Advocacy & Safety - "Planning" run amok

http://www.styleweekly.com/article.asp?idarticle=8278

This is interesting. Basically, they're planning to build a new development in order to attract more traffic on a toll road. Threw me for a loop when I read it. Nice way to encourage sprawl, not that Richmond doesn't have enough of it in the first place. Also makes you wonder about the wisdom of privatizing road contruction...

i think we should just stop building road and repair the ones we have. i actually think that is the only solution. maybe some more bike trails and sidwalks and busses and train systems would be nice.

This is interesting. Basically, they're planning to build a new development in order to attract more traffic on a toll road.

The article says, "Recently, however, the lining in these clouds has turned red: Not enough drivers are using the $314 million toll road, and analysts predict the bonds issued to build it will default if the trend continues. Now, less than two years after the road opened to traffic in September 2002, a proposal to build a new interchange on the parkway to jumpstart a planned 1,184-acre residential development is raising new questions about who and what is driving billions in new state highway construction."

Our former Governor once wrote an editorial about a proposed freeway in which he said that (paraphrased,) "...building new roads does not increase traffic, it alleviates it. Saying that building roads increases traffic is like saying building hospitals increases sick people."

So, some are building roads to attract motorists to use them, others are building roads which they say won't increase traffic. Which is true?

I think building new roads does relieves traffic, but that soon gives way to more cars and your right back to where you started, congested roads.

Building more roads increases the capacity to hold more cars just like building more hospitals increases capacity to treat sick people. But, that is where the similarites end. People love to drive cars and would venture out on the road to drive one block. People are NOT in love with getting sick and venturing out to the local hospial for there hospitality. There is a difference.

So, some are building roads to attract motorists to use them, others are building roads which they say won't increase traffic. Which is true?

Good one.. Folks.. The whole situation is insane! This state was looking at making a killing on road construction using private money and now that folks are not using the toll road, the tax payer is going to have to bail them out anyway or the bonds will default! Insanity.

>>>>>And that bodes poorly for the state. If anything, the 895 interchange may be a taste of things to come, says Pollard, as the state continues to approve more and more privately funded road projects in the future. The state holds no responsibility legally or morally to help pay back the 895 bonds. But in order to appease investors in the future, that may have to change if traffic doesn’t improve considerably, and the bonds have to be refinanced. Private road construction may wind up costing taxpayers millions more than promised years ago.<<<<

Get this folks. The state continues to approve this private owned highways because they won't be held liable if the bonds default! I don't get it. The state doesn't care but the taxpayer still may end up costing them millions. Insanity.