To the editor:
Not being part of the local power structure, I cannot for the life of me understand why so many powerful people who are usually so practical keep opposing a South Lawrence Trafficway route south of the Wakarusa River. I believe we'd have it built by now if they weren't so insistent. The reasons given in letters like those of George Lauppe (Aug. 8) and Richard Smith (Aug. 16) just don't make sense to me.
1. The Kansas Department of Transportation models showed four years ago neither route makes an appreciable difference to traffic on 23rd Street.
2. The cost difference between the routes is controversial, but in any case, it's nothing as compared with the costs of delay and impasse.
3. The opponents seem to spend most of their time making angry complaints about how misguided the swamp lovers are. But so what? Practical people should just want to get the road built.
4. They say they are going to win the lawsuit. Even assuming they're right, how much time will that all take?
5. They say a southern route would open up the southlands to development. My friends, the city's comprehensive plan calls for putting 20,000 houses there within maybe 15 years. Aren't all those houses going to need a southern SLT?
I can't help wondering what the big deal is. Are some people's real estate interests involved? The Journal-World really ought do some investigative reporting on this.
Walter Emerson,
Lawrence
Comments
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merrill (anonymous) says…
As a fiscal conservative it only makes economic sense to pick another route instead of waiting for many other court hearings,continuances,appeals etc. etc etc. KDOT can make the bridge to nowhere work with any new plan. Mr Emerson is making a sensible statement in the letter.
Even if KDOT wins the lawsuit to build the SLT, they have no money for it until maybe 2012, if ever (some local rumors say never). KDOT's highway funding formula supposedly now has become a 20-80% ratio, the 80% being local monies (according to Planning Commissioners), and Michael Wildgen has said Lawrence has no money for building 31st St. extended (though they may own some of the ROW).
We have sitting commissioners who refuse to raise taxes for most anything. However at least two county commissioners
are part of the development community who would not bat an eye when increasing your taxes for a road. I would rather cut a deal with KTA than have my tax dollars be used for a road that I can personally live without.
With or without the trafficway/bypass rush hours will likely be same load on 23 rd and 31st because developers already have plans for more housing SOR. If one must be built you move it to the point of new traffic so we don't build two trafficways. It's called logical compromise.
If or when this bypass is built 23rd street then becomes the full resposibility of the city for maintaining = increase in budget. As of this moment KDOT is very much responsible for 23rd/Clinton Parkway.
Some local officials hope to connect the Eastern Connection Highway with I-70 and have KTA pay for it. Parts of this would likely need to be a city,county and KTA partnership.
lunacydetector (anonymous) says…
ummmm.....the corps of engineers considered the sprawl that would be generated if the road goes further south, so they rejected the most southern route.
isn't it ironic, that the anti-growth people want a more costly road constructed further south that will essentially generate far more growth and SPRAWL? don't forget all that infrastructure cost (that never pays for itself -whatever!) that will go along with all that growth.