The Georgia Road Geek - Blogsite

Driving The Sugarloaf Parkway Extension

2010-03-07T04:05:00Z

This afternoon, Mary and I made a trip to Gwinnett County to see my family, and since the route included driving all the way down Sugarloaf Parkway, I decided to do a little "roadgeeking" and drive the new 2-mile (3.2 km) extension for myself.

About a quarter-mile from Sugarloaf's intersection with GA 20 (Grayson Highway), notice the new GA 20 signs on the right. Instead of just one GA 20 marker with a "JCT" banner above it, it includes the west and eastbound directions. First time I've ever seen that here in Georgia.

In the next photo below, taken right at the intersection itself, notice the same exact signage. IMHO, whoever put up the sign did not need to include the "JCT" banner at this point. If it were me, I would've included a green directional sign pointing the way to Lawrenceville, Grayson, and Loganville.

After crossing the intersection, Sugarloaf Parkway instantly becomes a freeway, as shown in the picture below...

You may have noticed not only are pedestrians and bicycles prohibited, but large trucks are also prohibited as well. I wonder, though, if the truck restriction will be lifted once Sugarloaf Parkway is completed all the way to US 29/GA 316. If so, then it would give Winder and Athens-bound trucks an option to by-pass Lawrenceville altogether.

As shown in this next photo, the Sugarloaf Parkway, the speed limit is 45 MPH (70 km/h).

Given that the road is only 2 miles long at this point, I can understand the lower speed limit, but I do hope that the speed limit is eventually raised to at least 55 MPH when it is completed all the way to 316.

Next, here's a photo of the extension as you travel eastbound toward its current terminus at New Hope Road...

I wasn't able to get a good photo of the "EXIT 1 MILE" sign for New Hope Road, but here's the "EXIT 1/2 MILE" sign photo I got...

Frankly, I'd prefer a true freeway-style big green sign (BGS) like those seen on other limited-access roads in Georgia.

Just after we pass this sign, the left lane ends and traffic merges into one lane on approach to the New Hope exit...

At the exit itself, all we see is just a sign that says "EXIT" under the road name (as opposed to using an arrow)...

Again, since this is a freeway, why not have a standard freeway BGS instead of wimpy little signs? Oh, well.

Meanwhile, here's a closer view showing the ramp as it leads up to New Hope Road...

... and an even closer view as we approach the top of the ramp...

After crossing over the bridge and making a U-turn, here are trailblazer signs for Sugarloaf Parkway...

2 things... I wish that Gwinnett County DOT would've been a little more creative and designed a special Sugarloaf Parkway sign, and that the "EAST" banner and left-arrow marker was covered up.

In the background, there is a white sign stating that heavy trucks are not allowed on Sugarloaf Parkway.

Finally, we get back on Sugarloaf and head west toward GA 20, but before we continue, here's a final closeup photo of the New Hope Road bridge...

After the brief stop to snap this photo, here's a picture of the Sugarloaf Parkway extension heading back toward GA 20...

Overall, I like the fact that Gwinnett County's DOT built this highway up to at least near-Interstate standard, as opposed to how they built Ronald Reagan Parkway back in the early 1990s, and I am looking forward to the day the Sugarloaf extension is complete all the way back to 316. Eventually, the parkway will be built further northward across eastern Gwinnett County and allow traffic from Snellville, Grayson, and Loganville much faster access to both I-85 and I-985. If you get an opportunity to drive the new Sugarloaf Parkway extension, then please do so.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please come back often.

Karen Handel Hates The US 411 Connector

2010-03-04T23:30:00Z

According to an article in the Rome News-Tribune and a blog from Chuck Shiflett's "The Backroom Report", Georgia gubernatorial candidate (and former Secretary of State) Karen Handel is alleging that the long-awaited and long-delayed US 411 Connector is part of a plan to resurrect the controversial Northern Arc.

Mrs. Handel, who is running in the Republican primary, had released a statement against this much needed link between the current US 411/GA 20 4-lane and I-75, had allegedly been spurred on by the Northern Arc Task Force (NATF), who recently placed ads in Atlanta and North Georgia newspapers stating that this project is an attempt to resurrect the Arc. If ever built (which I seriously doubt would happen at least in my lifetime), it would run from I-75 in Bartow County to US 29/GA 316 in eastern Gwinnett County.

U.S. Representative Phil Gingrey, a Republican who represents the district where the Connector will be built and who helped secure Federal funding for the project, and Georgia DOT board member David Doss, are saying that the claim as made by Mrs. Handel and the NATF is "hogwash" (so to speak). Even otherwise Republican-leaning voters in Bartow and Floyd Counties are now saying that Mrs. Handel will not be getting their vote due to her perceived insensitivity toward their transportation needs.

While I do not intend to use this blog to endorse any political candidate, I will say that, IMHO, Mrs. Handel lacks serious guidance on this issue and does not seem to understand how long the people of Rome and Floyd County have been waiting for a decent highway connection to I-75 and Atlanta. Why would anyone running for any statewide office, especially Governor, want to act in such a "knee-jerk" way as to alienate any group of voters... especially those in parts of the state who otherwise would support a candidate of your own political party?

Mrs. Handel, if you happen to be reading this, then I respectfully urge you, ma'am, to issue an apology to the people of Bartow and Floyd Counties. Right now, they unjustly have to endure a "dogleg" route from the eastern end of the US 411/GA 20 4-lane to I-75 so that they may travel to and from Atlanta and points southward on I-75. If you don't believe them, then please take a drive along this route during weekday rush hours. To see pictures for yourself, I invite you to click here.

