70 replies to this topic

[teshadoh]

I'm as pro-transit / smart growth / anti-sprawl as most on this forum, but interstate access for the rural areas & urbanized areas further than 50 miles is a necessity.  I agree too that discussing interstate highways is not comparable to making a stance against rail, both passenger & freight.  Passenger rail best serves centrally populated areas & freight rail best serves inter-modal & long distance shipments.  That leaves a large enough room for the necessity of expanding the interstate highway system (& modernizing).  

The main issue really is land use.

Regarding economic impact - compare any small town that is 10 miles from a freeway & any small town that is not, it is a huge difference.  I was reminded that driving through western Texas through Amarillo to Dallas, even though it was a major 4 lane highway, most of the towns were economically depressed due to being isolated.  And let's be honest - the places nationwide that we typically consider to be the most isolated are usually those towns that are far removed from interstate access.  Compare Tifton, GA & Waycross, GA for that matter - both the same size but Tifton's economy has boomed in the past couple of decades as Waycross has been comparatively dormant.

[aboutmetro]

teshadoh, on Apr 2 2008, 05:49 PM, said:

I'm as pro-transit / smart growth / anti-sprawl as most on this forum, but interstate access for the rural areas & urbanized areas further than 50 miles is a necessity.  I agree too that discussing interstate highways is not comparable to making a stance against rail, both passenger & freight.  Passenger rail best serves centrally populated areas & freight rail best serves inter-modal & long distance shipments.  That leaves a large enough room for the necessity of expanding the interstate highway system (& modernizing).  

The main issue really is land use.

Regarding economic impact - compare any small town that is 10 miles from a freeway & any small town that is not, it is a huge difference.  I was reminded that driving through western Texas through Amarillo to Dallas, even though it was a major 4 lane highway, most of the towns were economically depressed due to being isolated.  And let's be honest - the places nationwide that we typically consider to be the most isolated are usually those towns that are far removed from interstate access.  Compare Tifton, GA & Waycross, GA for that matter - both the same size but Tifton's economy has boomed in the past couple of decades as Waycross has been comparatively dormant.

That sounds like a very reasoned comment.  I too am pro-mass transit in areas that make it work economically.  I'm definately smart growth, not necessarily anti-sprawl, but I wish it didn't happen at the expense of other styles of residential development like mixed use and higher density vertical residential.  The south in particular was very rural 50 years ago and by end of the next 50 years is expected to be home to half the nation's population. So all forms of transportation need to be on the table, in my opinion.

[aboutmetro]

The Southwest Georgia Interstate DOT group has finally added a comment formto its website.

[pinetree221]

Good grief!  It is hard enough to find the money to maintain the interstate system we have now.  How on earth are we going to maintain a system that is so much bigger?

[aboutmetro]

pinetree221, on Jul 6 2008, 11:55 PM, said:

Good grief!  It is hard enough to find the money to maintain the interstate system we have now.  How on earth are we going to maintain a system that is so much bigger?

I think a combination of revenue sources might include 1) a conversion of some heavily traveled interstates to toll roads, 2) a regional sales tax, and 3) a regional gas tax.  Some of these revenues might also be used to support companion mass transit options.  A source of revenue for maintaining existing roads is the existing fuel taxes.  Many of these taxes are diverted and used for things like sidewalks, riverwalks and all kinds of low use 'transportation' projects.

Edited by aboutmetro, 08 July 2008 - 05:53 AM.

[Southron]

pinetree221, on Jul 6 2008, 10:55 PM, said:

Good grief!  It is hard enough to find the money to maintain the interstate system we have now.  How on earth are we going to maintain a system that is so much bigger?

Yeah, it makes no sense to continue throwing billions of dollars down this drain.  We'd be better off investing in rail projects for inter-state travel and mass transit within our metro areas.  The interstate highway system became a huge boondoggle when hard-headed politicians decided to misuse it as a commuter highway system, rather than what it was intended for.

[aboutmetro]

GA DOT Commissioner Evans said this morning at a Chamber breakfast in Lagrange that the limited access highway (aka I-14) between Augusta and Columbus was a high priority for her administration.

[aboutmetro]

The city of College Station TX has joined the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway System Coalition.  The organization exists to promote the I-14 development in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi. KBTX article:
 I_14_CollegeStTX.pdf   30.24K   49 downloads

[Johnny Ryall]

Memphis will be the future southeastern juggernaut when it comes to interstate highways. Already in the region are I-55 (St.Louis-Jackson), I-40 (Little Rock-Nashville), I-240 (Inner Loop), I-155 (Dyersburg Spur) & I-69 (Houston-Indianapolis [existing/under development). Soon to come are I-555 (Memphis-Jonesboro), I-22 (Memphis-Birmingham) & I-269 (outer Loop). Also in long term development is High Priority Corridor 7 (Memphis-Atlanta) which mostly follows the route of U.S. Hwy 72.

[aboutmetro]

The FHA has a great series of maps showing population density along Interstates since 1950. Follow this link to the page.

Of course, this one is one of my favorites - One of the original planning maps for the Eisenhower Interstate System.

[Antrell Williams]

Since the Baton Rouge metro has few north-south arteries, and I-55 is  outside of the metro, I drew this up. It's been in my head for some time  now, figured I'd post it here.

The major cities it traverses through would be (from south to north)  Houma, Baton Rouge, roughly following Hwy 61 (Airline Hwy) to Natchez,  Monroe, possibly El Dorado, Pine Bluff, and using I-530 to connect to  Little Rock/Conway.
The route could continue north to Springfield, MO using U.S. 65's route.

The stretch of I-XX that would pass through our beloved Baton Rouge  would be in the eastern part of the parish, giving the north side  (Zachary, NBR, St. Francisville, etc) a faster connection to the city.

What do you all think about it? Do we need it? This could permanently  replace the I-410 proposals that come up, while being cheaper for the  city itself (not sure) and not encouraging sprawl like the loop would  have done.

Keeping up with numbering rules, it would have to be either I-51 or I-53.

LA-AK stretch, each blue dot is representative of each of the major cities.



LA/MS stretch

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