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Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction


monsoon

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I-85 has significant through traffic as a major artery connecting the cities of the Southern Megalopolis.  I-77, with some exceptions, is primarily commuting traffic abusing the INTERstate highway system for commutes within a single metro.   It is a basic failure of city design and creates a lot of problems.    Weening off it is hard for our society, but it must be done.   HOT lanes are an effective way of improving that, or at least charging people who flee to the exurbs for the high costs they add to infrastructure by their massive VMT numbers.

 

I only resent that the toll strategy isn't evenly applied. I-85 has twice as many free lanes as I-77. If it's truly a good way to manage capacity, why still build or maintain so much free capacity on other freeways in our region and state?

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As a resident that lives off of exit 28, I wonder about the following?  What is the advantage of the toll lane? Your speed is contingent on the speed of the car in front of you and if they are texting (as they often are) or not paying attention to their driving, you will be just as frustrated and delayed. Secondly, Why not just have all toll lanes and charge only a nominal fee instead of what could be ridiculous?  Toll booths could be before the entrance ramps to the highway and jobs could be provided. Additionally, locals could purchase passes and avoid stopping. Lastly, why did we negotiate with a company in Spain?  Is this yet another endeavor that Americans are not capable of accomplishing?

 

The truth is, Charlotte is becoming a very huge metropolitan area and we are kicking ourselves in the ass by not actively installing rail service to the ever growing north Mecklenburg area. This would be much more sensible, in my humble opinion,  than the toll lane. We need to be proactive on such matters.  Perhaps we don't have the population at this time to justify this, but this is something that has to be done while there is land available and the population will soon be sufficient.

 

Bottom line, the toll plan as it is makes no sense. Widening I-77 makes sense. Making all lanes toll lanes is more acceptable than one lane.  Having an alternative to automotive travel makes more sense. Now you have heard my worthless opinion.

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As a resident that lives off of exit 28, I wonder about the following?  What is the advantage of the toll lane? Your speed is contingent on the speed of the car in front of you and if they are texting (as they often are) or not paying attention to their driving, you will be just as frustrated and delayed. Secondly, Why not just have all toll lanes and charge only a nominal fee instead of what could be ridiculous?  Toll booths could be before the entrance ramps to the highway and jobs could be provided. Additionally, locals could purchase passes and avoid stopping. Lastly, why did we negotiate with a company in Spain?  Is this yet another endeavor that Americans are not capable of accomplishing?

 

The truth is, Charlotte is becoming a very huge metropolitan area and we are kicking ourselves in the ass by not actively installing rail service to the ever growing north Mecklenburg area. This would be much more sensible, in my humble opinion,  than the toll lane. We need to be proactive on such matters.  Perhaps we don't have the population at this time to justify this, but this is something that has to be done while there is land available and the population will soon be sufficient.

 

Bottom line, the toll plan as it is makes no sense. Widening I-77 makes sense. Making all lanes toll lanes is more acceptable than one lane.  Having an alternative to automotive travel makes more sense. Now you have heard my worthless opinion.

Nobody does toll booths any more. It'll all be fast pass I'm sure.

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The toll price is going to be variable so that it makes it more expensive to join a crowded lane, all the way to near free when the lanes are empty.    

 

There will be no toll booths period in NC.  It is a 21st Century toll lane, not a 1924 turnpike.  It will be "open road tolling" with NC QuickPass and license plate billing for visitors.  http://www.ncdot.gov/turnpike/tolls/

 

 

As for rail, CATS has been pursuing rail transit for decades to North Meck, but the lack of urban design for most of it has caused the ridership models to be only a bit more than the buses (estimates are only 5000 riders per day for the Red Line.   The HOT lanes, however, will be a major boost to bus transit as it is practically a BRT since the lanes will be priced to have a permanently flowing lane.  Therefore all express buses from north meck will flow smoothly, but be able to have stops in North Meck at more than just the rail corridor, which allows it to serve the surburbs efficiently and then quickly drive downtown.  That's a major benefit to the service level minimum for the managed HOT lanes.   The toll prices for driving then act as a competitive advantage for transit as there is now a cost other than gas and parking for commuting drivers.  This comes together to get more people off the roads and into transit.   That transit market, may eventually lead to higher planned ridership for rail, which allows it to be built.   Free lanes would be a negative for our ability to compete for drivers and getting them on transit.  

