Fresh Loaf

Sorry, Andisheh. A $110-million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will be used for high-occupancy toll lanes along a section of I-85 primarily in Gwinnett County.

I pass the mic to Ariel of the AJC:

The 14-mile project, from the Perimeter in DeKalb County to Old Peachtree Road in Gwinnett, is seen as a seed that would spread to all 44 miles of Atlanta’s HOV lanes.

The tolls will be electronic, with sensors pinging a transponder in each car on the toll lane, and no stopping for toll booths. The toll price would rise and fall with congestion on the main highway: a higher price when traffic congestion is high, lower when traffic is light. Officials said questions like how much the toll price would be required more study. A similar project in California costs drivers about $1 a mile at the most congested time of the week.

And as usual, the comments are the best part.

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Dale Russell of Fox5 Atlanta has an investigative report airing tonight at 6 and 10 p.m. that looks into DOT Commissioner Gena Evans (nee Abraham) and explicit e-mails she sent to former boyfriends when she worked at different state agencies. If they’re the same ones reported late last week by WSB’s Richard Belcher, then they’re sexual in nature.

Evans has denied she did anything wrong and has understandably questioned who’s behind the examination of her past. The commissioner’s widely considered a reformer at the uber-powerful and long-beleaguered state agency. It’s been rumored, however, that her appointment angered many proponents of the status quo. Whatever the case, word is that some high-level folks are keeping an eye on this item. UPDATE: Galloway says the DOT Board will discuss the e-mails in a closed-door session on Nov. 13.

Says Russell:

It began with a computer disk with hundreds of e-mails written by DOT Commissioner Gena Evans. Written, before she was at the DOT, while working at other state agencies. Written on state computers, often during office hours. Many are personal. Some, very personal, even sexually explicit. They took us on a trail to personal relationships that some say conflicted with her professional responsibilities.

Click here to check out Russell’s preview of the report. (I was going to say “tease,” but that just seems too easy in this case.) Click here to view what aired on WSB.

The look into the e-mails — which were unearthed by Open Records enthusiast George Anderson  — has generated an interesting discussion on Peach Pundit and Live Apartment Fire. (Dale at LAF examines the newsroom decisions that led to the airing of the e-mails; Erick at PP says he thinks reporters are being led on a witch hunt by enemies of Evans.)

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Not Mike Evans. But it kind of looks like him.

Gov. Sonny Perdue has appointed Mike Evans, the former State Transportation Board chief who resigned after he and Commissioner Gena Abraham revealed the two were in a relationship, to the Department of Community Affairs Board.

After resigning from the DOT board, Evans was rumored to run for the Public Service Commission’s Northern District or try to return to the General Assembly. (Evans served eight years in the state House of Representatives.) He and Abraham recently married and she took his last name.

The Department of Community Affairs serves as an advocate for local governments, operates a large number of state and federal grants, and helps communities with planning, housing and building. (They’re also to thank for all those nifty Georgia History markers you see around the state.) Evans will serve as an “at large” representative.

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The Masters of Pavement will be resurfacing southbound lanes of I-75/85 this weekend — one of the busiest holiday weekends of the year — and we’re doing our part to tell you to stay the hell away from the asphalt prison during the project. Don’t go near it. If you’re in Marietta and need to get down to Clayton County for some reason, take I-285.

Why? At 9 p.m. on Friday, the DOT will close all but two lanes on I-85 southbound near its merge with I-75. At that same merge, I-75 will be reduced to one lane. Few lanes for a lot of people. The road work will continue until Tuesday morning.

Avoid, avoid, avoid. Take public transit to the many planned festivities this weekend or I-285 if you do have to get behind the wheel.

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S. Heather Duncan at the Macon Telegraph has an excellent article today about the always-sexy, superhot XXX topic of “project prioritization” — in other words, what projects the state Department of Transportation decides to do and when they decide to do ‘em. An agency spokesperson says the days of “kissing the ring” — local officials would make their way to DOT’s dilapidated headquarters to beg for this or that — are over.

And if you want to know why that four-lane road that was supposed to lead you to Uncle Turbo’s Bait Shack is still unfinished, this article may give you some answers.

