The City of Suwanee will implement a nearly $3.3 million Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) grant, received through the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), to reconstruct a portion of Buford Highway as a context-sensitive roadway that will safely accommodate multiple modes of transportation and help connect residents and visitors to a variety of activity centers.

Rather than simply widening Buford Highway, as many communities seem interested in doing, Suwanee’s plans call for the thoroughfare to remain a two-lane road with the addition of sidewalks, multiuse trails, landscaped medians, additional streetscaping, operational improvements such as turn lanes, and a potential roundabout in order to accommodate additional modes of transportation, calm existing traffic, encourage Town Center-like development, and provide safer pedestrian access.

ATLANTA (AP) - A review of records shows that a project to add toll lanes to Interstate 85 in metro Atlanta will make traffic congestion worse for drivers in the regular lanes.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the $60 million project is expected to increase traffic in the regular lanes in order to keep the toll lanes flowing.

The new toll lanes are expected to open next week on parts of I-85 through Gwinnett and DeKalb counties northeast of Atlanta.

A state traffic and revenue study says the regular lanes are expected to gain up to 90 new vehicles per lane, per hour during rush hour.

State Road and Tollway Authority Director Gena Evans said the toll project will give drivers another option if they're willing to pay the tolls.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- It won't be long before Gwinnett and DeKalb County drivers will have a choice: to putter in rush hour traffic, or pay for a faster commute.

We now know when the express lanes are going to open up on I-85, between Chamblee Tucker Road and Peachtree Road. Depending on construction and weather, the state will begin charging tolls on Sept. 24 or Oct. 1.

To use that 15 mile stretch of roadway, most drivers will need a Peach Pass. 

"We want to give people the earliest time that it could open so that they can register and go ahead and get a Peach Pass," said State Road and Tollway spokesperson Malika Wilkins.

That means you may have less than a month to get your Peach Pass so the SRTA can figure out how much to charge you for using the lanes. They think everyone should get one.