Study of
Potential Managed Lanes
I-75 South Corridor
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The Study of Potential Managed Lanes on the I-75 South
Corridor explored the use of pricing strategies along one of
Atlanta’s most congested corridors to reduce congestion,
increase safety, and improve reliability.
The I-75 South Study Area extends from I-285 south of
Atlanta to SR 16 in Butts County. This stretch of I-75 is
already one of the busiest interstate corridors in the Atlanta
region, with over 210,000 vehicles per day. Travel times along
the corridor are forecasted to increase 150% by 2030.
I-75 Southbound near Hudson Bridge Road
75
St
Study of Potential Managed Lanes on the I-75 South Corridor
Study Goals
What was studied?
The I-75 South Managed Lanes Study was intended to evaluate the proper combination and configuration of managed
lanes along the I-75 South corridor from I-285 south to SR 16
in Butts County. Managed lanes are proposed to accommodate
the expected increase in travel demand, provide a corridor with
guaranteed mobility referred to also as “congestion insurance”,
and provide a guideway for the increasingly popular commuter
express bus services operating in the corridor. The study goals
were three fold:
The study explored eight different managed lanes options – each
combining different applications of vehicle eligibility, pricing, and
access control. These options included :
◆◆ Evaluate the feasibility of value pricing techniques on the I-75
corridor to better manage travel and optimize the use of the
corridor;
◆◆ Evaluate specific techniques to address the efficient movement of freight; and
Alternative A-1
Two HOT2+ lanes each direction along I-75 from
I-285 to SR 16
Alternative A-2
Two HOT3+ lanes each direction along I-75 from
I-285 to SR 16
Alternative A-3
Two ETL for passenger cars each direction along
I-75 from I-285 to SR 16
Alternative B
Two voluntary TOT lanes each direction along I-675
and along I-75 from I-675 to SR 16
Alternative C-1
Two HOT2+ lanes each direction along I-75 from I-285
to SR 16 and two voluntary TOT lanes each direction
along I-675 and along I-75 from I-675 to SR 16
Alternative C-2
Two HOT3+ lanes each direction along I-75 from I-285
to SR 16 and two voluntary TOT lanes each direction
along I-675 and along I-75 from I-675 to SR 16
Alternative C-3
Two ETL for passenger cars each direction along I-75
from I-285 to SR 16 and two voluntary TOT lanes each
direction along I-675 and along I-75 from I-675 to SR 16
Alternative D
Two ETL lanes for cars and trucks each direction
along I-75 from I-285 to SR 16
◆◆ Identify the most efficient use of public funds in the corridor
to optimize system benefits.
The following objectives were identified for the I-75 South
Managed Lanes:
◆◆ Increase throughput of people and vehicles in the corridor.
◆◆ Maintain free-flow speeds in the managed lanes.
◆◆ Increase trip reliability through predictable travel times.
◆◆ Provide travel alternatives by accommodating transit
and/or carpools.
The following tasks were included as part of the study:
Types of Managed Lanes
Existing Traffic Conditions Analysis – assessment of travel patterns along the corridor using field data and microsimulation tools.
Managed lanes refer to a combination of management
tools and techniques used to improve efficiency and meet
certain corridor and community objectives. Types of managed lanes include High Occupancy Vehicle Lanes (HOV),
High Occupancy Toll Lanes (HOT), Truck Only Toll (TOT)
Lanes, and Express Toll Lanes (ETL). Managed lane types
vary based on vehicle eligibility, pricing, and access control.
High Occupancy Toll lanes that allow vehicles with two or
more people to utilize the lanes for free are referred to as
HOT2+, while those requiring three or more people to ride
for free are called HOT3+. ETL lanes require all users to
pay a toll with the exception of some transit vehicles. ETL
lanes may allow passenger cars only or be available to cars
and trucks. TOT lanes are voluntary lanes that can only
be utilized by predefined classes of trucks and potentially
some transit vehicles. A managed lane increases “throughput” and moves more people than a regular highway lane
by accommodating transit, carpools, and paying vehicles.
Stated Preference Survey – evaluation of the public perception
and the potential pricing structure for the usage of the lane.
Public Outreach – education and outreach to drivers in the
area and the freight community.
Traffic and Revenue Analysis – assessment of the viability of
tolling and the expected revenue over a long-term time frame.
System Analysis – evaluation of managed lane alternatives and
their impact on the operations of the I-75 South corridor and the
surrounding transportation system.
Toll Collection Design Concepts – assessment of potential toll
technology alternatives for the corridor.
Sensitivity Tests – “what if” testing of scenarios on a series of
key risk factors to quantify the potential impacts to the resulting
managed lane concepts and traffic and revenue streams.
Capital Cost Estimation – development of conceptual level capital cost estimates for four potential managed lane configurations.
Next Steps – recommendations for project phasing, funding
options, and next steps for improvements to the corridor.