From the article:

When DOT Commissioner Gena Abraham took over the department nine months ago, she discovered more than 9,000 projects on the books and a $1 billion budget shortfall. Road projects that weren’t already under building contracts were put on ice until the state could reprioritize.

The department can only complete about 270 projects a year, said Mark McKinnon, a DOT spokesman.

Projects will be ranked. Those that aren’t high enough on the priority list to be completed within about six years will be eliminated, said DOT spokeswoman Crystal Paulk-Buchanan. The DOT will no longer keep projects on the books that can’t be finished for half a century, she said.

But as always, the comments give me chuckles:

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Just a hunch, but that’s what one person is whispering. U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Mary Peters is in town today to make an announcement. Ariel Hart of the AJC provides a solid write-up about the official’s visit and background and focuses, but she focuses more on Peters’ penchant for public-private partnerships.

We’re all about rumors here, so here’s another take from a source on why Peters visited our tiny hamlet:

We are told that Transportation Secretary Mary Peters today will unveil proposed “reforms” for consideration next year by Congress, when it takes up transportation legislation.

Among those “reforms,” we are told, includes elimination of a much-needed program to reduce congestion and clean up air pollution. (The Transportation Dept. boasts of it here: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/cmaqpgs/index.htm ) This program goes by the ugly acronym of CMAQ.

It was revised a few years ago by Congress, which ordered DOT to focus more spending on cleaning up dirty diesel engines – absolutely the most cost-effective use of such money. DOT, unfortunately, has basically tried to sandbag the program, and now wants to kill it altogether.

This would be a missed opportunity to clean up dirty diesel pollution and improve air quality across much of the nation.

We are told that DOT also may propose weakening or the Clean Air Act program aimed at making sure that transportation projects don’t worsen air quality. (Known in the jargon as conformity) and may seek to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act as well.

Under the Bush administration, DOT has often been viewed as an arm of the car industry. (You may recall that DOT lobbied Congress to try to block California’s attempt to enforce its greenhouse gas standards for motor vehicles.) Now it appears to be a leg of the asphalt lobby.

Again, it could be totally wrong. But don’t be too surprised if it’s right. Congress has the final say in the matter.

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Yes, it’s happening again this weekend on I-75/85 downtown between 10th Street and University Avenue. It sucks. If you can, take transit or seriously consider making the long loop around the city on I-285.

After the jump, details from DOT.

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As is the custom on Fridays here, we remind you that the DOT will resume its weekend resurfacing project on I-75/85 between 10th Street and University Avenue. This weekend the agency will close several northbound and southbound lanes, as well as exits in between. If it rains, we’re granted a reprieve, but that’ll be another weekend in the future this goes down. A full list of the exits and specific details about the project are available after the jump.

If you can, use transit to travel this weekend. Idling on the asphalt wasteland wastes gas, burns up money, and pumps disgusting bits of nasty into the air.

If you decide to brave the roads, please use caution.

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From the DOT:

The Georgia Department of Transportation has installed 11 new meters on I-85 entrance ramps between North Druid Hills Road (Exit 89) and Pleasant Hill Road (Exit 104). The meters will begin operating during afternoon rush hour on Monday, July 7. The entire corridor should be operational by Friday, July 11. Fifteen additional corridors with 140 ramp meters will be phased in within the next year.

Ramp meters are turned on before rush hour, and operate at different times of day depending on traffic patterns. Every 3-5 seconds, a cycle from red to green allows one vehicle at a time to merge onto the freeway. On two-lane ramps, the left and right lanes have alternating lights, so the left lane goes while the right is stopped, and vice versa.

“Although motorists will spend a little extra time on the ramp, they should see a decrease in overall travel time,” Georgia DOT Operations Director Steve Henry said. “We’ll monitor these new ramp meters very carefully. If traffic starts to back up on the ramp, sensors will speed up the meters to allow more vehicles to move through. If our cameras show traffic spilling out onto the surface streets, we can turn them off completely.”

