Stop building – we have enough roads already
There are fewer and fewer cars on the road with gas prices going higher and higher, and yet we’re building more and more roads. Someone’s out of touch here: legislators, the DOT, local politicians?
North Carolina has plenty of roads, yet we keep building more for the benefit of the trucks, FedEx, PTIA, distressing the people with their noise levels, going through farms and private properties, paid for by our tax money.
Early on, 1989, the Highway Trust Fund set aside $9.2 billion for loops, interstates and maintenance. Gradually that money was “borrowed” for other projects, put in the General Fund, until today we’re talking about using toll booths as the cost of road building rises and many intended projects still are unfinished. In fact, we don’t need more roads — are we in a contest to have the most roads?
Money needs to go for repair: repaving of roads, repair of tunnels, repair of bridges, care of the infrastructure, improving safety. No more roads. Enough gray paving over the beautiful green state of North Carolina!
Gay Cheney
Browns Summit
Comments (6)
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I'm going to sound like a disgruntled, bitter southerner, but I'll risk it.
We have needed new roads. But we might stop needing them if so many Yankees wouldn't come down here and muck things up.
Posted on July 12, 2008 3:46 AM
" .. yet we keep building more for the benefit of the trucks, FedEx, PTIA .. "
Yet one more example of the ever subtile "Corporate Welfare"
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Actually, I agree with the LTE. Years ago i complained about the traffic going across the SF Bay Bridge into Marin County. The friend I was visiting said that was a "Filter" - a deterrent against more people moving out that way. The idea stuck with me.
Posted on July 12, 2008 7:43 AM
Actually rahrah it isn't the yankees, it's your people in the DOT who are being paid by the developers who want the roads into their developments. There are a lot of new roads out in the middle of nowhere being built for present and future developments. That is first-hand knowledge.
And Gay missed one place the money is going..into the pockets of the people who run the DOT. The DOT was once cleaned out of all the crooked people...but they didn't get ALL of them.
In NC...money talks and who cares what the people want or need.
Posted on July 12, 2008 9:48 AM
The DOT is a money vacuum....
Posted on July 12, 2008 1:31 PM
but who do you think those developments are forrrr?
Posted on July 12, 2008 1:35 PM
Excellent letter Gay! I absolutely agree.
TJ said: "it's your people in the DOT who are being paid by the developers who want the roads into their developments."
TJ, from what I've seen, it works the other way. First development occurs without consideration of roads or other means of transportation. Then, the roads get congested. Next, people clamor to have the roads widened. Lastly, governmental officials dutifully allocate tax dollars for that purpose.
I suggest we let the roads stay congested, but provide alternatives such as HOV lanes, rail lines, more bus routes, etc. We'd end up with fewer cars on the road, less pollution and less energy consumption.
Posted on July 12, 2008 3:48 PM