Opinion: Traffic Congestion Relief within Reach?

By Candace Boothby, President, Newnan-Coweta Chamber of Commerce, and Terry Lawler, Executive Director, Regional Business Coalition of Metro Atlanta

From Five Points to Five Forks Trickum and from Moreland to Marietta, metro Atlantans face daily challenges when traveling around our community.

And everyone has a personal story to tell: The missed dance recital, the late arrival to the ball game, the missed flight or even the melted ice cream on the car seat coming home from the supermarket.

And sometimes it's an even bigger story.

Like the manufacturer who needed to move to a neighboring county to expand the size of its factory only to find that a large percentage of its existing employees quit because of the increased commute time.

Or the telecom company that realized only too late that its new call center wasn't located near transit services which were primarily used by its employees to get to work.

Every day metro Atlantans, and metro Atlanta businesses, face increasing mobility challenges.

But Atlantans, and Georgians, have always responded to past challenges.

Some folks said we would never get the Olympics. But we did.

Some folks said the Atlanta Airport would never be the world's largest or busiest. But it is.

And a lot of people said Atlanta and Georgia would never vote for a lottery to fund college scholarships, pre-K and educational technology. But we did that too.

Now some folks are saying we don't need additional funds to make improvements to metro Atlanta's transportation systems.

What would happen if we didn't make those improvements?

You don't really want to see that happen.

According to GDOT, commute times in metro Atlanta will increase dramatically, potentially doubling today's commute times. In other words, a rush hour commute from Perimeter Center to I-20 could take over 2 hours in the coming years...on a normal day.

Metro Atlanta transit systems, which provide services to a quarter of a million riders daily, could be operating at half of today's capacity, adding tens of thousands of cars to metro Atlanta's highways every day and potentially devastating Atlanta's tourism and convention business.

Tractor trailer truck traffic, which is growing at least 50% faster than automobile traffic, could double tractor trailer congestion on I-75, I-85, I-20 and I-285 in the future.

Express bus services would have to be discontinued, adding potentially thousands of additional cars on metro Atlanta's highways daily, especially in our outlaying communities.

Metro Atlanta would no longer have just traffic congestion. Metro Atlanta would have "Extreme Traffic Congestion."

But like our past challenges, extreme traffic congestion in metro Atlanta can be overcome.

The Georgia legislature is presently looking at a regional transportation funding mechanism that would allow metro Atlanta residents the option to raise the needed funds to address traffic congestion and other future transportation needs.

Traffic congestion is not a republican problem, nor is it a democrat problem or an independent problem. It is everyone's problem.

Our legislators have the ability to provide the citizens of metro Atlanta with the opportunity to avoid "Extreme Traffic Congestion."

We need to let our legislators know that metro Atlanta voters need that opportunity, and we need it now.

The Regional Business Coalition of Metropolitan Atlanta (RBC) is an organization of over a dozen local Chambers of Commerce throughout the metro Atlanta region. The RBC's primary goal is to represent the interests of RBC Chamber members on public policy issues impacting our transportation, water and air quality and to advocate for solutions that improve metro Atlanta's quality of life and economic vitality.

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UGA Traffic Injury Prevention Institute awarded $836,470 grant

The University of Georgia Traffic Injury Prevention Institute has been awarded an $836,470 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to continue its education and training programs in the areas of passenger safety education, young and senior driver education and community programming.

For 24 years, GTIPI has assisted the GOHS in meeting congressional requirements by designing and delivering education that improves safety while traveling in a vehicle. The institute has been a leading resource in traffic safety education in Georgia.

GTIPI has four main training and community education initiatives: Child Passenger Safety Technician Certification, Georgia Teens Ride with PRIDE (Parents Reducing Incidents of Driver Error), CarFit and the Online Safety Store. Each area is designed to reach target age groups or address a critical traffic safety issue.

Law enforcement, emergency medical services, health departments, Cooperative Extension educators and fire departments across the state participate in GTIPI’s training and distribute educational materials. Onsite training is conducted at GTIPI’s facilities in Conyers as well as regional locations across the state.

Parents and young children benefit from safety professionals and volunteers who achieve national certification in the 32-hour Child Passenger Safety Technician training.

“Even though child safety seats are used by parents more than 90 percent of the time, four out of five seats are installed incorrectly,” said Frankie Jones, GTIPI’s director. “The CPST certification qualifies volunteers to teach parents how to do it right.”

GTIPI’s course, “Georgia Teens Ride with PRIDE” is for parents and their new teen drivers.

“Almost two-thirds of teen fatalities in our state aren’t buckled up,” Jones said. “PRIDE trains instructors how to deliver safe driving tools to their community. PRIDE helps parents make it through the process of their teen getting a license without ‘losing their cool’ and helps teens learn how to avoid crashes.”

Designed for mature drivers, CarFit helps seniors stay behind the wheel longer and more safely.

“CarFit is a non-threatening way to educate seniors about how to stay safe and comfortable in their car,” Jones said.

