Traffic Congestion and Highway Construction

[voyager12]

Do you think Charlotte will eventually be able to support a Zipcar service? There is an interesting article about them in the NYT Sunday Magazine.

[InitialD]

My guess is probably around 20 years though I think the tracks remained there for another decade before they were torn out. There was a crossing on IBM drive slightly west of the intersection with Neal Rd. If you look closely you can still see signs of it. It's a bit of a shame they didn't preserve the ROW as this could have been used to offer spur train service both the former IBM facility, and also to the First Union/Wachovia/Wells CTC as well as all the other stuff built in the area. Note that it connects to the same track where the North CR is supposed to run.

Interesting. I'm half-seriously working on a plan for Derita's Doby Creek Greenway, and it will incorporate part of the old railroad bed. The Doby Creek greenway will (in my mind) connect the Mallard Creek Greenway to City Blvd and then Mineral Springs Rd. The railroad bed section of the greenway will connect to Nevin rd. Working on a map right now.

EDIT: Hmmm seems like somebody beat me to it.

Edited March 9, 2009 by InitialD

[uptownliving]

The Annual TAP (Transportation Action Plan) Report was recently released by Charlotte. This report shows how the City is doing against our Transportation Planning Goals.

Some interesting stats from the 2008 report:

-67.7% of New Multi Family Housing went in a Center or Corridor.

-98.7% of New Office Development went in a Center or Corridor.

-57% of City Population is within 1/4 mile of a Local Transit Route

-52.8% of City Population is within 1/4 mile of Shopping

-15.7% of City Population is within 1/4 mile of a Park

-12.2% of City Population is within 1/4 mile of a School

In 2008 LESS people live within a 1/4 mile of School, Park, and Local Transit Route than in 2004. This means the City is sprawling and spreading out more which is a bad thing.

It is an interesting report and it is good to see that they actually care about all the planning docs they pass and how they have measured up to them.

Read Report Here

Now all we have to do is hold the City Council's feet to the fire to make sure they follow the Centers Corridors and Wedges plan.

[ChiefJoJo]

Finally, folks are waking up that the Gaston Parkway is going to be a colossal waste of taxpayer money. If built, it would probably be the biggest boondoggle in NC history.

[Neo]

Mary Newsom has a new blog entry that goes against what many in this city desire, to finish 485. I know we've been over it before, but I'm surprised that something like this appeared in the media. At this point we're so close to finishing the loop we might as well get it over with and move on, but it is worth reading another viewpoint on the matter, even if it is hashing out most of what has already been discussed here again.

[nyxmike]

I agree - it is too late anyways. With 5 miles left to go, it should be finished. I actually think the last section of 485 is the only section that really makes sense. It connects 2 major highways (77 and 85) in our region together.

[tozmervo]

I agree - it is too late anyways. With 5 miles left to go, it should be finished. I actually think the last section of 485 is the only section that really makes sense. It connects 2 major highways (77 and 85) in our region together.

Don't all the sections of 485 do that?

[nyxmike]

Don't all the sections of 485 do that?

It can be argued that the reason 485 was built was to promote development and not for connectivity. This is a short, 5 mile section that connects 2 major highways. Look at a map - the other sections are all much longer.

Edited April 2, 2009 by nyxmike

[Spartan]

Interstates do not enhance connectivity.

Mary Newsom has got it dead on. To build it just to 'get it over with' is not a good enough reason.

[Miesian Corners]

The North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association and The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Department of Geography

are hosting the panel discussion: "Planning for Sustainability: Views from UNC Charlotte Alumni". The panelists will comprise UNC Charlotte alumni currently working in the planning field. They will present their ideas for one hour followed by questions from the floor. Complimentary hors d

[InitialD]

The North Carolina Chapter of the American Planning Association and The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Department of Geography

are hosting the panel discussion: "Planning for Sustainability: Views from UNC Charlotte Alumni". The panelists will comprise UNC Charlotte alumni currently working in the planning field. They will present their ideas for one hour followed by questions from the floor. Complimentary hors d

[Miesian Corners]

Do you have a link?

There's no "link" to speak of. I got the message via email from NCAPA and UNC Charlotte Geography.

[southslider]

http://www.uncc.edu/campusevents/event_det...p?eventID=12697

[Spartan]

Here is an interesting article from the New York Times about this stimulus funding for transportation projects. It seems that across the nation, projects are being disproportionally funded in rural areas. They mentioned specifically that of the $423 million in transportation projects approved so far in North Carolina, Mecklenburg has only received $7.8million, and I will add that neither of those roads are in the city. One is widening NC-51 in Pineville to the South Carolina line, and the other is in the northeast area somewhere outside of the city limits.

Link

[krazeeboi]

Won't urban areas be getting their fair share with the funds tied directly to the USDOT budget? I think I remember reading something to that effect.