…

The ramps that will be operational during the week of July 7 are:

North Druid Hills Road (northbound and southbound)
Chamblee-Tucker Road (northbound only)
Jimmy Carter Boulevard (northbound and southbound)
Indian Trail Road (northbound and southbound)
Beaver Ruin Road (northbound and southbound)
Steve Reynolds Boulevard (southbound only)
Pleasant Hill Road (southbound only)

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WITHDRAWAL METHOD: Third of three candidates for president of Georgia State withdraws his name from consideration, leaving no active candidates.

STORK LIFT: South Georgia’s endangered wood stork is making a comeback, having doubled the number of nests found last year, according to the DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division.

DOT: Settles sexual harassment charges against two former board members for nearly $150,000.

PACK LIGHT, PACK HEAT: State Rep. Tim Bearden thinks better of bringing a gun to pick up his family, but Georgia Carry continues his crusade, suing the city, Mayor Shirley Franklin and Hartsfield-Jackson GM Ben DeCosta for the right to bear arms at the airport. Also, giddy gun carriers congregated Tuesday at a Cobb County restaurant to mark the first day they could do so.

STUDY: Finds Georgia needs to raise college graduation rates.

T.I.: Andrew Young is working to mold the rapper into a different kind of King.

VOTER REGISTRATION: Continues to grow in Georgia. But don’t take my word for it — this AccessNorthGa news graphic answers all your questions.

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This weekend will be the perfect time for you to finally set up that easel in the middle of a busy interstate and start painting the skyline.

Starting Friday at 9 p.m. and lasting until Monday morning, the DOT will close northbound and southbound lanes on I-75/85 to resurface the road between University Avenue and 10th Street. That means both your traffic and the cars traveling in the other direction will sputter rather than speed.

Six southbound exit ramps and four northbound exit ramps will be closed. The I-20 access ramps may be limited to one lane.

Avoid this area. Heed my words. On I-85 southbound, gridlock caused by this resurfacing backs up all the way to North Druid Hills Road. And it’s stop and go at best when it’s not hurry-up-and-wait.

If you can, take public transit to get where you need to go, or consider using I-285. The trip may take just as long, but at least you’ll be moving, your car won’t be idling, and you won’t get frustrated by the people driving illegally down the shoulder.

And if you do decide to brave the interstate, use caution. There’s already been one DOT worker killed during the project.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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The former state legislator is currently involved in a sexual harassment investigation at the transportation agency.

InsiderAdvantage has more details.

Pinholster’s the second boardmember to resign in several months; the first was former Chairman Mike Evans who resigned to pursue a relationship with DOT Commissioner Gena Abraham. State lawmakers from the congressional district Pinholster represents will have to vote for a replacement.

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The AJC is reporting Gov. Sonny Perdue will make an announcement about transportation tomorrow that may hint at support for commuter rail.

If that’s the case, look toward the sky — porcine creatures, propelled by their methane and guided by those cute little tails, will be soaring gracefully alongside jet-fuel gobblin’ Delta planes.

From the AJC:

In vague outlines to the board, the governor expressed support for commuter rail and for considering funding options such as privately-built toll roads.

The governor said he supports measures to increase spending for transportation. Two measures — restoring a portion of the gas tax that now goes to the general fund and returning some bond debt service to general fund — could produce as much as $400 million a year, DOT officials said.

UPDATE: This baby’s got a name! IT3 — Investing In Tomorrow’s Transportation Today.

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The Department of Transportation says that several southbound and northbound lanes of I-75/85 will be closed near downtown this weekend. Here are the specifics:

Southbound:

• Four inside (left) lanes will be closed between 17^th Street and I-20

• Two inside (left) lanes will be closed between I-20 and University Avenue

Northbound:

• Three inside (left) lanes will be closed between University Avenue and I-20

• Four inside (left) lanes will be closed between I-20 and 17^th Street

These closures are necessary for crews to safely work in the fourth (center lane). During the weekend crews expect to lay more than 13,000 tons of asphalt brought by more than 350 dump trucks. There will be more than 200 workers within the work zone.

These closures are expected to cause significant delays. Georgia DOT advises motorists to utilize I-285 to avoid backups.

I’ve forgotten about these warnings every weekend and paid dearly for it. Learn from my mistakes and take public transit if you can.

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