Fixing Atlanta's Traffic Bottlenecks Would Yield $23.5B in Benefits
13 April 2000
Fixing Atlanta's Traffic Bottlenecks Would Yield $23.5 Billion in Economic Benefits, Study Finds American Highway Users Alliance Documents Savings in
Personal Time, Commercial Time, Fuel, Safety and Environment
WASHINGTON, April 13 A report released today by the
American Highway Users Alliance finds that Atlanta-area residents and
commuters would reap a total of $23.5 billion in economic benefits if needed
improvements were made on I-285 at the I-85 Interchange, I-75 at the I-85
Interchange and I-285 at the I-75 Interchange. Completing those improvements
would result in individual savings for commuters using the bottlenecks of up
to $1,013 per year, according to the report.
At a time when consumers are feeling the pinch of both the April 15 tax
deadline and soaring gas prices, the data from the Highway Users' report shows
the value of investing in improving America's traffic bottlenecks. The study
details the substantial payoff to businesses and consumers from completing
congestion-busting highway projects - not only in gas savings, but in reduced
environmental emissions, fewer traffic accidents, and time savings.
The report, Saving Time, Saving Money: The Economics of Unclogging
America's Worst Bottlenecks, assesses the economic impact of the impressive
gains from bottleneck improvements identified in Unclogging America's
Arteries: Prescriptions for Healthier Highways, a 1999 report performed by
Cambridge Systematics for the Highway Users. According to the report, Saving
Time, Saving Money "gives transportation officials, policy makers and the
public a clearer understanding of the significant social and economic rewards
to be reaped by improving traffic flow at key choke points."
Unclogging America's Arteries identified and analyzed the 166 worst
bottlenecks in America and included three from the Atlanta area in its list of
the top 17 bottlenecks in the country. Saving Time, Saving Money has taken
those findings the next step and assigned monetary values to the time and fuel
savings, safety improvements and environmental benefits.
"This report shows that these bottlenecks aren't just a nuisance, but a
major drain on Atlanta's economy and the personal productivity of its
citizens," said Bill Fay, President and CEO of the Highway Users. "With so
much to be gained, we need to find a way to streamline the process so that
everyone can begin reaping these benefits."
The report points out that commuters and citizens nationwide would enjoy
more than $336 billion in economic benefits from improvements to the nation's
worst bottlenecks. The average commuter traveling through one of these 166
worst bottlenecks twice each workday could expect to save approximately $345
each year in time and fuel alone, if improvements were made.
"We need to move quickly to fix these bottlenecks," Fay said. "The
opportunity cost of delays -- in wasted time and fuel, highway accidents, and
tailpipe emissions that could be avoided if improvements were completed now
rather than later -- is staggering." The report estimates that a three-year
delay in undertaking needed improvements to the 166 bottlenecks yields an
opportunity cost of nearly $30 billion.
"The good news, however," Fay continued, "is that there's hope for curing
congestion on our highways -- which will save lives, improve the environment
and create more free time to spend with our families and friends."
Note: The attached fact sheet provides a breakdown of the savings from
improvements to Atlanta's traffic bottlenecks. Details on the methodology for
deriving the figures are included in the report, which is available at
http://www.highways.org.
ATLANTA FACT SHEET
From "Saving Time, Saving Money"
American Highway Users Alliance Study
April 13, 2000
Bottleneck descriptions at a glance
I-285 and I-85 intersect in De Kalb County about 15 miles northeast of
downtown Atlanta. I-85 serves both as a commuter route and as a major
intercity route for the southeastern United States. The area around the
interchange has undergone rapid growth during the past decade, and this trend
is expected to continue. The Georgia DOT recognizes the severity of traffic
congestion at this site, but no specific improvements to the I-285/I-85
interchange are planned at this time.
I-75 and I-85 intersect about three miles north of downtown Atlanta. The
area just south of the interchange, where the interstates run parallel to one
another, has the highest traffic volume of any U.S. freeway: 389,000 vehicles
per day on 14 lanes of traffic. The Georgia DOT recognizes the severity of
traffic congestion at this site, but no specific improvements to the I-75/I-85
interchange are planned at this time.
I-285 serves as the beltway for the Atlanta region. It intersects with I-
75 about 10 miles from downtown Atlanta. The I-75 corridor north of the
interchange is heavily developed and is expected to continue growing rapidly.
The Georgia DOT recognizes the severity of traffic congestion at this site,
but no specific improvements to the I-285/I-75 interchange are planned at this
time.
Savings from Improvements
Listed individually below are the total economic benefits to be derived
from improvements to Atlanta's three worst bottlenecks. The economic values
listed for each of the bottlenecks are cumulative over the construction period
and the 20-year useful life of the project. The "individual savings" identify
the amount that a typical commuter traveling through the bottleneck twice each
workday would save in time and fuel.
I-285 at the I-85 Interchange
Personal Time Savings: $5.4 billion
Commercial Time Savings: $2.3 billion
Fuel Savings: $820 million
Safety Savings: $660 million
Environmental Savings: $430 million (greenhouse gases)
$220 million (air pollution)
Total Savings: $9.8 billion
Individual Savings: $1,013/year for a typical commuter
I-75 at the I-85 Interchange
Personal Time Savings: $3.3 billion
Commercial Time Savings: $1.4 billion
Fuel Savings: $500 million
Safety Savings: $460 million
Environmental Savings: $260 million (greenhouse gases)
$130 million (air pollution)
Total Savings: $6.0 billion
Individual Savings: $752/year for a typical commuter
I-285 at the I-75 Interchange
Personal Time Savings: $4.3 billion
Commercial Time Savings: $1.8 billion
Fuel Savings: $660 million
Safety Savings: $550 million
Environmental Savings: $340 million (greenhouse gases)
$170 million (air pollution)
Total Savings: $7.8 billion
Individual Savings: $945/year for a typical commuter
