Ramp Meters Questions and Answers
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Q. How will I know the ramp is being metered?
A. There are signs at the beginning of the ramps which indicate whether or not the ramps are metered. There will be a flashing yellow warning light when the meters are running.
Q. Do all ramp meters have the same amount of time between each cycle?
A. No. Special under-pavement detectors located on the ramps and on the main freeway feed traffic information into the meter controllers. This process allows the metering rate to be adjusted depending on the volume of cars on the ramp and on the freeway.
Q. Will the ramp meters cause traffic to back up onto the surface streets?
A. Yes, due to the difference in ramp lengths and traffic volumes, some delays may occur on the ramps and surface streets near the interstate. However the goal is for the time to be made up on the interstate. Also, the ramp meters are built with under-pavement detectors at the top of the ramps to sense when traffic is building up toward a surface street intersection. The metering rate will be adjusted automatically to accommodate the vehicles waiting to enter the freeway. Cameras also are used to visually monitor the traffic flow.
Q. Is Georgia the first state to use ramp meters?
A. Over 20 states have successfully used ramp meters, some for more than 20 years.
Q. Will these ramp meters operate all the time?
A. Ramp meters are designed to work at the onset of peak commute times and when traffic volumes dictate. When the traffic flow on the freeway drops below a certain level, the ramp meters will be turned off.
Q. What happens if I run the red light on the ramp?
A. The meters are intended to help you. The system only will work with the cooperation of drivers. Running a red light on a ramp carries the same penalties as running any traffic signal in Georgia.
Q. How do I merge with traffic once I get the green light?
A. The same way you always do, yielding to any vehicle close enough to be of immediate danger.
Q. What happens if the freeway becomes clogged because of an accident?
A. If there is too much congestion of the freeway, the ramp meters will be turned off and vehicles will be allowed to enter the freeway on their own.