-Suwanee, chairman of the House Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment Committee, announced that future hearings will be held in Atlanta, Albany, Augusta, Athens, Brunswick, Columbus, Cumming, Dalton and Macon.
ATLANTA – The diminishing number of Georgians with landline telephones in their homes are about to see a savings on their bills thanks to the sunsetting of a decade-old program.
The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) voted unanimously Tuesday to reduce the fee supporting the program from 6% to 3.75% in monthly phone bills starting next month.
The mandatory fee, implemented in 2011, was designed to bring the costs of in-state long-distance phone calls in line with the costs of out-of-state long distance. It took 10 years to fully implement the program, making the fee reduction possible.
“The bottom line is business and individual customers in Georgia will see a savings on their phone bills,” said Commissioner Tricia Pridemore, who chairs the PSC’s Telecommunications Committee. “This is welcome news for anyone with a landline phone.”
A $50 phone bill will drop by slightly more than $1 per month under the reduced fee, resulting in more than $13 in annual savings. Georgia has an estimated 1.7 million landline phones.
ATLANTA – With COVID-19 vaccinations lagging in Georgia, a newly formed coalition launched an initiative Tuesday to convince unvaccinated Georgians to get tested for the virus.
Forty organizations make up ACT Against COVID – the Alliance for Comprehensive Testing – including the Georgia AFL-CIO, the Georgia Municipal Association, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, local elected officials and public health professionals.
“In order to safely and responsibly reopen our communities, we need to continue to emphasize the importance of testing,” said Vince Williams, mayor of Union City, a small city in southern Fulton County. “Things are looking up, but we can’t let down our guard yet.”
Georgia’s COVID-19 vaccination rate is among the lowest in the nation with only 35% of Georgians fully vaccinated, according to the state Department of Public Health. As a result, testing remains an essential tool for reducing transmission of the virus.
“Our doctors care for a diverse population, including refugees who have settled in the Clarkston area over the past few decades,” said Dr. Gulshan Harjee, co-founder of the Clarkston Community Health Center in DeKalb County.
“These communities have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, and implementing testing programs to identify where the virus is spreading will help us keep the infection rate under control.”
With vaccine hesitancy remaining high not only in Georgia but across the country, ACT Against COVID is being rolled out nationwide through a partnership with Quest Diagnostics, a Secaucus, N.J.-based clinical laboratory.
“2021 provides an opportunity for individuals to emerge from the pandemic and take back control of their health,” said Dr. Jay Wohlgemuth, Quest Diagnostics’ chief medical officer.
“COVID-19 has shone a light on the need for ongoing engagement in the health-care system. That includes preventive care, chronic care management and managing the spread of COVID-19.”
COVID tests are still readily available at urgent care centers, pharmacies, primary-care physician offices, health clinics and some local government offices.