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The toll price is going to be variable so that it makes it more expensive to join a crowded lane, all the way to near free when the lanes are empty.    

 

 

Has the conversation ever involved say, letting the section within the 485 loop remain toll free, and just toll outside of the loop? Puts the onus on the exurb users and thru traffic as well while letting "locals" off the hook. Similar concepts exist regarding say water rates, where say the first 1000 gallons per month is free but after that fees kick in. Just wondering. I am late to the party...

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Sure, and it would be sitting on the funding lists for 15-20 years like Independence and 77 in the south and 485 sections itself.   Freeways are absurdly expensive to build, and it has been proven by academic studies that expansion of capacity gets used up quickly by very inefficient suburban growth, including by those complaining about the very traffic that they themselves are helping to create.    Freeway commuting is extremely efficient for cities and the era for that needs to be over as soon as possible.   It is especially true to people that are expressly moving out to avoid sharing in the tax costs of the infrastructure but still want to use those roads.

 

Managed HOT (High Occupancy Toll) lanes are a COMPROMISE solution to build the capacity but put more of costs on the people creating those costs, highly inefficient freeway commuters.  We can add the capacity very quickly because a future revenue source can be converted to bonds, so society benefits from the increase transportation, including all those exurban single-car-occupancy people that knew they would be commuting on a choked road when they chose to live so far away from their jobs.   

 

 

 

Let's be clear, of course everyone wants unicorns and rainbows and wants a free and empty highway to their driveway, but it is just not possible.    

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I-85 has significant through traffic as a major artery connecting the cities of the Southern Megalopolis. I-77, with some exceptions, is primarily commuting traffic abusing the INTERstate highway system for commutes within a single metro.

Actually, I-77 carries a lot of truck traffic going between the Midwest / Great Lakes and Southeast / Florida.

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While I'm all for HOT lanes, I'm not for selling public assets for a private profit. This private company will build these such that they can receive a profit.

 

Look how that has turned out for the water systems in South America, etc. It also comes with rules and regulations that we cannot widen I-77 for a certain amount of years in the future despite any future growth.

 

Hope you're happy with the plan, because this is what you're going to have for the next few decades. 

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In regards to the red line, I thought that the tracks were/are in place and the problem is with the rail company. As far as rider projections, they were way off on the blue line. They way underestimated.  Surely ridership to north Meck. would be higher than to UNCC.

The Red Line is a commuter rail line versus a constantly running light rail line where people hop on the train for their nightlife and errands and not just in and out for a commute to a single office area.   It is a fact that will be a small fraction of the ridership of the Blue Line.  

 

 

While I'm all for HOT lanes, I'm not for selling public assets for a private profit. This private company will build these such that they can receive a profit.

 

Look how that has turned out for the water systems in South America, etc. It also comes with rules and regulations that we cannot widen I-77 for a certain amount of years in the future despite any future growth.

 

Hope you're happy with the plan, because this is what you're going to have for the next few decades. 

 

 "We are not relaxing protection of this investment and will still own the road. While Cintra will manage design, construction, finance and operation of the project, we will ensure standards set in the contract are met. Should Cintra default on the contract, the state will get the project for 50-60 cents on the dollar, and all future toll revenues. If revenues are dramatically less than project estimates, the state could contribute up to $75 million over the 50-year contract term. This is still less than the $170 million public contribution previously estimated."

 

Per NCDOT we will still own the road, and we have other contractual benefits that protect us.  I think the only thing we are selling are the revenue rights and we give them some profit benefit for managing to the economic risks.  But we benefit from the added infrastructure immediately.   

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Yeah,  regardless, it will be interesting to see how that is handled in the contract.  

 

Here are some details on the Cintra contract:

https://apps.ncdot.gov/newsreleases/details.aspx?r=10023

https://connect.ncdot.gov/letting/Pages/Design-Build-Letting-Details.aspx?let_id=I-77%20High%20Occupancy%20Toll%20Lanes

 

 

In searching for a bunch of key words, I don't see any obvious agreement to disallow NCDOT from expanding the thoroughfares.  In fact, given that that work is already in the Long Range Transportation Plan for the region, it would be assumed for this plan that those are inevitable, rather than prohibited.   But I don't see those thoroughfares as being more competition for Cintra than the actual free lanes next to the toll lanes, so I can't imagine them demanding they remain as is.  