Finally, "kudos" to fellow Georgian Chuck Shiflett for calling out Mrs. Handel on this important matter and thank you, sir, for reading my blog from last August, "Let's Get The US 411 Connector Built".

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please come back again.

SOURCES:
- "Gingrey, Doss, Decry Attempt To Link 411 Connector To Controversial Northern Arc" - Rome News-Tribune, March 4, 2010.
- "Karen Handel May Have Just Overplayed Her Hand" - The Backroom Report, March 4, 2010

Dalton - It's More Than Just Carpets

2010-02-28T03:04:00Z

Today, I made a "daytrip" up to Dalton, Georgia, to attend the annual Dalton Hamfest and hang out with my "ham" buddies.

Being the roadgeek that I am, I took the camera with me to shoot some road photos. Admittedly, I only shot a few since I was up there more for ham radio stuff and hangin' out with friends, but I did get to shoot a photo of a big green sign along I-75 southbound approaching Exit 333 (GA 52/Walnut Avenue/Dalton).

For those of you who think only of carpets when traveling to Dalton, well, you may be missing a very special attraction... the Georgia High School Coaches Hall of Fame!!! Don't believe me? Well, folks, here's your sign (pardon the quality)...

Now you may be thinking to yourself, "Wow! A high school coaches hall of fame! Gee, perhaps my old high school football coach, "Moose" Bruiseovich, has been inducted? You know, my wife has been wanting to go to Dalton to get some new carpet for our house. Perhaps I can drop her off at one of the many carpet outlets there and then make my pilgrimage to the Georgia High School Coaches Hall of Fame (GHSCHOF)."

Suddenly, you find yourself saying to your wife, "Hey, babe, you know that new carpet you always wanted for the living room? Get ready, 'cause we're goin' up to Dalton!!! WOO-HOO!!!"

As you approach Exit 333 on I-75, your heart begins to race as you finally see the big green sign for the GHSCHOF. You pull off the exit and drop your wife off at the first carpet outlet... and soon afterward, you arrive at this illustrious shrine to those Georgians who have gained immortality in the field of high school coaching.

Will you find your beloved "Coach Moose" enshrined there? Maybe... but then, maybe not. Perhaps the good folks who run this illustrious shrine have somehow overlooked "Coach Moose".

Having been to this "mecca", you pick up your wife, load up the new carpet in the back of your truck, and head back home down I-75... with a renewed sense of purpose... to have the venerable "Coach Moose" inducted into the GHSCHOF. Meanwhile, your wife is happy that you thought so much of her to take her to Dalton to get that new carpet. It's a "win-win" for both of you!

Seriously, folks, a HIGH SCHOOL COACHES HALL OF FAME?!!! WTF?!!! Music Hall of Fame? OK. Golf Hall of Fame. Sure, why not. But HIGH SCHOOL COACHES?!!! No disrespect meant toward those who coach any high school sport, but hasn't someone gone a little bit overboard with Halls of Fame?!!! For that matter, why does Georgia (or any other state, for that matter) want to blow our tax dollars on Halls of Fame that could (and should) otherwise be funded privately? Just the cost of erecting a roadsign for these Halls of Fame is a fair chunk of change in and of itself. Any cost related to any Hall of Fame (including signage) should be funded privately IMHO.

Yes, Virginia, there is more to Dalton than carpets... and even their beloved Georgia High School Coaches Hall of Fame. IIRC, there was that little unpleasant thing that happened around 1864 we call "The War Between The States". You know, that thing where this guy from up north named Sherman and thousands of his closest blue-coated friends decided to go through Dalton on the way to Atlanta and kill some gray-coated guys in the process? Yeah, that thing. Were there any high school coaches that fought on either side of that war? I don't know. Perhaps so. After all, both sides (Union and Confederate) needed some good coaching, so they called up all the able-bodied high school coaches. Regretfully, it was a hardship on those poor high school sportsmen left behind on the "home front", but what would a good war be without some high school coaches gallantly leading their troops on the battlefield. IIRC, the Union scored more touchdowns than the Confederates did.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please come back again.

Radical Redesign For 2 I-85 Gwinnett Exits?

2010-02-20T01:51:00Z

According to this week's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the following I-85 interchanges in Gwinnett County could be radically redesigned...

- GA 140/Jimmy Carter Boulevard (Exit 99)
- Pleasant Hill Road (Exit 104)

The radical redesign would convert both interchanges into a new concept called the "diverging diamond", which "provides a freer flow of traffic by favoring left turns from the overpass onto the interstate." Here is a virtual model from Fisher Associates...

Last June, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) completed America's first "diverging diamond" at the I-44/MO 13 interchange in Springfield. MODOT officials say that they have received feedback from commuters saying that the new design has "totally reduced their time".

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has estimated that the new interchange "accommodates 600 left turns onto the freeway per hour per lane, twice that of those with the regular design".

Here's a MODOT video of this new interchange...

Admittedly, this is a new concept to me, but if I had the time, I'd like to make a special "roadtrip" to Springfield, Missouri, to drive this interchange myself.

Most important of all, will this new radical design bring any significant relief to those who drive through the two (2) I-85 interchanges in
question? I'm not quite sure, but given that the Metro Atlanta area is larger than Springfield, and our traffic tends to rank among the worst in the nation, I'll take a "wait-and-see" approach for now.

What do you think about such a radical new interchange? Please feel free to post your comments on my blog.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please come back often.

