Excerpt:

Pat McCarthy studies transportation economics at Georgia Tech. He said the rising demand for the lanes speaks to drivers’ priorities.

“What it fundamentally says is that the value of that trip to those individuals is worth the cost,” he said. 

McCarthy explained that road space is a fixed resource. Eventually drivers will decide the costs of using that resource--either paying the toll or sitting in traffic--are too high and change their behavior.

“Not everyone buys a Rolls-Royce,” he said. “Some people buy less expensive cars. We figure out based upon our incomes what choices we want to make.”

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