Click to enlarge photos.

Readers respond to the column on the latest fix-it fad for metro Atlanta traffic congestion: a $110 federal grant plus matching state-local funds to convert 14 miles of high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes to high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, buy more commuter buses and expand park-ride facilities.

Mike Woodliff:

After reading your column on the inanity of the public policy on HOV lanes, etc., I cried, "Eureka! Someone finally gets it." I get so tickled at politicians claiming to have gotten, as an example, $100 million in road grants from the federal government. Nobody pauses to think that it's the feds that took the money from us in the first place. If they'd leave us be, we wouldn't have to continually petition to get our own money back. I detest HOV and Lexus Lanes. My taxes paved the roads, too. I want full, and I mean full, access to all roads paid for with my taxes. We should all be clamoring for that. Thanks for speaking good sense, Don. You're one of the few.

Leo Crochet:

Hear! Hear! I have driven in a number of large cities with HOV lanes. Atlanta is the ONLY one that maintains HOV restrictions 24/7. All the others have HOV only during rush hours. The rest of the time the HOV lanes become normal lanes. Most of the time the HOV lanes in Atlanta are virtually empty, a real waste. As for Lexus HOT lanes, what a brainless concept. I own a Lexus and would never consider paying a toll to ride in a HOT lane. Can you imagine the complexity of managing the fees based on congestion which can be highly variable anyway.

Michael Mellars: We need more real lanes, not privilege lanes. What is 14 miles of HOT lane going to do for the Atlanta rush hour? Absolutely nothing. This is just another ruse to extract more taxes.

T.B. Hush: The HOV problem exists because simply the cars that should utilize the HOV lane don't. The lane then becomes useless and ultimately becomes a temptation to those who are not in a HOV. Either get rid of the HOV lanes and regulations altogether or punish those who carpool and are still selfish and inconsiderate enough to cause slow traffic instead of being in the HOV lane. Make their citation $200 for being a showoff.

No Dangerous Excuses: Hey, Don, is the name "Lexus Lane" a compliment to the intelligent folks that have seen opportunities, worked hard and succeeded in life, or is it code words designed to further the cause of class warfare? Just curious.

Thanks for the comments. Put me on record against class warfare. As previously said in this space: All drivers should have equal access to the roadways that are paid for with their taxes. HOV lanes are a waste of space for the most part. We don't need more special privilege lanes but more traffic lanes open to all drivers.

dmckee9613@aol.com

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