Huntsville Highways and Roads

[Southron]

If widening roads is looked at like the primary solution to these traffic issues, then it will never get better. I've yet to see a fast growning community keep up with road construction. Personally, I think the main solutions in this area is to entice people to live closer to their place of employment. Less distance commuting means less traffic on the roads. Good schools, nice parks, recreation and entertainment options would help. Widening roads needs to be done in some cases, but in many cases it is a band aid, not a cure.

[Southron]

Since when does ALDOT care about transit? Joe McInnes went on APT's "For The Record" a few months ago and said that ALDOT would never fund public transit.

I read the BRAC Impact Study on the city of Huntsville's website, and I was surprised at how little transit was involved in the plan. If the congestion is going to be as bad as the study suggests, we as a region seriously need to begin looking at rail/express bus options. At the very least we need a transit plan of some sort.

[kayman]

Yea, we need a regional mass tranist system. Rail, buses, taxis, the works. If we did all that, there wouldn't be any need for improving the roads soooooo much.

[HSVTiger]

If McInnes said that, then he's grossly incompetent and should be fired immediately. Shame on Gov. Riley for appointing him. He should be lobbying the legislature for transit funding instead of promoting business as usual.

Without substantial transit options, I don't see how any long-range transportation plan could possibly be taken seriously.

[rnc]

Amen. Building and widening roads induces more traffic and encourages people to move further out. This strategy will result in a long-term exponential increase in traffic problems, which is exactly what the road-building lobby wants: an excuse for a never-ending gravy train of taxpayers' money.

[kayman]

"The span of transportation modes covered by the update includes roads and bridges, transit, bicycle and pedestrian needs, and freight transportation."

Since when does ALDOT care about transit? Joe McInnes went on APT's "For The Record" a few months ago and said that ALDOT would never fund public transit. He lost my support during that interview.

I read the BRAC Impact Study on the city of Huntsville's website, and I was surprised at how little transit was involved in the plan. If the congestion is going to be as bad as the study suggests, we as a region seriously need to begin looking at rail/express bus options. At the very least we need a transit plan of some sort.

[kayman]

Amen. Building and widening roads induces more traffic and encourages people to move further out. This strategy will result in a long-term exponential increase in traffic problems, which is exactly what the road-building lobby wants: an excuse for a never-ending gravy train of taxpayers' money.

[Alabadrock]

Not only that, but it continues to push an anti-urban and non-sustainable atmosphere in the state when it comes to development. Although this is a problem throughout the entire Southeast, we should be setting an example for other states to follow rather than falling in line.

[kayman]

if there has been a glaring failure in Governors Riley administration it is with ALDOT. The Governor has come out supporting McInnes

and he probably is an outstanding person but as director, not so much. The Governor is a big supporter of revamping the red tape agency

but so far we haven't seen it.

[kayman]

ALDOT, for some reason, doesn't like to take any kind of a risk. Why not? Who knows where the world would be today if no one took risks. Look at Atlanta with the Olympics, it's a perfect example. Their transit system might not be a great model to go by, but, economically, they're a pretty good example.

[Alabadrock]

Although this is slightly off topic, MARTA is a product of a cooperation of Fulton and DeKalb Counties via home rule. I believe it was up to Madison County Commission, there would be a reasonable funded public transit system in the county.

[kayman]

Well, the reason that I don't think ATL is a good example for a transit system is because the state doesn't fund mass transit. I think that's right. So, Alabama doesn't need to be like them. The fact that ATL has to rely on a transit system that is funded just by some counties and not the state is sad. States should make a reasonable effort to extend funding to these projects.

[HSVTiger]

BRAC impact on roads, basically what we know, ALDOT has done a poor job of keeping up. They are strictly a reaction action agency vs a

proactive one.

To help plan for those increases, the city hired the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Alabama to study the effect of the moves. The center's report, "Huntsville Area BRAC Transfers: Economic and Transportation Impact Assessment" has been completed.

Steve Dinges, an assistant director in the Huntsville Planning Department, will give an overview of the report to the Metropolitan Planning Organization at its Wednesday meeting.

The meeting begins at 4 p.m. in the City Council conference room on the seventh floor of City Hall.

The report's executive summary pulls no punches about what BRAC will mean for future traffic flow: "Congestion will become a serious problem if the expected growth occurs with no increase in the amount of roadway capacity in the network."

The report predicts that from 2005 to 2030, the miles that vehicles travel on local roads will double and the time spent driving will triple if road capacity is not increased.

The average speed on all roads will drop from 30.7 mph to 15.9 mph, and the miles of congested roads will increase from 1.35 percent of the total road miles to 15.6 percent.

But even without BRAC, the study said, area roads are already heading for worse congestion even if the MPO's 2030 transportation improvement plan of 114 road projects is fully implemented.

[Southron]

The thing that frustrates me is that there are endless examples of other cities that have tried to fix traffic problems by building more roads and widening existing ones. It simply doesn't work due to the things you mentioned. When will communities figure it out?

[jmanhsv]

According to State Sen. Tom Butler, ALDOT has committed to build an interchange at Zierdt and 565 if the "Shoppes at River Bend" development goes through. He also said that a VA "megaclinic" was planned near the proposed interchange.