SOURCES:
- "New Design Could Ease Gwinnett Bottlenecks", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 14, 2010
- "The Diverging Diamond Interchange Fly Through", YouTube Video, Fisher Associates
- "What Does A Diverging Diamond Interchange Look Like?", YouTube Video, Missouri Department of Transportation

Transportation Sales Tax Bill Introduced

2010-02-20T01:19:00Z

After at least a couple of years of inaction by Georgia's elected officials, a bill has finally been introduced in the Georgia House of Representatives. Said bill is entitled the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 (HB 1218).

I had to wade through the first 11 pages of this 19-page bill to find the portion regarding the proposed referendum itself.

According to Section 48-8-244 (a) of HB 1218, "The first election shall be held on the date of the first presidential preference primary following the effective date of this article." In layman's terms, that means we won't get to vote on this matter until the 2012 Presidential Primary. I was expecting the bill to set the date to the first Tuesday in November, 2012 (Election Day), so it is a little earlier than I thought. However, I still think that is waaaaaayyyyy too late. Why not allow Georgia's voters to decide this coming November during the "mid-term" elections?

The actual question is proposed as follows (per Section 48-8-244 (b))...

"Shall a special 1 percent sales and use tax be imposed in the special district consisting of _____Counties for a period of eight years and for the raising of not more than an estimated amount of $_____ for the purpose of transportation?"

I will give the Georgia House points on making the question as simple as possible.

While I am satisfied that a bill has been introduced this year, I do wish that the Georgia General Assembly will make a slight modification to the bill to allow us, Georgia's voters, to decide sooner, not later. As I have said time and time again over last couple of years.... let us (Georgia's voters) decide, and let us do so as soon as possible!!!

In the meantime, please feel free to track HB 1218's progress yourself via this web link. If you have any thoughts (pro or con) regarding this bill, then please feel free to post a comment (please, no name-calling or personal attacks on any individuals) on my blog.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please come back often.

My First Roadgeek Music Video

2010-02-14T03:15:00Z

On the One True Media website, I created a music video with one of my favorite "roadgeek tunes" and a hodgepodge of my "roadgeek pics" from various places around America, and here it is...

That's it for now. Thanks in advance for watching, hope y'all enjoy it, and please come back again

Georgia's Top 3 Sing "Kum-By-Ya"?!!!

2010-02-13T16:38:00Z

Did Georgia's "Top 3" leaders (Governor Sonny Perdue, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle, and newly-elected Speaker of the House David Ralston) break out their guitars and start singing "Kum-By-Ya" under the "Gold Dome"?!!!

From what I've read in this week's Atlanta Journal-Constitution, they might as well have, given that they have shown "a deliberate, unusual display of unity" regarding statewide transportation funding.

Perdue, Cagle, and Ralston have agreed to back legislation that would allow Georgians, by region, to approve (or disapprove) a 1-cent sales tax dedicated to transportation improvements within their respective regions. Projects to be funded by said tax would be provided on the ballot. At this time, however, neither the Georgia Senate, nor the Georgia House of Representatives, has introduced a specific bill. Furthermore, their proposal would not allow Georgians to vote on said projects until November, 2012.

While I applaud our "Top 3" for uniting behind some kind of proposal for us, Georgia's voters, to decide, the fact that we would have to wait for an additional 2 years seems somewhat ludicrous. There has to be plenty of road improvement and new road projects that the state can put before us voters as soon as the upcoming "mid-term" elections in November of this year. As I have blogged about time and time again, we, Georgia's voters, have been shortchanged way too long on this issue and I urge all our State Senators and Representatives, as well as our "Top 3", to "do the right thing" and let us, Georgia's voters, have our say. Again, I'm not saying that I'd vote for, or against, any proposal put before us... I, as a voter, just want a proposal put before us on Election Day 2010 (not 2012)!!!

That's it for now. Given our unusual amount of snow over at least half of Georgia, I hope y'all are staying warm, safe, and enjoying our "winter wonderland". Thanks for reading and please come back often.

SOURCE:
- "Governor, Legislative Leaders Unite Behind Transportation Plan" - Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 11, 2010

Metro Atlanta's Newest Freeway Opens

2010-02-07T02:00:00Z

On Tuesday, February 2nd, the Gwinnett County Department of Transportation (GCDOT) opened the first of 4 sections of the Sugarloaf Parkway extension, Phase 1. Section 1 extends the parkway 2 miles (3.2 km) from GA 20 between Lawrenceville and Grayson to New Hope Road.

The extension is a fully limited-access highway with a 44-foot (13.4 m) median and 16-foot (4.9 m) shoulders and has a maximum speed limit of 55 MPH (90 km/h) for most of its length. For a GCDOT map of Section 1, please click here.

Within the next 3 years, three more sections will be built as follows...

Section 2: New Hope Road to Martins Chapel Road/Bramlett Shoals Road (currently under construction and should be open in mid-2011). Please click here for a map.

Section 3A: Martins Chapel Road/Bramlett Shoals Road to Campbell Road (expected to open in mid-2012). Please click here for a map.

Section 3B: Campbell Road to US 29/GA 316 (expected to open late 2012) just south of Dacula. The interchange with 316 is to be a half-cloverleaf instead of at-grade. (No detailed map available from GCDOT at this time.)

Long-range plans (which seem to be Phase 2) are to extend Sugarloaf Parkway from 316 northward and westward, eventually ending at Peachtree Industrial Boulevard near Buford. As reported in my blog "Could Gwinnett Become Like Orlando?", this final phase of the parkway (a.k.a. Gwinnett Connector) may be built as a toll road. Here is my own map showing where I think it may be routed...

