The great debate: I-285 express lanes vs surface streets during rush hour

Okay so I've been driving in Atlanta for like 8 years now and I always thought the express lanes on 285 were a total scam. I mean $3 to $8 just to save maybe 10 minutes? Then last Tuesday I had to get from Smyrna to Decatur by 5pm and decided to try it out of desperation. I sat in regular traffic for 30 minutes and watched the express lane cars zoom past. Finally I merged over and made it in 20 minutes flat. Now I'm wondering if I've been wasting hours of my life avoiding those lanes. But then my coworker says she tried them twice and both times there was a wreck that shut the whole lane down and she was stuck. So which is it really? Are the express lanes worth the cash or are you just paying for a false sense of security? Anyone have a solid rule for when to use them vs when to stick with surface streets?

2 comments

2 Comments

anna_hill20d ago

Wait, is this me from 5 years ago? Because same.

iris_mason8820d ago

Hard disagree. People change a lot in 5 years, like your whole brain chemistry resets or something. If you're still struggling with the same stuff from half a decade ago, you're not growing.