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Study of Potential Managed Lanes on the I-75 South Corridor
What did the study find?
◆◆ Constructing managed lanes will have an overall impact on the travel demand, travel patterns, and traffic operations in
the I-75 South corridor.
◆◆ Constructing managed lanes will have a significant reduction in total vehicle delay within the 5-mile transportation system and parallel corridors. The total daily vehicle delay decreases by a range of 10 percent to 33 percent in 2030.
◆◆ Transit vehicles (permitted to ride for free in the managed lanes) benefit from higher operating speeds, reliable travel
times, additional mobility, and increased headways with a need for fewer buses.
◆◆ Capital costs for constructing managed lanes on the I-75 South Corridor range from $1.4 Billion to $3.4 Billion depending
on lane configuration and available right of way (in 2007 dollars). Thirty year accumulated gross revenue streams are
estimated in the $1.4 Billion to $2.4 Billion range (in 2007 dollars), indicating the project is likely financially viable.
2030 Corridor Travel Speeds
General Purpose (GP) Lanes vs. Managed Lanes (ML)
60
Speed (MPH)
50
40
30
No ML
GP Speed
20
10
0
No ML
Project
Two Extra
GP Lanes
Alt A–1
Alt A–2
Alt A–3
Alt B
Alt C–1
Alt C–2
Alt C–3
Alt D
Investment Alternatives
General Purpose lane speed
Managed lane speed
◆◆ Constructing managed lanes
can provide reliable travel times
(at or above 45 mph) for people
who choose to use managed
lanes. The average speeds on the
existing general purpose lanes
along the corridor improve from
six to 13 mph by 2030. However,
congestion is NOT eliminated
in the existing lanes, due to the
attraction of additional vehicles
from parallel facilities.
Truck Only lane speed
2030 Corridor Daily Demand
Vehicles & Persons
350,000
Vehicles/Persons
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000
50,000
No ML
Project
Two Extra
GP Lanes
Vehicles
Alt A–1
Alt A–2
Alt A–3
Alt B
Alt C–1
Alt C–2
Investment Alternatives
Persons
Alt C–3
Alt D
◆◆ Managed lanes will increase
the volume throughput of both
persons and vehicles along the
I-75 South corridor. The total
daily vehicle volume is forecasted to increase by a range
of seven percent to 16 percent
in 2030; while the total daily
person volume is forecasted
to increase by a range of eight
percent to 20 percent in 2030.
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Study of Potential Managed Lanes on the I-75 South Corridor
Conclusions
The intent of this study is to determine the financial and operational feasibility of the managed lanes (HOT, ETL, TOT) on
the I-75 South corridor, through a planning-level analysis, and
to initiate a process that may ultimately lead to future project
implementation and operations.
Based on the combined assessment of traffic and toll revenue,
system analysis, toll technology, and capital costs, Alternative A-3 Express Toll Lanes (Cars Only) was selected as the
preferred alternative for the corridor - due to revenue potential
vs. estimated costs. It is considered to be the alternative that
provides the most efficient use of public funds.
Alternatives A-1 (HOT2+) and A-2 (HOT3+) were eliminated
based on the service provided, cost vs. benefits, and vehicle occupancy enforcement limitations.
Alternative B (TOT) does not maximize benefits during the
peak periods since passenger cars can not take advantage of
the lane and 94% of peak period congestion is cars.
Alternatives C-1 (HOT2+/TOT), C-2 (HOT3+/TOT), & C-3
(ETL/TOT) have a very large footprint due to the number of
lanes (4 additional lanes each direction) and therefore have a
very high cost for the amount of traffic that will benefit, impacting financial viability.
For more information, contact:
Patrick Vu
Senior Transportation Consultant
Phone: 404-893-6100
patrickvu@georgiatolls.com
Mary Sallach
Policy and Program Consultant
Phone: 404-893-6106
msallach@georgiatolls.com
101 Marietta Street, Suite 2500
Atlanta, GA 30303
Visit the study website at
www.srta-valuepricing.net
Visit the SRTA website at
www.georgiatolls.com
Alternative D (Mixed ETL) is another alternative to keep in
close consideration for further evaluation. Operationally, Alternative D (Mixed ETL) needs further analysis of larger vehicles mixing
with smaller vehicles when planning roadway characteristics of
the managed lane facility. Extra planning is required to guarantee
that cars and trucks can share the facility safely and efficiently.
Moving Forward
If a decision is made to proceed with the implementation of the
lanes, the following steps should occur:
◆◆ Financial Feasibility Study
◆◆ Engineering Design and Traffic Analysis
◆◆ Public Outreach Program and Marketing Program
◆ ◆ Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Coordination
and Approval
◆◆ Atlanta Metro and Local Transit and Transportation
System Connections
◆◆ Operations and Enforcements
◆◆ Monitoring Program
◆◆ NEPA Process.
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