First chance I get, I'm going to drive the newly-opened section of the parkway to try it out for myself, and perhaps get some video footage for a future "ROADGEEK-CAM!!!" episode.

Recently, a blog reader whose property borders the newly-opened parkway section posted a comment regarding a lack of fencing and asked how they could address this issue. If it were me, I'd start with contacting my local elected officials. That being said, it is not my policy to get personally involved with any individual or group disputes related to this or any other road project. I will (and do) offer my opinions as both a roadgeek and a private citizen, but that is as far as I wish to go. To the reader who posted the comment in question, I wish them the best in their endeavor.

Finally, here's a YouTube video I recently found featuring a butt-kickin' "road song" from the early 1990's...

That's it for now. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed the video, and please come back often.

SOURCES:
- Sugarloaf Parkway Extension website, Gwinnett County Department of Transportation
- "Gwinnett Opens New Section of Sugarloaf Parkway", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 2, 2010

When Did GA 400 Change Directions?

2010-01-29T21:58:00Z

This morning, after my visit with Randy and Spiff, I decided to do a little "roadgeeking" and found some more new tabbed exit signs... and a couple of "sign goofs" and omissions.

From I-285, I headed down GA 400 and made my way to I-85 southbound and then back to GA 400 and GRG HQ. Along the way, I took a few photos.

First, the corner of Buford Highway (GA 13) and North Druid Hills Road (GA 42/Old US 23)...

Notice the I-85 and GA 42 signs on the right pole. The section of North Druid Hills Road from Buford Highway to Briarcliff Road in DeKalb County is GA 42, but it sure isn't I-85. This needs a "TO" banner above the I-85 sign and a "SOUTH" banner above the GA 42 sign. BTW, this is GA 42's northernmost end. It's southernmost end is at GA 49 in Byron (near I-75 Exit 149 in northern Peach County).

Right after I entered I-85 southbound from GA 42, I saw this new Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD)-standard HOV exit sign for Lindbergh Drive...

Notice the standard freeway font and how it says "1 MILE" instead of GDOT-typical wording of "EXIT 1 MILE".

Here are the overhead signs for GA 13 North (Exit 86) and Cheshire Bridge Road/Lenox Road (Exit 88). Note what direction GA 400 goes...

Next, we see the new gantry of MUTCD-standard signs for the HOV exit and Exits 86 and 88...

And now, a closeup of the rightmost 2 signs...

Did I see what I thought I saw... and since when did GA 400 change it's direction from NORTH to EAST?!!!

In addition to the erroneous direction for GA 400, shouldn't there also be an indication to drivers that it is a toll road? At least the prior sign with a GA 400 marker had the word "TOLL" above the number "400" within the Georgia shield.

Well, folks, that's enough blogging for one day and my wife would like the computer now. Thanks for reading and please come back again.

Hey, Y'all! I'm On The Radio!

2010-01-29T20:51:00Z

Over the past couple of weeks, I have been on two (2) different radio programs.

On Monday, January 18th, I was a call-in guest on "Marty On Mondays", a talkshow hosted by fellow roadgeek and Toastmaster Marty Seehusen on WWPR-AM 1490 in Sarasota, Florida. Please click here to listen.

This morning, from 7:30 - 9 AM, I was honored to sit in (and even be briefly on the air) with legendary Atlanta radio personalities Randy Cook and Spiff Carner (a.k.a. "Randy and Spiff") on True Oldies 106.7 (WYAY-FM).

My radio gig with Marty was due to our common interests in roads and Toastmasters, while my "Randy and Spiff" gig was due to my name being drawn for the "Breakfast With Randy and Spiff". I was the very first winner of this contest, and future winners will be featured on the next "Breakfast", which will be every last Friday of the month.

In the True Oldies studio, I was mostly an audience member, but they were all just wonderful folks to be around, showed me some of the cool stuff they use to run their show. They did let me have some airtime by letting me do a brief "shout-out" to my family and friends, read a lyric for a song naming contest, and just before their show ended, I got to say "goodbye" over the air.

Here's a photo of me with Randy and Spiff...

Left to Right: Randy Cook, Steve, Spiff Carner

As an added bonus, I even got to visit with their traffic reporter Greg Talmadge, who does reports for both True Oldies and their "sister station" Kicks Country 101.5 (WKHX-FM). You would've thought that, as a "roadgeek", they'd let me do one traffic report segment, but seriously, folks, they have only so much time and it's best that such a thing is left to the pros such as Greg.

Here's Greg and me in his studio...

To show my appreciation to Randy, Spiff, and Greg for allowing me a brief visit in their world of commercial broadcasting, and for the great Chick-Fil-A breakfast the station provided, I gave each of them an Official "Georgia Road Geek" magnet. and made each of them "honorary roadgeeks".

Here's the entire set of photos from my "Breakfast" visit...

If you'd like to have "Breakfast With Randy and Spiff", then do like I did and enter online at the True Oldies Atlanta website.

That's it for now. Thanks to Marty, Randy, Spiff, and Greg for all the radio time on their respective shows and to you for reading. Please come back again.

Georgia "Dirty Jobs" Trail

2010-01-23T23:22:00Z

Besides roads and "roadgeeking", I'm a fan of other different things... including The Discovery Channel show "Dirty Jobs".

