Andy's Auto Sport

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The following detour for I-20 is not viable.

Eastbound I-20 at SR 92 south to SR 166 east to SR 70 east to SR 6 north to return to I-20 EB
Westbound I-20 at SR 6 south to SR 70 west to SR 166 west to SR 92 north to return to I-20 WB

Please Use
I-20 Eastbound
Exit 11 US 27/SR 1 North to SR 120 East in Buchanan SR 120 East to US 278/SR 120/SR 6 east in Dallas US 278/ SR 120/SR 6 to SR 120 east to Marietta SR 120 loop to I-75 in Marietta

I-20 Westbound
Take I-85 south to Exit 47 - SR 34 Newnan SR 34 west to US 27ALT/SR 16 north US 27ALT/SR 16 north to SR 166 Bypass east in Carrollton SR 166 Bypass east to US 27/SR 1 North US 27/SR 1 north to I-20 Exit 11 Bremen

Remember – tractor trailers should not be detoured to posted bridges due to weight restrictions.

CURRENT GDOT CLOSURES AS OF 4 a.m.

Bridges Closed (12)

District / County / SR / MP / Crossing Facility / Comments

3 /Heard / 34 / 13.9 / Daniel Shoals (Lumpkin Creek) / Closed

3 / Heard / 34 / 13.5 / Chattahoochee R Trib / Closed

7 / Douglas / 166 / 21.5 / Chattahoochee River / Closed

7 / Douglas / 6 / 1 / Sweetwater Cr / Closed

7 / Douglas / 166 / Anneewakee Cr / Closed

7 / Rockdale / 138 / 14.3 / Yellow River / WB closed

7 / Douglas/Fulton / 92 / 13.1 / Chattahoochee River / Closed

7 / Fulton / 70 / Utoy Creek / closed

7 / Fulton / 6 / Chattahoochee River / Closed

7 / Fulton / 41 / Peachtree Battle / water over bridge

7 / Douglas / I-20 / 42/44 / Sweetwater Cr / Closed

Roads Closed (7)

1 / Gwinnett / 8 / 8 / shoulder damage / road closed

3 / Taylor / 96 / 22 / 1 lane closed / Closed

3 / Dooly / 230 / 18 / roadway damage / Closed

6 / Paulding / 6 bus / 2.5 / closed due to road damage / Closed

7 / Fulton / 372 / 1 / Water on roadway / Closed

7 / Cobb / 3 / 17.6 / closed due to road damage at Butler Cr / Closed

7 / Douglas / 92 / @ Riverside Drive / Closed

Total of 19 Roads and Bridges Closed
Maintenance Personnel Responding - 107

I-20 over Sweetwater Creek between Thornton Road and Lee Road remains closed.

The main detour is:

Eastbound I-20 at SR 92 south to SR 166 east to SR 70 east to SR 6 north to return to I-20 EB
Westbound I-20 at SR 6 south to SR 70 west to SR 166 west to SR 92 north to return to I-20 WB

However, to alleviate some of this traffic Georgia DOT is also suggesting the following alternate routes.
I-20 Eastbound
Exit 11 US 27/SR 1 North to SR 120 East in Buchanan SR 120 East to US 278/SR 120/SR 6 east in Dallas US 278/ SR 120/SR 6 to SR 120 east to Marietta SR 120 loop to I-75 in Marietta

I-20 Westbound
Take I-85 south to Exit 47 - SR 34 Newnan SR 34 west to US 27ALT/SR 16 north US 27ALT/SR 16 north to SR 166 Bypass east in Carrollton SR 166 Bypass east to US 27/SR 1 North US 27/SR 1 north to I-20 Exit 11 Bremen

UPDATE:
The following detour for I-20 is not viable.
Eastbound I-20 at SR 92 south to SR 166 east to SR 70 east to SR 6 north to return to I-20 EB
Westbound I-20 at SR 6 south to SR 70 west to SR 166 west to SR 92 north to return to I-20 WB