 

In fact, because the 77 project gets funded by user-tolls rather than taxes, it frees up the budget to actually improve those thoroughfares as planned rather than remaining permanently unfunded.    

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Actually, here we go:

 

https://connect.ncdot.gov/letting/Design%20Build%20Program/I-77%20High%20Occupancy%20Toll%20Lanes/Presentation%20on%20Public-Private%20Partnership%20to%20Lake%20Norman%20Transportation%20Summit.pdf

 

 

Key P3 contractual terms
Unplanned Revenue Impacting Facilities 
NCDOT is not prohibited from constructing new transportation facilities within the ROW; 
concessionaire may be entitled to compensation for Unplanned Impacting Facilities
Unplanned Impacting Facilities means any limited access main lane of a highway that did 
not exist within the Project ROW prior to the Effective Date EXCLUDING the following
‒ The HOT Lanes and GP Lanes part of the scope of work
‒ A capacity improvement that the concessionaire builds or one for which NCDOT grants 
the concessionaire operating rights
‒ All transportation projects included in any capital improvement plan or similar 
document that has been adopted by a Governmental Entity
‒ All improvements necessary for improved safety, maintenance, or operation
‒ All improvements to improve traffic capacity such as:
‒ Localized operational improvements that add or reconstruct or restripe lanes
‒ New or improved frontage roads, crossing streets, grade separation
‒ Technological improvements such as “smart vehicles,” ITS, ramp metering, etc.
‒ Passenger and freight rail projects or other transportation modes

 

So NCDOT is not even prohibited from expanding free lanes on 77 itself but as part of the contract would compensate Cintra if it decides to do so.   However, that compensation is just for limited access freeway lanes that are unplanned at the point of the contract.  It isn't disallowed, but makes it an obligation of NCDOT to refrain from doing that without paying for the damage to the toll lane operator.    

 

But non-freeway improvements, rail improvements, surface street improvements, especially those already in the plans, are excluded from what Cintra can be compensated for.   

 

That means yes we are still allowed to build the Red Line, and we are still allowed to expand and improve US21 and 115.   

 

 

 

We will still own the land, we will even own the road at a big discount if Cintra bails.   The market will set the toll rates, because Cintra's best interest will be to maximize the number of cars using the lane up to the point where it has a green level of service.    That will ensure that the tolls are as low as possible , and benefit as many travelers as possible while actually giving them a solution to congestion.  

 

North Meck residents who hate this plan have no idea how good this will be for them.   They get the high way expansion quickly, and get lanes that are guaranteed to be without congestion, they can use them for free if they have 2 passengers, their express buses will now have BRT-like reliability, and the existing lanes will have that many fewer people on them.  

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Wonder why you understand it and all of them don't?

 

 

Shortsightedness?  Refusal to accept facts?  The stigma associated with the word tolls?  There are a plethora of reasons.  If you want to live far away from a city and expect to commute into it daily, expect to pay for it.  Through higher taxes or tolls.  

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It is easy to understand why, people who will use the freeway want it to be free.   What laymen don't often realize (I think it is the related to the Jevons Paradox), that with the extra free capacity, you have people wasting that capacity by driving farther and farther away.   Vehicle Miles going up, causing congestion on the freeway, which then cause the road to carry fewer cars because it is stop-and-go.    

 

When you think on it as a cursory observer you think "I don't like paying tolls, I want to get something for free".  They may be the type that doesn't see anything wrong with suburban sprawl, and a tract home resident in Huntersville commuting by single-occupant auto to Charlotte is morally equal to a resident commuting to Charlotte from a tract home in Statesville.  

 

They may think that the Jevons Paradox just opened up more usefulness, not wastefulness of the freeway resource.

 

So fine, we add it to the list for funding, it now wait for prioritization in the traditional mechanism.    But what they don't realize is that just because is the pet project of people in LKN, doesn't mean it is the pet project of everyone in the country or state or city.   It must compete in the budget process behind projects that have been on the list far longer, and have worse congestion, or higher traffic counts.   

