Gwinnett Man Petitions State to Suspend use of HOT Lanes

The on Interstate 85 have been a hot topic lately.

Now, a Gwinnett County man is hoping a petition drive will fix some of the commuter problems the lanes have caused since they went into effect Oct. 1.

According to 11 Alive News, Howard Rodgers plans to start a petition drive to stop the HOT lanes completely until officials come up with a solution.

Once it was realized that traffic wasn’t flowing as smoothly as anticipated, the governor stepped in and lowered the rates. He also has asked the U.S. Department of Transportation to grant a waiver, reducing the number of passengers in a vehicle to qualify for a free ride in the express lane from three to two. Rodgers, however, feels that isn't enough.

There is no response on the waiver yet and in the meantime, traffic on I-85 continues to be a nightmare. Since the project kicked off, the express lane flows freely while the other lanes and side roads are snarled up during peak traffic times as a result of drivers that can no longer use the express lane without digging into their wallets.

Rodgers said his quality of life has been negatively impacted by the implementation of the HOT lanes — particularly in that he spends less time with his family because of the additional time he is force to spend in his commute.  He’s hoping other people feel the same way and will join him in the petition drive.

Rodgers is petitioning the state to suspend use of the HOT lanes until they figure out how to fix the problems. Although he started it as a one-man grass roots drive, he told 11 Alive he doesn’t believe he’s alone in how he feels.

Anyone interested in joining Rodgers' petition drive can meet up with him from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Gwinnet Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville or email him at stopthehotlane@gmailcom.