Please Use
I-20 Eastbound
Exit 11 US 27/SR 1 North to SR 120 East in Buchanan SR 120 East to US 278/SR 120/SR 6 east in Dallas US 278/ SR 120/SR 6 to SR 120 east to Marietta SR 120 loop to I-75 in Marietta

I-20 Westbound
Take I-85 south to Exit 47 - SR 34 Newnan SR 34 west to US 27ALT/SR 16 north US 27ALT/SR 16 north to SR 166 Bypass east in Carrollton SR 166 Bypass east to US 27/SR 1 North US 27/SR 1 north to I-20 Exit 11 Bremen

Remember – tractor trailers should not be detoured to posted bridges due to weight restrictions.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Coweta Flood Update / Road / Bridge Status

Update on Chattahoochee situation

The information below comes from Jay Jones, Coweta County’s Director of Emergency Management -

“I met with GDOT officials this morning at the Hwy 16 Chattahoochee Bridge. They advised that the bridge would remain open and the water level had dropped almost 12 inches. They were pulling the crew off of the site and moving them to Franklin at Hwy 34 and the Chattahoochee River as it intersects there. They will be back periodically throughout the day to check on the bridge. Debris has accumulated near Franklin and may cause the river to back up some, but it is unknown, how much it will affect the level of the river. The level at 7:15 am this morning showed the level at 28.99 ft.

Also- Hwy 34 in Franklin is closed and a detour has been set up. The detour is as follows – take PeaRidge Road at the elementary school to Hwy 27 to get around the Hwy 34 bridge at Franklin.”

Houston County I-75 Bridge over Big Creek closed

WHEN: Ongoing

WHERE: I-75 over Big Creek. Interstate is closed northbound at Exit 121 – US 41 and southbound at Exit 127 – SR 26.

WHAT: Big Creek is flooding and waters are cresting the bridge. Georgia DOT closed the bridge until water recedes and the bridge can be inspected. Detours are in place. Updates to follow.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

New ACCG Report Reveals Trends in Transportation Solutions and Funding Nationwide

The Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) has released a report which examines efforts by other states to increase transportation funding since 2000. This report, “Coping with Transportation Funding Deficits: A Survey of the States,” incorporates information from more than 35 states and highlights how these states are working to address transportation infrastructure investment needs through a variety of methods and revenue sources. The report identifies several trends, including the growing popularity of asking voters to approve new transportation funding that is not tied to traditional sources such as the motor fuel tax but instead is tailored to meet the specific needs of their state and local governments.

“We need to come together to find a solution that addresses both the state’s needs and allows counties and regions of counties the flexibility to meet their varied needs,” said ACCG Executive Director Jerry Griffin. “This report shows that other states are facing similar challenges and finding solutions – Georgia can do the same.”

Key findings in the report include:

· Referenda were the most frequently used method to increase transportation funding. At least 210 referenda were proposed to increase revenues for transportation since 2000, with varying levels of success. States are veering away from the traditional transportation revenue source of motor fuel taxes; instead, referenda were primarily regarding sales and property taxes, bonds and other fees.

· Many states are enabling local governments and existing or newly-defined regions to develop their own revenue generating solutions. More local tax measures (173) were proposed than any other type of referenda. In addition, 19 regional measures also were proposed. The majority (13) of these proposals included sales tax increases, and nine of them were approved.

· Most of the statewide measures that were proposed to voters were for the approval of bond projects. Fourteen of the seventeen statewide ballot measures were for bond approvals.

· Many state legislatures are taking direct action to increase transportation funding. Six states increased the motor fuel tax. Twelve raised fees, primarily vehicle registration fees, and three enabled their largest metropolitan regions to levy sales taxes for transportation.

The report inventories specific proposals at the local, regional and state level, and includes the purpose for which the funds were proposed. It also includes additional information on legislation enacted by state legislatures.