 

It must also compete in a new environment.  Infrastructure spending by the feds have declined.  NC is a donor state, getting less back because all urban states subsidize the massive, rural states as part of the point of the interstate highway system.  Charlotte is a donor part of the NC, getting less back than rural parts of the state (although that is improving with merit prioritization).   Then gas tax revenues are in decline with increased efficiency of vehicles, but no appetite to increase the tax to fund infrastructure.

 

 

If you are a layperson that is unaware of the funding mechanism, it is easy to assume that all of those factors would work themselves out once the need arises.   Probably everyone you've ever known has either complained about why government does not widen a road fast enough when it gets crowded.    Then you get 'traffic is terrible' and 'congestion is one of the biggest problems in this city' rants in almost every suburban-model place ever.  

 

 

Variable tolls lanes are THE solution to all of these problems.  In fact, it even gives the laypeople EXACTLY what they want, a solution to the perpetually congested urban highways.    

 

Market-pricing the lanes:

  • allow the infrastructure to be built almost immediately, getting closer to the point that government can actually deliver on the expectation that capacity be added where needed
  • allow to always move smoothly, so that urban freeways are no longer automatically congested which causes them to move fewer people/cars
  • to put the cost closer to the user allowing them to use the resources with less wastefulness (less moral hazard of inducing sprawl and lower value VMT explosion)
  • providing some infrastructure as a fee by the person using it rather than relying on taxes
  • the infrastructure budgets are freed up considerably when they are not constantly trying to keep up with expanding urban freeway capacity that fills up immediately with new congestion anyway.   We still need the surface streets to be expanded and rural connectivity to get around the country.  

 

 

 

But from now until the end of time, everyone will want something for free.  But the environment is flat out not there to let that be true, and NCDOT is not kidding that it will sit on the lists for 15-25 years.  I am now old enough to have watched projects sit on that TIP list for 15 years.   Don't forget, the only way we were even able to get 485 built is to add special taxes for urban loops in the state, and once we are done, we now pay that money and watch loops go up in elsewhere because ours will be finally built.   The only way we got 85 and part of Independence widened recently is because it waited for EVER and finally got its moment to shine on the priority list and we borrowed bonds to build it sooner.  So over the next 10 years we will still have to budget to pay back those bonds, not have room for new projects.

 

 The leadership and technocrats have found a very real solution, and made a good contract that has a solid compromise on the issues.   Other parts of the city will be jealous that North Meck gets their widened 77 and realize that it is guaranteed to not be congested!

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The City took some aerials of the turbine interchange.  Gettting close to completition!

 

 

As close to completion as those images may appear, there's still a giant concrete plant in the middle of future-485 next to Prosperity Church/Loganville Rd that needs to be disassembled.  Not to mention then getting the site ready and paving.  According to a recent Observer article, they have now pushed the completion date back to Spring 2015 due to anticipated cold weather... meh.  I wonder how far in advance lanes will be open before actual "completion" dates are met.

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Blythe is given the right to complete it by Spring without penalty because of permitting delays.  They had been working towards still completing by December, which didn't happen.  Now that construction will happen during winter months of first quarter, they cannot promise any more than Spring, because if the have too few days about 50º, then that is when it will be delivered.   But if they have plenty of days above 50º to get the job done, it will be done sooner.    

 

But the turbine interchange was by a different construction company without the apparent permitting delays, so it will clearly be left partially unused.    But I am curious, though, whether Blythe will open it in sections like they have done with other sections of 485, and we get sections opened on either end.   Seems very likely they'd do it that way, since obviously the middle where the concrete plant is will be ready later than other sections. 

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As close to completion as those images may appear, there's still a giant concrete plant in the middle of future-485 next to Prosperity Church/Loganville Rd that needs to be disassembled.  Not to mention then getting the site ready and paving.  According to a recent Observer article, they have now pushed the completion date back to Spring 2015 due to anticipated cold weather... meh.  I wonder how far in advance lanes will be open before actual "completion" dates are met.

 

Here is a photo I took on Sunday of the massive concrete plant in the middle of 485. I ran in the MADD Dash 5k/10k which allowed me to get a nice up-close view of its completeness. Looks like there is still a lot of fill dirt areas (e.g. median), guard rails, etc that need to be completed...and yeah, that massive concrete plant in the way of everything. 8-)

 

post-1-0-69476200-1415286658_thumb.jpg

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