Better Biking Bill Now State Law
The Better Biking bill, HB101, went into effect Friday, July 1. The law does a lot of good things:
- Motor vehicles must provide at least three feet of safe passing distance when overtaking a bicyclist
- Cyclists may move to the center of the lane, i.e. take the lane, when surface obstructions, hazards or debris make traveling to the right unsafe
- Cyclists must travel in the direction of traffic while using a designated bicycle lane*
- Bicyclists have the right of way in a designated bicycle lane
- Designated bicycle lanes must be built according to recognized national design standards
* While the new law only specifies that cyclists in bike lanes must travel in the same direction as traffic, bicycles, as vehicles, must abide by all normal vehicular laws. Wrong way travel in any traffic lane is unlawful and unsafe.
Thanks to all who helped pass this landmark legislation!
Peach Pass & I-85 Express Lanes
Approximately 16 miles of I-85 from Chamblee Tucker Road, just south of I-285, to Old Peachtree Road in Gwinnett County are currently under construction to convert the existing High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes to High Occupancy Toll (HOT) lanes called Express Lanes. The Express Lanes are scheduled to open in Summer 2011.
Commuters will need a “Peach Pass” to use the lanes. If you currently have a “Cruise Card”, you will get the new Peach Pass.
Quick facts about the Cruise Card to Peach Pass Transition:
Cruise to Peach: Current Cruise Card holders accounts are converting to Peach Pass accounts. Cruise Card holders are not required to swap their old devices for a new Peach Pass device. Either device will work at the Ga. 400 toll plaza immediately.
I-85 Express Lanes: About 15 miles of HOV roadway in Gwinnett and DeKalb Counties will convert to Express Lanes in late summer. Commuters can use the lanes to avoid heavy congestion on regular lanes. They must have a Peach Pass or Cruise Card device to travel on the Express Lanes.
Toll fees: The Ga. 400 toll will remain 50 cents for most vehicles. On I-85, vehicles with three or more passengers, motorcycles and alternate fuel vehicles can use the Express Lanes free of charge. (That does not, however, include “hybrid” vehicles.) For cars with fewer than three occupants, Express Lane tolls will range from 10 to 90 cents-per-mile, getting higher as the road gets more congested. (Final rates will be set by the SRTA Board before opening, SRTA spokeswoman Malika Reed Wilkins said.)
Fee for device: The SRTA is not charging customers for the actual Peach Pass device. A federal grant allows the agency to issue up to 300,000 transponders at no charge. Registration for the new device opens in late June at www.peachpass.com.
Learn more: Visit www.georgiatolls.com and www.peachpass.com to learn more about the Cruise Card to Peach Pass transition, including a video about the I-85 Express Lanes.
New Sidewalks in Dunwoody
Construction is set to begin in January on six different sidewalk projects located throughout the city of Dunwoody. In 2010, the city adopted a sidewalk improvement plan that identified gaps in the existing sidewalk network and developed criteria for prioritizing projects. The plan identified over 15 miles of new sidewalk to be added to an existing network of 50 miles along the primary collector streets in the city. Check out the website to find out more about the project.
Get Local Traffic Alerts for Sandy Springs Surface Streets via Twitter
The new Traffic Alerts Twitter feed is updated daily with road closures, lane closures and other traffic issues in Sandy Springs. This is an invaluable tool if you regularly drive on Sandy Springs’ surface streets. http://twitter.com/SSGA_Traffic