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Charlotte's Outerbelt / Outerloop

Neo

By Neo
in Charlotte

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DigitalSky City

DigitalSky

Posted
Posted

Yeah, but even with your headlights it's still kind of dark, especially late at night when you can't follow someone else's tail lights...

It's funny how I-440 in Raleigh carries eight to six lanes, and Charlotte's 485 carries four lanes where there are a lot of people and six lanes where there is nobody (but I guess they finally caught on and realized they need to plan ahead).  I don't understand the NCDOT at all. :blink:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Of course the NC DOT puts Raleigh 1st

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JunktionFET Hamlet

JunktionFET

Posted
Posted

Yeah, but even with your headlights it's still kind of dark, especially late at night when you can't follow someone else's tail lights...

It's funny how I-440 in Raleigh carries eight to six lanes, and Charlotte's 485 carries four lanes where there are a lot of people and six lanes where there is nobody (but I guess they finally caught on and realized they need to plan ahead).  I don't understand the NCDOT at all. :blink:

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I-440 has a circumference of around 24 miles and the basic freeway (US1) has been around since the 1960s. It was expanded to 6-8 lanes throughout the northern arc back in early 90s because it was literally shut down at rush hour, and only getting worse. The western part (near Meredith College) south to I-40 is still exactly the way it was back in the 60s (4 lanes) with only new pavement and signage since then.

It is a completely different type of freeway than I-485. Raleigh's I-440 is built at the same diameter from the CBD as Charlotte's Runnymede/Wendover/Eastway (Charlotte Route 4). I-485 is a much newer and also MUCH larger freeway--more than 2.5 times the circumference, travelling through areas of lower density than I-440.

If you all want to go on about the NCDOT being unfair, try I-540. It is actually a little bit larger than I-485 (by a couple of miles), and is built with a minimum of 6 lanes. Of course, I-540 started construction long after the 4-lane sections of I-485 had been built. I guess the NCDOT learned a thing or two in Charlotte. Sucks being the first, eh? :D

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Raintree21 Town

Raintree21

Posted
Posted

N.C.'s urban beltway funding sets priorities in Fayetteville

A draft plan for state highway spending shows Fayetteville would be the big winner in funding for urban loop construction, going from nearly nothing in recent years to 19 percent of the money available over the next six years.

The state's Board of Transportation is expected to vote July 7 on a spending plan for 2006 through 2012.

Including the current fiscal year, the plan includes $1.4 billion for the 10 urban loops throughout the state, which are in various stages of planning and construction.

A draft of the plan shows Fayetteville's share of loop money would increase from almost nothing to 19 percent of the $1.4 billion

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ChiefJoJo Town

ChiefJoJo

Posted
Posted

lots of DOT bashing here... its all politics gentlemen. If you want more roads, vote the state legislators in office that will change the laws to provide a greater benefit to urban areas (instead of complaining on a message board). Also come to public meetings and express your displeasure:

2006-12 Draft TIP Mtg for Metrolina Region

May 18, 2 - 4 pm (reg. begins at 1pm)

Cornelius Community Hall

21445 Catawba Ave.

^That's my best advice.

monsoon: please refer folks to my old NCDOT thread (on the general NC board)for some of these answers...

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dubone Megalopolis

dubone

Posted
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even now, 485 is counted as a rural project!

The way money is distributed means charlotte gets a small chunk of what they need overall.  the high cost of meeting all the standards for the roads to carry the biggest trucks and last a generation (sort of).  even if the technocrats (the good guys) are completely aware that it won't work right, the budgetary/funding decisions are completely political and the little guys are stuck with what they have. 

http://www.ncdot.org/planning/development/...s/pdf/div10.pdf

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

^see, chief, i read your thread :).

Do you have an answer on why 485 (or any projects in Meck county for that matter) are classified as rural?

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ChiefJoJo Town

ChiefJoJo

Posted
Posted

^see, chief, i read your thread :).

Do you have an answer on why 485 (or any projects in Meck county for that matter) are classified as rural?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

When NCDOT assigned these projects for planning, design, etc., it was some time in the early 80s I think. At that time, you can bet that all the sections of where 485 is now were then, in fact, rural as designated by the census bureau--which is what determines the project classification (e.g., Rural, Interstate, Urban, etc.). US Census Bureau classifies urbanized areas as continiguous areas with a population density of at least 1000 persons per square mile.

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SmellyCat Burg

SmellyCat

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Posted

When NCDOT assigned these projects for planning, design, etc., it was some time in the early 80s I think.  At that time, you can bet that all the sections of where 485 is now were then, in fact, rural as designated by the census bureau--which is what determines the project classification (e.g., Rural, Interstate, Urban, etc.).  US Census Bureau classifies urbanized areas as continiguous areas with a population density of at least 1000 persons per square mile.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe that's why it has no lighting. :cry:

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dubone Megalopolis

dubone

Posted
Posted

i can't believe the local leaders changed their tune when the local delegation to the legislature ripped them a new one a few months ago.

McC and the Gang were talking all tough about how they need the state to pay for state responsibilities and stop stiffing charlotte on the funding scheme... but when the delegation came and told them that they were doing a lot already, the local leaders just got redfaced and started kowtowing.

I wish they'd turned around and asked about the tens of millions that charlotte city taxpayers cover in state responsibilities, and the hundreds of millions in transportation needs in this region that can't get built because we subsidize the rest of the state. I partly blame DOT because their boss, Lyndo, pushed the law for the current funding scheme. But it is the local delegation's fault for not figuring out how to reverse the error.

Honestly, I am starting to think that the state should only be responsible for interestates and us highways, and that everything else should be county responsibility. That way, the populous/rich counties can afford to meet the needs of their citizens and the nonpopulous/poor counties don't waste money, when gravel works just fine for their rural population.

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