“Our primary purpose in developing this report was to assist Georgia’s policymakers by providing them with a comprehensive overview of legislative strategies used by other states,” said Matthew Hicks, ACCG Associate Policy Director for Economic Development and Transportation. “We learned that there is no single answer to transportation funding. States are developing solutions to meet their specific needs and empowering local governments with the tools necessary to address their own transportation challenges.”

ACCG is a strong proponent of investing in transportation infrastructure in Georgia to achieve state transportation goals and to provide consistent funding for transportation projects at the local level. ACCG has actively worked with the Governor’s Office, state legislators, the Department of Transportation and state transportation authorities and others including the Get Georgia Moving Coalition to meet the needs of all Georgians.

The “Coping with Transportation Funding Deficits” report was compiled using information from several organizations that track transportation funding and finance, including the Center for Transportation Excellence, a non-partisan policy research center created to serve the needs of communities and transportation organizations nationwide, and the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). In addition, ACCG staff conducted informal surveys of 27 states via phone and email interviews, as well as Internet searches. The complete report is available at www.accg.org.
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Tuesday, September 1, 2009

New Research Shows One of Every Six Drivers in School Zones is Distracted

/PRNewswire/ -- As kids head back to school, new research from Safe Kids USA shows that one out of every six drivers in school zones is distracted by the use of cell phones, eating, drinking, smoking, reaching behind, grooming and reading. The study also found that unbelted drivers are 34 percent more likely to be distracted than belted drivers, afternoon drivers are 22 percent more likely to be distracted than morning drivers, and females are 21 percent more likely to be distracted than males.

The study, "Characteristics of Distracted Drivers in School Zones: A National Report," consisted of more than 40,000 observational road-side surveys conducted by local Safe Kids researchers in 20 locations across the United States. Use of electronics (such as cell phones, PDAs and Smartphones) was the leading category of distraction while driving at 9.8 percent. This is a 2.5 percent increase over a 2008 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration survey that showed a rate of 7.3 percent.

"The public expects drivers to be on their best behavior when they are near schools, however the new study shows the opposite is true when it comes to distracted driving," said Moira Donahue, Director of the Walk This Way program, Safe Kids' pedestrian safety program. "With recent research demonstrating that the driving skills of a distracted driver are as bad as or worse than an intoxicated driver, the overall relevance of this study is clear. Almost one in six drivers in a school zone behaves like a drunk driver."

The finding that afternoon drivers are 22 percent more likely to be distracted is significant because throughout the year one in three child pedestrian deaths occur between 3 and 7 p.m., making afternoons the most dangerous time for children to walk. Drivers who were not wearing a seat belt were the most likely group in the study to also be driving distracted, meaning drivers engaging in one risky behavior are more likely to engage in multiple unsafe driving behaviors.

While the debate over laws governing hand-held electronic device use while driving continues, simply having a law on the books may somewhat decrease the prevalence of distracted driving. The study, which covered communities in 15 states showed that those states with laws regulating cell phone or hand-held electronic device use in a vehicle are 13 percent less likely to have distracted drivers in school zones.

"Multitasking while driving can have deadly consequences," said Donahue. "Drivers need to shut off their phones and pay attention to the road, especially in areas that are filled with children."

Safe Kids Walk This Way, a grassroots pedestrian safety initiative in more than 600 schools nationwide, is made possible through support from program sponsor FedEx Corp. (NYSE:FDX) . Through this year-round program, children learn safe pedestrian behaviors; school communities identify the pedestrian hazards surrounding their schools; and school pedestrian safety committees and task forces lead efforts to educate pedestrians and drivers about safe behaviors, enforce traffic laws and improve environments for child pedestrians. The study on distracted drivers in school zones was made possible through a grant from FedEx.

For more information about the new report on distracted drivers, tips for drivers and pedestrians or background on the Walk This Way program, call 202-662-0600 or visit www.usa.safekids.org/wtw/.

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