Created and hosted by Mike Rowe, "Dirty Jobs" travels the country featuring the "behind-the-scenes" jobs that (to paraphrase Mr. Rowe's show opening) "make civilized life possible".

At least four (4) Georgia locations have been featured on "Dirty Jobs", and after doing a quick-and-dirty roadgeek analysis of the locations, I found that three (3) of them are located on (or in the vicinity of) a 140-mile (224 km) stretch of US 129 from Gray in Jones County to Cleveland in White County. The fourth venue is located in Augusta.

With that in mind, I had an epiphany (of sorts)... the Georgia "Dirty Jobs" Trail!!!

For your own PDF copy of the above map, please click here.

Using the crudely-drawn map as a reference, you could start your Georgia "Dirty Jobs" journey from Macon on US 129.

Our first stop, just 14 miles (22 km) from Downtown Macon, is Gray, home of Old Clinton Bar-B-Q, where Mike spent some time cleaning out the barbecue pit on the episode titled "Big Animal Vet".

After visiting Gray, continue up US 129 (which joins US 441 in Eatonton) to I-20 near Madison. From that point, you have 2 choices...

- Take I-20 east to Augusta, home of Ghann's Cricket Farm, where Mike spent some time learning how they raise crickets (plus what they do with "cricket poo") and mealworms in the recent episodes "Cricket Farmer" and "Chicken Buster", respectively.

- Continue north on US 129 to Cleveland, located 24 miles (40 km) north of Gainesville.

In the Cleveland/White County area, the following locations were featured on "Dirty Jobs"...

- Meaders Pottery (episode "Leather Tanner", also part of the Northeast Georgia Folk Pottery Trail)
- Wildlife Wonders (episode "Exotic Animal Keeper")

PLEASE NOTE: This is only my idea for a "trail" for fellow Dirty Jobs fans. Only Old Clinton Bar-B-Q is definitely open to the public. I am not really sure that the other aforementioned locations are necessarily open to the public, thus you are strongly advised to contact them before visiting. Furthermore, I have not been in touch with any of the organizations, so they may not necessarily endorse my "trail" idea.

That's it for now. It's time for dinner and I'm hungry. Thanks for reading and please come back again.

Mo' Money For Georgia's Roads?

2010-01-17T02:20:00Z

Well, folks, the "good ol' boys" are back in Atlanta under the "Gold Dome" for the 2010 Georgia General Assembly session... and there's going to be one more attempt to raise "mo' money" for improving Georgia's transportation infrastructure.

According to an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Governor Sonny Perdue has proposed the following...

- Purchasing $300,000,000 in bonds to fund transportation funds statewide. Said bonds would be repaid "by state general funds, not to be taken out of the transportation gas-tax budget".

- A regional 1-cent transportation sales tax. The state would be divided into 12 regions (including an "Atlanta region" consisting of Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Rockdale, Henry, Fayette, Clayton, Douglas, and Cobb Counties). Each region's voters would be given a list of projects to be funded by said tax and can approve (or disapprove) via a referendum.

I will be checking the Georgia General Assembly website for the House and/or Senate bills and am interested in seeing more.

My hope is that this will truly be the year that we, the voters, will get the opportunity to have a say in funding much-needed transportation improvements and maintenance. So far, our elected officials seem to be "talking the talk" in terms of how our transportation infrastructure is important to our well-being as Georgians, and I do agree that we should make the necessary investments. Hopefully, it wont' be like the old Atlanta Falcons end-of-season cliche "Wait 'til next year", for as the bridge collapse catastrophe in Minneapolis shows us, "next year" may be too late.

Way down in Columbus, Georgia, their city leaders want to raise the speed limit on I-185 from Smith Road (Exit 14) at the Muscogee/Harris County line to its southern end at Victory Drive (Exits 1A/B at Fort Benning) from 55 MPH to 65 MPH.

Having driven I-185 in its entirety and based on my observations as of a year-and-a-half ago, I tend to agree with Columbus Poilce Chief Ricky Boren that it would be safer to raise the limit only as far south as the Airport Thruway/Columbus Airport (Exit 8). With the construction that was occurring on the very southernmost end near Victory Drive, it is better from a safety standpoint that the limit remain at 55. Once the construction has been completed and the new "flyover" bridge from Victory Drive eastbound to I-185 northbound opens, then I would probably consider raising it to 60 or 65.

And finally, here's the latest headbangin' "road video" from Georgia's own "FreewayJim"...

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please come back again.

SOURCES:
"Governor Backs Regional Transportation Tax", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 14, 2010.
"Columbus Council Wants Speed Limit On I-185 Raised To 65 MPH", Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, January 13, 2010.

New Atlanta Mayor Opposes Tunnel

2010-01-09T21:04:00Z

The GDOT-proposed East Atlanta tunnel project now has at least one powerful major opponent... Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed.

Even the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) is apparently not too thrilled about it, either. Although the ARC has not gone on record as either supporting or opposing the tunnel, very preliminary data gathered by the ARC is showing that "a funding gap, a possible $8.00 toll , and not enough lanes, added up to a project that doesn't make any sense" (1).

Right now, the Georgia DOT (GDOT) does not seem to be swayed by Mayor Reed's comments. However, GDOT Commissioner Vance Smith admits that the proposed tunnel "has not yet been formally approved or found feasible" (2). Commissioner Smith consideres it merely a "concept" to be "put on the table" (2).

The tunnel in question, if ever built, would run from the I-85/GA 400 interchange southward to the I-285/I-675 interchange. North of I-20, it would be an actual tunnel, and the southern end would be a surface road. Conceptually, it would provide north Atlanta drivers an alternative to the Downtown Connector (I-75/85) and the eastern side of the Perimeter (I-285) for traveling to Macon and points southward.

