Posted on 09/13/2021 9:00:08 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
State officials plan to allow a private company to set toll rates and keep the revenue from the proposed I-285 express lanes — a move that will affect hundreds of thousands of metro Atlanta commuters.
The firm would invest in the design, construction and maintenance of the new lanes, currently set for construction beginning in 2023, then recover its investment by collecting toll revenue for 50 years. Many details — including which company will operate the lanes, how much it will invest and any limits on its tolling authority — have not been determined.
Georgia transportation officials say private investment will allow the state to add more toll lanes than the state alone can afford to build along the top half of the Perimeter. It also could mean more entry points to the lanes than currently planned, allowing more people to easily use them.
“At the end of the day, we’ll be getting more project, more value for less public dollars,” Georgia Department of Transportation Chief Engineer Meg Pirkle told the State Transportation Board on Wednesday.
Giving a private company control of tolling also carries risks for all involved. Commuters could face higher tolls than the state would charge because a private firm must charge enough to turn a profit. And some companies that invested in U.S. toll roads in recent years have filed for bankruptcy because tolls didn’t produce as much revenue as projected.
“GDOT has articulated the positives, but not the risks,” said board member Kevin Abel, whose district includes part of the project. “I’d like to see a clear statement of risks.”
The plan comes as GDOT continues to build a 120-mile network of toll lanes in metro Atlanta.
(Excerpt) Read more at ajc.com ...
PING!
“Many details — including which company will operate the lanes, how much it will invest and any limits on its tolling authority — have not been determined.”
This is not the way to do thing, but typical of corrupt government.
As a long time GA resident I REALLY wonder how they plan to add a lane/widen 285. There are already numerous places where the existing lanes have essentially zero shoulders.
I almost never have to get on 285, so no worries for me.
Not sure where they are based.
And down here they are pretty damn corrupt.
Years ago, a state politician pushed a .30cent gas tax to fill the states infrastructure fund. To my knowledge there was no sunset clause. Folks raised hell, as you can imagine, since it was 30%. And Georgia has always had fairly cheap gas. So, instead of doing some type of ‘penny sales taxes’ to raise the money, he argued that it should only be car owners. I guess everyone else lives off grid, makes their own clothes and grows their own food. Point being, everyone relies on gas for something, even if they don’t own a vehicle.
Anywho, as things heated up, he stated that if his constituents didn’t like it, they could vote him out. Bill passed. POS Gov Deal signed it. Guy resigned his seat the next day. And now, we still pay 30cents more than we should.
Things are bad down here and getting worse. As long as the people of Georgia keep electing these greedy, country club, frat boy, GOPe Republicans, Georgia is well on it’s way to being another NC, Kentucky, Louisiana. Pretty strong Republican presence, but Democrat Governor. And don’t talk about Roy Barnes. Barnes isn’t the same Democrat we have today. Nor is Zell Miller.
And the current leadership, aside from what they allowed last November and January, are as corrupt and greedy as any. Especially the Lt Governor, who’s allowed to work in the shadows since Kemp and Raffensberger get all the attention. Duncan is selling this state out to anyone that will show up at his door.
Some things like roads, bridges, military, borders, etc are key functions of government unlike welfare and all this other crap they spend money on. It’s a matter of priorities.
“more toll lanes than the state alone can afford to build”
$27.3 billion state budget for FY 2022
$3.5 trillion infrastructure bill pending
A few years ago, local city sold their waters plant to a private company.
Said it would net the city some coin, improve service, cheaper, with better quality.
The opposite happened. Doubled the cost, harder water, and all repairs stopped.
So if you want the tollway to be even worse, wait till this happens.
Too bad they’re all cashless now.
Workers could have served warm toll house cookies. Chocolate or butterscotch chips.
In France the privately owned toll roads helped to ignite the Yellow Vests protests in 2018.
Republican Governor Brian Kemp “Trump Skeptic” must be getting $$$$ from someone in this deal.
I-285 is Atlanta’s beltway.
Atlanta’s suburbs sprawl far beyond I-285.
I wonder what Ike would say about the times free American citizens have to pay a toll to drive on parts of the Eisenhower Interstate System.
“Beltway bandit” may get an added meaning.
The state might consider building an outer beltway instead.
The suburbs of Atlanta sprawl and there are possible paths that an outer beltway could be put through.
Just because a private company can milk the public afterward does not mean a toll road is cheaper to build than a public highway.
Fairfax County in Virginia by planning set aside land for its Fairfax County Parkway.
With very few exceptions, I think they all “get a piece of it”. How do so many of them come out as multi-millionaires?
My error: it was Gov Tom Corbett who raised the gas taxes to current levels.
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