The Online Safety Store is the primary source statewide for print and electronic traffic safety resources for consumers, educators and professionals. GTIPI manages distribution of materials from the GOHS website, www.georgiahighwaysafety.org.

For more information, see http://www.ridesafegeorgia.org or call GTIPI at (678) 413-4281, or toll free at (800) 342-9819.

By Andrew Turnage
University of Georgia

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511 Fields Record Number of Holiday Calls

The Georgia Department of Transportation broke a few records over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend when the 511 traveler information system fielded 71,734 calls. The service received 19,203 calls the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, with 10 percent of callers requesting live operator assistance. The Sunday after Thanksgiving, 511 received 33,624 calls, with 12 percent requesting live support. Over 11,000 calls came in just between the hours of 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.

“This is a huge increase from last year’s same-day record of 13,915 calls,” said Anthony
Bradford, who manages Georgia DOT’s Transportation Management Center (TMC) in Atlanta,
the headquarters of 511 and NaviGAtor, Georgia’s Intelligent Transportation System. “It is a true
testament to the quality and dependability of the 511 service, and to the TMC’s dedication to
providing timely and accurate travel information to the traveling public.”

“The 511 operators are the unsung heroes of the Department,” said DOT Commissioner Gena
Evans. “While most of us are at home with our families, they work tirelessly behind the scenes to
ensure the safety of Georgia’s motorists. They’re a vital part of our operation, and deserve
special recognition.”

The free, one-stop phone service provides statewide traffic conditions, route-specific information and estimated travel times within metro Atlanta. Callers can also access transit providers, major airports, rideshare organizations, tourism information and 511 systems in surrounding states.

The week of Thanksgiving ranks among the busiest travel periods of the year, when travelers
take to the highways and skyways en masse. For those preparing to fly, 511 connects callers to
airports in Atlanta and Savannah for information on parking, delays or connections to carriers.
An automated voice recognition system guides the service, but callers can also reach live
operators to report accidents or congestion, request HERO assistance or obtain additional
information.

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Federal Government Plan Aims to Curb Metro Atlanta Traffic

The federal government is investing $110 million to support an innovative Georgia state plan to reduce traffic congestion in Metropolitan Atlanta, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary E. Peters announced today. The plan will allow more commuters to take advantage of I-85’s HOV lanes northeast of the city, and will allow for the establishment of new high-speed commuter bus service into downtown, Secretary Peters noted.

“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 Peters. “The goal is simple, make commutes reliable, not ridiculous.”

Georgia Tech’s School of Civil and Environmental Engineering has helped shepherd the project for two years, from honing the technology to be utilized to analyzing the impact this project will have on metro Atlanta gridlock.

The result should be a smoother - and swifter - ride for road-weary commuters.

“It increases the ability of facilities to carry vehicles without making a new right of way,” said Dr. Randall Guensler, professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “If you look at the I-85 corridor, there’s no room to expand. People have the option of buying into faster travel and our focus groups said that was valued by all income groups.”

Similar programs have been initiated in Denver, Houston, Orange County, Calif., San Diego and Minneapolis, with the latter system most closely resembling the plan destined for Gwinnett, Guensler said.

According to the Texas Transportation Institute’s 2007 Urban Mobility Report, the Atlanta metro area is tied for the second-highest level of traffic congestion as measured in terms of hours of delay per rush hour driver.

Georgia Tech’s involvement in this effort to break the bottleneck is just beginning. Guensler is overseeing a vehicle monitoring program for drivers who elect to cruise through the new lanes. Measurements will include household traffic behavior, emissions and potential equity impacts.

The focus group will include 700 households comprising 1,500 vehicles, which include express buses.

Guensler calls it “the most comprehensive travel behavior study that’s ever been done.”

The first phase of the project will institute a network consisting of dynamically-priced high occupancy toll lanes on I-85, stretching from I-285 to Old Peachtree Road by January 2011. Future phases of Atlanta’s congestion plan will include a 49-mile network of additional HOV-to-HOT lane conversions along I-85, I-75 and I-20. Similar HOT lane projects have been implemented in Minneapolis and Southern California, and these areas have already seen a reduction in the amount of congestion during peak travel times.

Also included in the grant is $30 million for transit service enhancement that will operate on the newly converted expressways. The funding will go towards the purchase of new buses and the construction and expansion of park-and-ride facilities.

Atlanta is the most recent city to receive federal funding from the Department of Transportation for its efforts to establish a more permanent Federal program focused on innovative solutions to improve mobility and fight increasing congestion in metropolitan areas. Details on Secretary Peters’ innovative Reform Proposal can be found at www.FightGridlockNow.gov.

“The money we are providing today will make commuting faster, transit better and small businesses more competitive,” said Secretary Peters. “Together, we’ll make traffic in Atlanta go with the wind.”

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Subcommittee Examines Efficiency of Nation's Transportation Infrastructure

Today, the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation held a hearing to review ongoing Federal, State, academic, and industry research and development (R&D) activities intended to reduce lifecycle energy consumption and fuel use, and also to promote sustainability for surface transportation infrastructure.