Even GDOT admits that with the $8.00 toll, there would "likely be a significant funding gap" (2). Also, since this is a project that would be of the scale of Boston's "big dig" (where part of I-93 was converted from an overhead expressway to a tunnel under Downtown Boston), how much would Atlanta's own "big dig" really cost us, as taxpayers, both long- and short-term? I'm not really that sure that too many people would really want to pay the enormous toll just to go through the city. If it were something like the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel that provides southeastern Virginia with a vital direct link to Virginia's eastern peninsula, Maryland, and Delaware, then that would be different IMHO.

Right now, I tend to think that Mayor Reed and the ARC seem to be on the right side of this issue and applaud Mayor Reed in particular for his "steadfast and absolute" (1)(2) opposition to this seemingly "pie-in-the sky" project.

Do you have any feelings, pro or con, regarding the proposed East Atlanta tunnel? if so, then please feel free to post a comment on this blog.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please come back often.

Sources:
(1) "Reed Against Atlanta Tunnel", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Janaury 5, 2010
(2) "DOT: Atlanta Opposition To Tunnel Does Not Kill Idea", Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 6, 2010

Georgia's Special New Year's Present To Drivers

2010-01-01T21:26:00Z

For New Years Day, 2010, here's a very special present from the State of Georgia to those who drive on Georgia's roads and highways...

Yes, that's right, y'all... it's the new "SUPER SPEEDER" LAW!!! (Georgia Code 40-6-189)

Not content with your average run-of-the-mill speeder, Georgia has decided that it will recognize those speeders who go waaayyyy above and beyond the posted speed limits on our roads and highways.

For "super speeders" on 2-lane highways who travel at or above 75 MPH (120 km/h), or those on 4-lane highways who travel at or above 85 MPH (approximately 140 km/h), they will have the privilege of forking over an additional $200.00 to the State of Georgia (in addition to the fines otherwise imposed by local authorities where said offense occurs).

The additional $200.00 per "super speeder" violation is to be used to fund a statewide trauma care system.

Here's the full text of the new "super speeder" law from the Georgia Code (Source: LexisNexis Georgia Code website)...

§ 40-6-189. (Effective January 1, 2010)Classification as super speeder; fees; funding for trauma care system.

(a) As used in this Code section, the term"department" means the Department of Driver Services.

(b) In addition to any other fines or penalties imposed by any local jurisdiction or the department, the department shall administer and collect a fee of $200.00 from any driver who is convicted of driving at a speed of 85miles per hour or more on any road or highway or 75 miles per hour or more on any two-lane road or highway, as defined in Code Section 40-6-187. Such a driver, upon conviction, shall be classified as a "super speeder."

(c) The department shall notify offenders of the imposition of a fee under this Code section within 30 days after receipt of a qualifying ticket and notice of conviction. Failure to pay the fee imposed by this Code section within 90 days after receipt of the notice shall result in the suspension of the driver's license or driving privileges of the offender, and, in addition to the existing fees and penalties, a fee of $50.00 shall be assessed, payable upon the application for reinstatement of the driver's license or driving privileges. Notice shall be provided by the department to the offender by first-class mail to the address shown on the records of the department. Such mailed notice shall be adequate notification of the fee imposed by this Code section and of the offender's ability to avoid a driver's license suspension by paying the fee prior to the effective date of the suspension. No other notice shall be required to make the driver's license suspension effective.

(d) The department shall be authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Code section.

(e) All fees collected under the provisions of this Code section shall be deposited in the general fund of this state with the intent that these moneys be used to fund a trauma care system in Georgia and the direct and indirect costs associated with the administration of this Code section. The Office of Treasury and Fiscal Services shall separately account for all of the moneys received under the provisions of this Code section.

HISTORY: Code 1981, § 40-6-189,enacted by Ga. L. 2009, p. 679, § 11/HB 160.

If you look at section (e) of the above law, it says, in part, "with the intent that these moneys be used to fund a trauma care system in Georgia". While there may be an "intent", it does not (in my "legal layman's" opinion) mean that "these moneys" necessarily will be used for their intended purposes (trauma center funding). I would've written the first sentence to read as follows...

"All fees collected under the provisions of this Code section shall be deposited in the general fund of this state and that these moneys shall be used to fund a trauma care system in Georgia and the direct and indirect costs associated with the administration of this Code section."

IMHO, the wording of section (e) "as is" gives our elected officials just enough "wiggle room" to use the "super speeder" funds for anything that they wish to use it for, such as a museum that no one would visit... or perhaps something even more ludicrous like a "super speeder"-funded fruitcake statue for Downtown Claxton (PLEASE NOTE: The fruitcake statue is just a made-up example and is not meant to disrespect the City of Claxton and/or its residents).

Now that we've seen what the State of Georgia has given us for New Year's Day, I'm convinced that it just seems to be another source of funding so that the state could get a "piece of the action" from some speeding tickets. While I believe that it is noble to crack down on those who grossly speed, thus putting both others and themselves in danger, I, as a Georgia taxpayer, am not quite satisfied with the current wording in terms of how the extra $200.00 per "super speeder" may be used. Perhaps our elected officials can take a little time in the upcoming 2010 Georgia General Assembly session to close this loophole and assure all of us that the funds will unequivocally be used to fund a quality statewide trauma care network.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please come back again.

