In my many trips to atlanta this month ive noticed some weird things, i guess. I noticed a sudden upsurge of mobile msg boards along the side of the interstate, the ones with giant antannes and big solar panels. What are these for?
I noticed on one interstate (one of the 85's, i think) that at the end of the on ramps there were traffic lights with stop here on red signs. the lights were at the very end of the ramp like end of ramp/start interstate. What are these for??
Also what exactly is the "Downtown Connector"? Ive heard it all these years but havent figured it our yet.

Happy Hunting!
-Amazingracer

If war protesters don't believe in violence what would they do if we punched them in the nose?

The lights at the end of the on-ramps are called "Ramp Meters". During times when traffic is heavy, they allow only one car per green light to enter the highway. The rate (how many green lights per minute) is adjustable, depending on how bad traffic really is.

Ramp meters have been used in major cities (Washington, DC, has zillions of them) for quite a few years now, but they're pretty new to Georgia; the first ones went in a year ago, as I recall, on the connector at Northside Drive.

The Downtown Connector is the section where I-75 and I-85 are combined as they pass through downtown. They join together in the south near East Point, and split again just north of 14th street (the "Brookwood Split").

Traffic reporters on radio use a lot of silly names for road features that people around here eventually catch onto. Spaghetti Junction is where I-85 meets 285 near Doraville ... because it looks like spaghetti from the air. The Cobb Cloverleaf is where I-75 meets 285 near Marietta. You'll also hear the "Grady Curve" referred to often, that's the big curve on the downtown connector just north of I-20 (and adjacent to Grady Hospital).

Scott

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Scott Johnson (ScottJ)

Atlanta Road/Traffic Lingo

I've been here a long time and am still trying to figure it out.

See ya on the hunt!