Huntsville Times . But watch out- ALDOT's never really good at commitment. I think they said the same thing about the Southern Bypass a few years ago, and not a shovel has been turned on that project.

[Huntsville_secede]

Hey what's the status of the Service Road along US 72, didn't they have a meeting for the preliminary approval of it last week. Also wasn't winchester road widening supposed to start in the spring? And I know US 72 is supposed to have a shopping center on the right side at Moores Mill when will this be built? I'm assuming sometime related to the construction of the road, I want answers this slowness is making me angry!

[jmanhsv]

^The Winchester Road widening from Valhalla to Moores Mill was supposed to start in 2001. So I'm not surprised that there is no progress. Hopefully it will begin soon. I don't know about the other projects, but the Moores Mill/72 overpass is expected to begin next year, according to ALDOT's draft State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) for 2008-2011. So add 10 years for "right-of-way/utility problems" and another 5 for construction, so we should have completion around 2023.

[Alabadrock]

^The Winchester Road widening from Valhalla to Moores Mill was supposed to start in 2001. So I'm not surprised that there is no progress. Hopefully it will begin soon. I don't know about the other projects, but the Moores Mill/72 overpass is expected to begin next year, according to ALDOT's draft State Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) for 2008-2011. So add 10 years for "right-of-way/utility problems" and another 5 for construction, so we should have completion around 2023.

[kayman]

O-M-G, did you actually figure out the ALDOT secret timing formula WOoooooooooW!

[Alabadrock]

All you go to do is basically start with 20 years and add or subtract the number of years by the length of the simplity of the project. Take Corridor X (I-22) for example, it would linear route that normally take 10-15 years to construct where as ALDOT has made it into a 40 year project. ALDOT has a habit of making the easiest projects the most complicated to complete whereas the most complicated the easiest to complete. Another example the 2 bridges in Malfunction Junction in Birmingham, both completed with in 3 months although a complete interchange overhaul (replacing the twisting arrangement of the bridges with the right-turn exit ramps and flyovers) should have been considered instead that would have offer a long-term solution.

[HSVTiger]

the ALDOT stupidity continues, cities held hostage by this inept bunch of good ole boys, this in regard to the Southern Bypass which would be funded by congress if the state would request the money, now they have have stalled too long. This means they don't really have to work on this project,and can focus on their pet projects . Now they are screwing the city without even trying to hide it

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/kcl....xml&coll=1

The Alabama Department of Transportation is re-evaluating the corridor study of the bypass's proposed route because there has been no major action taken on the project for more than three years, Johnny Harris, the DOT Division 1 engineer, said last week.

Another problem is that no money has been appropriated for final design or construction of the bypass, Harris said. Construction, he said, is "still a few years away."

The Federal Highway Administration requires the state or local government to re-evaluate a corridor study for any proposed road that involves federal money if no major action has been taken on the project within three years.

The re-evaluation involves determining if there are potential environmental problems or significant archeological or historical sites in the corridor, Harris said. Though that work had been done several years ago, regulations require that it be done again because of the time lapse and to make sure nothing was missed.

Identifying possible archeological sites will involve more digging off the arsenal, Harris said.

[codyg1985]

the ALDOT stupidity continues, cities held hostage by this inept bunch of good ole boys, this in regard to the Southern Bypass which would be funded by congress if the state would request the money, now they have have stalled too long. This means they don't really have to work on this project,and can focus on their pet projects . Now they are screwing the city without even trying to hide it

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/kcl....xml&coll=1

The Alabama Department of Transportation is re-evaluating the corridor study of the bypass's proposed route because there has been no major action taken on the project for more than three years, Johnny Harris, the DOT Division 1 engineer, said last week.

Another problem is that no money has been appropriated for final design or construction of the bypass, Harris said. Construction, he said, is "still a few years away."

The Federal Highway Administration requires the state or local government to re-evaluate a corridor study for any proposed road that involves federal money if no major action has been taken on the project within three years.

The re-evaluation involves determining if there are potential environmental problems or significant archeological or historical sites in the corridor, Harris said. Though that work had been done several years ago, regulations require that it be done again because of the time lapse and to make sure nothing was missed.

Identifying possible archeological sites will involve more digging off the arsenal, Harris said.

[Alabadrock]

Road List in Madison upsets officials

A recent draft of road projects made by the MPO has stalled the opening of the widening of Old Madison Pike to 2012.

Mayor Kirkindall said that it has been delayed yet again, but, nothing is concrete yet, so, things could change.

Of course, this is all after Bob Riley mentioned last September that completion would be moved up to November because of economic activity.

Road list upsets Madison officials

[Huntsville_secede]

We need to organize an uprising and overthrow ALDOT

Road List in Madison upsets officials

A recent draft of road projects made by the MPO has stalled the opening of the widening of Old Madison Pike to 2012.

Mayor Kirkindall said that it has been delayed yet again, but, nothing is concrete yet, so, things could change.

Of course, this is all after Bob Riley mentioned last September that completion would be moved up to November because of economic activity.

Road list upsets Madison officials

[Sherlock]

We need to organize an uprising and overthrow ALDOT