[Otto]

Here is an interesting article from the New York Times about this stimulus funding for transportation projects. It seems that across the nation, projects are being disproportionally funded in rural areas. They mentioned specifically that of the $423 million in transportation projects approved so far in North Carolina, Mecklenburg has only received $7.8million, and I will add that neither of those roads are in the city. One is widening NC-51 in Pineville to the South Carolina line, and the other is in the northeast area somewhere outside of the city limits.

Link

Please note that MUMPO (Mecklenburg-Union Metropolitan Planning Organization) selected which projects to get stimulus funding.

[Spartan]

Its still an extremely low number for the most populous and most urban county in North Carolina.

[monsoon]

Its still an extremely low number for the most populous and most urban county in North Carolina.

I am not sure of your point. Charlotte got tens of millions from other buckets in the stimulus plan for transit that other parts of NC didn't get.

[Spartan]

My point is that we didn't get much money for roads and other types of transportation besides transit. This is not a difficult concept.

[monsoon]

.... This is not a difficult concept.

I had assumed you might be making some point beyond stating the obvious. Sorry for asking.

[ChiefJoJo]

Please note that MUMPO (Mecklenburg-Union Metropolitan Planning Organization) selected which projects to get stimulus funding.

The problem with the stimulus is that the antiquated funding and delivery system that we have in NC & around the nation, which favors transportation projects in suburban and rural areas, produced a very small list of projects that were available for selection ("shovel ready") for funding. Basically, the projects that are being built today, are the ones that were planned 8-10 years ago under these programs. That's what you get when you try to funnel $billions through antiquated Eisenhower era legacy programs focused on building out our national and interstate highways (which don't need building out anymore). So, as the NYT article points out, it's no mistake that that the resulting highway projects have tended to be built outside major urban areas, with the exception of urban transit programs which are heavily biased towards cities (for good reason, that's where the people live and work).

For a better bang for the urban roadway buck, it might have been a better idea to (1) favor some programs that allowed more flexibility on how they can be used or (2) directly inject funds from the feds to cities with a certain minimum population (100k, 250k) for transportation projects, instead of funneling through the state DOTs (DOHs?). This might have allowed the City of Charlotte to spend some stimulus dollars on city-led roadway, bike, or ped projects. Of course, given the state of the economy at the time, I imagine there was little to no discussion in Washington taking place regarding ways to make smart transportation investment strategies under the stimulus package, despite the existence of horribly outdated federal programs that were not designed to deal with today's problems.

We should also remind ourselves that the stimulus was primarily about creating jobs, not necessarily making smart transportation investments. The transportation (& land use connection) reform will hopefully come within the next 2 years or so.

[monsoon]

It appears that Purdue has asked the federal government for an additional $300M from the federal government to rebuild the I-85 bridge over the Yadkin river. This is a project often discussed in this topic.

[nyxmike]

It appears that Purdue has asked the federal government for an additional $300M from the federal government to rebuild the I-85 bridge over the Yadkin river. This is a project often discussed in this topic.

Here is the website for the project: http://www.ncdot.gov/recovery/i85corridor/

You can read the letter sent to the feds as well as view pictures and a video rendering of the Yadkin River Bridge/I-85 widening project.

[monsoon]

The head of Division 10 of the NCDOT has said that contractor quotes for performing on the stimulus money projects are coming in low and hence there is more money available for other uses. His theory for the reason for the low quotes is the contractors really need the work so are being more competitive on their bids. He has sent a request to the MPO for recommendations. Regardless of their recommendations, apparently this head gets to make the final decision and it sounds as if he is looking at spending the extra money on the Hwy 73 widening between Hwy 115 and Hwy 21. (Exit 25 in Huntersville) This obviously comes with the support of the local politicians there as it means the town won't have to spend its own money on the project. They also question why this project is 7th on the list when it ought to be first.

[dubone]

I was wondering, with all this talk of making 485 happen as soon as possible, why can't the state build it like they are building the next leg of Raleigh's outer loop, as a Turnpike project. This is certainly a roadway with may alternate routes to bypass it.

Also, I think it is sad that people think that it is better for the region if it is built sooner, but what people are being tricked on is that this project is being switched from the Loop Fund to the Garvee Bond funds. That is the whole reason it must be done in place of Independence Blvd because the only other Garvee Bond project in the region is 85 from 485 to NC73 in Cabarrus, which the powers that be don't want to delay. But Garvee Bonds are limited, so if 485 is done with it, then Independence can't later. Also, Loop Funds are only good for urban loops, which means if 485 is done with general money, that money will be LOST to the region forever, so over a ten year span, doing 485 with general money or Garvee Bond money will be a net reduction to the transportation infrastructure.

This is why the local planning organization MUMPO has gone back to the state asking them to find Loop fund money to free up to finish 485 earlier. The Governor was foolish to get everyone's hopes up but actually use people's ignorance to shoot themselves in the foot.

The only way I am wrong about the net loss is if the Garvee Bonds will be paid off by Loop Funds, but regardless, because they come from different funding sources, speeding up 485 does not even mean Independence can be built in the original timeframe that 485 was planned. It basically back to the indefinite delay that it has been on for 30 years.