2009: The Year In Review

2010-01-01T02:13:00Z

The year 2009 was a great year for "roadgeeking".

In January, Mary and I took a trip to Nashville. While Mary was in class, I drove all over the Nashville area to do some "roadgeeking" and visited several celebrity gravesites (including, but not limited to, Chet Atlkins, Jerry Reed, and Keith Whitley).

# OF NEW COUNTIES "CLINCHED": 13 in Tennessee and 1 in Kentucky.
INTERSTATES "CLINCHED": I-440.
ADDITIONAL INTERSTATE SECTIONS DRIVEN: I-24, I-40, and I-65 in Tennessee, plus the first 2 miles of I-65 in south central Kentucky.
"ROADGEEK-CAM!!!" Videos.

In May, during the week of Memorial Day, Mary and I drove down to central Florida, then headed north to hit Waycross, Savannah, and Charleston before heading back home via Columbia and Augusta.

# OF NEW COUNTIES "CLINCHED": 1 in Florida, 6 in Georgia, and 11 in South Carolina.
INTERSTATES "CLINCHED": I-4, all of I-20 and I-95 in Georgia, I-516, and I-526.
ADDITIONAL INTERSTATE SECTIONS DRIVEN: I-20, I-26, and I-95 in South Carolina.
"ROADGEEK-CAM!!!" Videos.

In June, we headed up to Greensboro, North Carolina to the last Southeast Regional Toastmasters conference. I dubbed it the "TRC (Toastmasters, Roads, and Counties) Roadtrip".

# OF NEW COUNTIES "CLINCHED": 3 in North Carolina and 1 in Georgia on the way back.
ADDITIONAL INTERSTATE SECTIONS DRIVEN: I-77, I-40, and the northwestern section of I-485 in North Carolina.
"ROADGEEK-CAM!!!" Videos.

In August, I took a weekend roadtrip to Huntsville, Alabama, for the Huntsville Hamfest (and "roadgeeking", of course). I dubbed this particular trip "Rockets, Radios, and ROADS!!!".

# OF NEW COUNTIES "CLINCHED": 1 in Georgia, 9 in Alabama, and 2 in Tennessee.
INTERSTATES "CLINCHED": I-565 and I-759.
ADDITIONAL INTERSTATE SECTIONS DRIVEN: I-59 and I-65 in Alabama, plus the southernmost part of I-65 in Tennessee.
"ROADGEEK-CAM!!!" Videos.

In October, the final roadtrip of the year before Christmas was through Middle and Eastern Georgia plus a slice of South Carolina. No new Interstates were "clinched" or driven, but I did "clinch" 5 more Georgia Counties and 2 more South Carolina counties before coming back to GRG HQ via Athens (with a stop at The Varsity for dinner). Once I crossed into Elbert County, Georgia, from Abbeville County, South Carolina, I had "clinched" all Georgia counties located on or north of I-20. (Sorry, no "ROADGEEK-CAM!!!" from this particular trip.)

Finally, it was back to central Florida for a Christmas visit with Mary's family.

During 2009, I have "clinched" a total of 55 more counties in seven (7) states and added a lot more Interstate mileage under my belt. Next year, I look forward to more roadtrips and "clinch" even more Interstates and counties... and visit more interesting places in the process. Hopefully, sometime next year, I can sneak in a trip to Augusta to "clinch" I-520 (including the new South Carolina portion), thus giving me a "100% clinch" of all Georgia Interstates.

And finally, I have a dream. That dream is to someday create and produce a "reality" series called "Roadgeeks", which would feature the world's various and sundry highways and byways from the travels and unique perspective of self-proclaimed roadgeeks such as myself. Perhaps A&E, Discovery, History, TLC, or The Travel Channel may be interested in such a series. Would you watch such a series? Please feel free to share your thoughts.

That's it for now. Thank you all for reading my blogs, listening to "GRG On BTR", watching "ROADGEEK-CAM!!!", and may you and yours have a very safe and Happy New Year. See y'all down the road in 2010!

New I-75 Photos From Macon

2009-12-27T04:29:00Z

On our way back to GRG HQ today, I snapped several photos along I-75 northbound at the I-475 (Exit 156) and Hartley Bridge Road (Exit 155) interchanges.

Here's the Flickr! set...

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please come back again.

New MUTCD-Standard Tabbed Exit Signs In Atlanta

2009-12-27T03:40:00Z

This afternoon, as Mary and I were making our way back to GRG HQ, I snapped some pics of Georgia's brand new MUTCD-standard tabbed exit signs along northbound I-75 and I-75/85 through Atlanta.

Here's the Flickr! set...

MUTCD is the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, a Federal Highway Administration publication that provides the various state highway agencies standards for highway signage and other traffic control devices. For a full copy, please click here.

Next up, I'll post the set of northbound photos of the I-75/I-475/Hartley Bridge Road interchange reconstruction near Macon.

Thanks for reading and please come back again.

Christmas Greetings From Sunny Florida!

2009-12-24T20:11:00Z

Right now, Mary and I are here in sunny Lakeland, Florida, where the temperature is in the 70s. Sure beats Atlanta right now.

I am writing this blog from the Lakeland Books-A-Million, which now has free Wi-Fi access for its "Millionaire's Club" cardholders. We were going to stop by the nearby Starbucks, but here, we've got books, coffee, and FREE WI-FI!!! YEE-HAW!!!