“There are approximately 4 million miles of roads in this country and Americans drive approximately 4 trillion miles per year,” noted Subcommittee Ranking Member Phil Gingrey (R-GA). “To support all this traffic, government expenditures on our highways are approximately $140 billion annually. Unfortunately, even with this constant influx in spending, our infrastructure cannot support our growing traffic needs.”

Gingrey continued, “The priority of research and development in the transportation sector has lagged behind construction and rehabilitation, but the challenges that now face our transportation infrastructure will require innovative designs and technologies.”

The surface transportation sector is a major contributor to energy use and pollution, accounting for approximately 33 percent of carbon emissions in the U.S. annually. While materials and technologies currently exist to combat pollution and energy waste from transportation infrastructure, there are cost and other logistical decisions that have limited their widespread implementation.

Advocating for a larger research budget at the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) spoke highly of efforts to promote a more efficient, sustainable transportation infrastructure, noting that further research would pay for itself in the long term. Within the U.S. Department of Transportation, RITA has sought to effectively prioritize transportation research programs, identify innovation gaps, and coordinate research and technology efforts within the Department, and throughout the transportation community.

Further highlighting the benefits of increased investments in R&D, one of today’s witnesses, Dr. Christopher Poe, Assistant Agency Director at the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI), cited a study conducted by TTI in order to estimate the benefits of improving mobility in congested Texas cities. The 2003 study concluded that an increase in spending of $66 billion, in order to reduce traffic congestion, would generate $540 billion in savings from lower travel delay, reduced fuel consumption and business efficiency. This total return on investment represents an 8 to 1 return ration.

Witnesses at today’s hearing also urged additional technology transfer and education efforts in order to engage policymakers and the public to pursue greater use of these new technologies. They noted that a strong partnership between the research and user communities is vital to ensure that R&D efforts are tied to user needs and that demonstration projects prove the effectiveness of various technologies and materials.

Traffic Information for the June 20-22 Weekend Atlanta Braves vs Seattle Mariners

The Downtown Connector resurfacing project will close Northbound Lanes for 4.79 miles between University Avenue and 10th Street beginning at 9 p.m., Friday, June 20, continuously through the weekend until 5 a.m., Monday, June 23.

With large crowds expected and on-going construction on the downtown connector, fans heading to or leaving Turner Field this weekend are strongly encouraged to avoid the Northbound lanes of the downtown connector, and plan alternate routes or consider taking Marta.

COMING TO TURNER FIELD: To avoid the downtown connector, take I-285 to I-20. If traveling Westbound on I-20, exit at Hill Street or Capitol Avenue. If traveling Eastbound on I-20, exit at Windsor St./Spring St./Turner Field.

LEAVING TURNER FIELD: To avoid the downtown connector, take I-20 to 285. Directions to I-20 East and West from the various Turner Field parking lots will be posted on electronic message boards as fans leave the stadium.

Georgia D.O.T. urges travelers to call 511 for updated information about this or any other construction project on interstates and state routes. Georgia 511 is a free phone service that provides real-time traffic and travel information statewide, such as traffic conditions, incidents, lane closures, and delays due to bad weather. Callers can also reach live operators to request assistance.

More information on the downtown connector resurfacing project and Turner Field street and traffic maps can be found at www.braves.com/parking.

Weekend series dates and times:

• Friday, June 20: Braves vs. Seattle Mariners - 7:35 p.m.
• Saturday, June 21: Braves vs. Seattle Mariners - 7:10 p.m.
• Sunday, June 22: Braves vs. Seattle Mariners - 1:35 p.m.

Memorial Day Weekend

On Saturday and Sunday, May 24th, and 25th, two events will take place in downtown Atlanta that will affect traffic and bring thousands of specters to the area. The annual Atlanta Jazz Festival will begin on Friday evening and will affect the following streets:

· Edgewood Avenue from Peachtree St. to Peachtree Center Avenue.

· Auburn Avenue from Peachtree St. to Peachtree Center Avenue.

· Park Place from John Wesley Dobbs to Edgewood Avenue.

These streets will be closed beginning May 23rd at 6:00 p.m. and remain closed through Monday night.

In addition, on Saturday May 24, the annual Caribbean parade and festival will take place. This event begins at 12:00 noon and will affect the following streets with a parade:

· W. Peachtree St. from Pine St. to Peachtree St.

· Peachtree St. from Pine St. to Auburn Avenue.

· John Wesley Dobbs / Erwin St. from Peachtree St. to Fort St.

The festival will take place directly after the parade and will affect the following streets:

· Auburn Avenue between Jessie Hill Blvd and Hilliard St.

· Fort St. from Erwin St. to Edgewood Avenue.

· Bell St. from Erwin St. to Edgewood Avenue.

It is strongly recommended that MARTA be utilized. The Atlanta Police will strictly enforce all traffic and parking laws by ticketing and impounding illegally parked vehicles.