Georgia to put I-285 tolls in private hands

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | June 16, 2021 | David Wickert

[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.

[GingisK]

They have been working on I285 every day beginning in 1975.

[Georgia Girl 2]

Yes its outrageous.