On the way down through Atlanta on I-75, I spotted something that has never been seen on Metro Atlanta freeways before... actual MUTCD-compliant big green signs with separate exit number tabs (as opposed to the exit numbers being within the BGS itself (the standard in Georgia for years). The only other place in Georgia where one could find exit number tabs (IIRC) is on the Liberty Expressway/Georgia-Florida Parkway (US 19/GA 3/300) in Albany. Oh, and did I mention that the new BGSes have standard traditional freeway font (as opposed to the narrower fonts Georgia has been using over the last 20 years)? As soon as we get back, I will get photos,

One more thing before I go... Florida now has official highway maps in large print and Mary and I picked up a couple while at the I-75 welcome center.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and Mary and I wish y'all a very Merry Christmas.

I-520 Is Finally Complete!

2009-12-19T15:09:00Z

After all these years, Interstate 520 (Bobby Jones Expressway/Palmetto Parkway) is finally complete in both Georgia and South Carolina.

On Wednesday, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of South Carolina's portion of I-520, but traffic was not able to use it until Thursday night/Friday morning.

Here's a news clip from Augusta's WJBF-TV (News Channel 6)...

Now that I-520 is finally complete, it holds the distinction of being America's only odd-numbered 3-digit Interstate Highway that begins and ends at it's "parent" Interstate. The western end of I-520 is at I-20 (GA Exit 196) in Augusta and it's eastern end is at I-20 near US 25/SC 121 (SC Exit 5) in North Augusta, SC.

As a roadgeek, I've been anticipating this for a long, long time and have been wanting to "clinch" I-520 in both Georgia and South Carolina. In fact, Georgia's portion of I-520 is the only Georgia Interstate I have yet to fully drive, and I've been sort of "jonesin'" for a special day trip to make this a reality for me.

Have you driven the new Palmetto Parkway yet? If so, then please feel free to share your thoughts via this blog.

Next week, it's off to Florida for our annual Christmas gathering with Mary's family.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please come back again.

GDOT's Got "Toll Fever"

2009-12-12T15:44:00Z

According to articles in this week's Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), the Georgia DOT (GDOT) board decided to lift the their 4-year-old ban on tolling existing lanes, plus has pushed it's own "big dig" proposal to the top of the "public-private partnership" (P3) list.

In 2005, the ban was enacted in response to the hostile public reaction over a proposal to upgrade GA 316 (a.k.a. University Parkway) to a fully limited-access highway and make the upgraded section from Lawrenceville to Athens a toll road.

GDOT claims that such tolling would be "an issue of last resort", but they also said that "there's not enough money in the world", which leads me to believe that they are potentially giving themselves "carte blanche" to slap tolls wherever they wish.

Given that the existing lanes have already been built with taxpayer money, I, as a taxpayer, do not believe it is prudent for us to allow any governmental entity to take what is already ours (the public non-tolled roads, or portions thereof) and force us to pay every single time we wish to use them. That, IMHO, is like asking me to keep paying a fee to use my own computer even though it is already fully bought-and-paid-for. Why should public roadways be treated any different?

Please click here to read the full AJC article "State Lifts Ban On Tolling Regular Lanes".

Boston had it's famous "big dig" and East Atlanta could have a similar project that would provide a direct link between GA 400's southern end at I-85 to I-675's northern end at I-285.

For this particular P3 proposal, there would be a long tunnel that would extend from GA 400 to I-20, and then become a surface road from I-20 to I-675. Private contractors would not only build the road, but they would also toll the entire length of it.

Nearly 40 years ago, similar highways were proposed for the same corridor (Stone Mountain Tollway/I-485 and a GA 400 extension that would follow the route of the newly-proposed East Atlanta tollway). Neighborhood groups were eventually able to crush both proposals, and they are vowing to do the same to this new incarnation.

If this new incarnation of an East Atlanta expressway were to be built, then who's to say that it would really help our traffic woes here in Metro Atlanta. In fact, many drivers who may not afford the tolls or otherwise don't want to pay for driving on such a road would still use the existing expressways (I-75/85 and I-285) to get from the northside to the southside. To make existing non-tolled lanes tolled would IMHO add a lot of insult to injury. Furthermore, I would assume that heavy truck traffic would be restricted from using the new tollway, so it would not really save trucking companies any real time in transporting goods. Before letting our government go "hog wild" on any of these proposals, we all need to start wondering "What's In It For Me?", and right now, I'm having a hard time seeing how GDOT's "Toll Fever" will really help us in the long run.

Please click here to read the AJC article "Toll Tunnel Under East Atlanta A Top DOT Proposal".

Down in Savannah, the Chatham County Commission got what they called "an early Christmas present" from GDOT... US$128,000,000 to extend the Harry S. Truman Parkway from its current southern end at Whitfield Avenue (GA 204 Spur) to Abercorn Street (GA 204). According to the Savannah Morning News, construction should start in summer 2010 and take about 3 years to complete.

Here's a map showing my approximation of the extension's route..

Please click here to read the Savannah Morning News article "Truman Parkway Gets $128 Million Green Light".

From fellow Atlanta-area roadgeek Bryant Anderson, the blogmaster of Southern Roadgeek, here's a video of his travels along Gwinnett County's Sugarloaf Parkway...

One more thing before I go... a "shoutout" to Todd Devereaux, the co-webmaster of "The Death 2ur", for accepting my photo of legendary country music DJ and former TV host Ralph Emery's future gravesite at Nashville's Harpeth Hills cemetery (which BTW is not far from the northern end of the Natchez Trace Parkway). Thanks, Todd, for accepting my photo and kudos to you and The Death 2ur team on your website.

That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please visit often.