STOP the freeway expansion; Highway Department feeling some heat

[LiberalArkie]

I was happy to see John Brummett's column in the Democrat-Gazette this morning with support for state Rep. Warwick Sabin's idea — outlined in the Times recently — that the state Highway and Transportation Department rethink its plan to widen the swath of concrete that I-30 plows through the heart of the city. It will further destabilize neighboring territory and prevent impediments to redevelopment on the east side of Little Rock.

It won't be easy to stop this speeding semi-truck of tax spending.

In some Twitter exchanges last night, Highway Director Scott Bennett indicated the unhappiness with which the road-building authority is reacting to rising objections to its plan. He did not like being questioned about putting a project engineer as the lead "facilitator" of discussions on the project (maybe he should use Warwick Sabin he snarked.) I can understand the rancor. Public hearings have been marked recently by increasing unhappiness. He particularly did not like my view that it makes little sense for Little Rock to pay for and be punished by yet another scheme to move people to and from suburbs like Cabot more quickly.

Snip

http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2015/10/25/stop-the-freeway-expansion-highway-department-feeling-some-heat

[HassleCat]

1. An unfortunate trend

So many cities replace their old neighborhoods with freeway to facilitate the movement of suburbanites in and out of the city. The city itself benefits very little from all this, aside from the businesses who employ said suburbanites. It seems the only defense is gentrification, which has some drawbacks of its own.

[Hestia]

2. I understand that yes, something different is needed, but I also understand that there are some

hellacious wrecks on the bridge everyday. Status quo is dangerous. What gets me, is knowing that this was going to happen, why would you pour money into an area that will then be torn up to expansion. Benton & Bryant didn't get away with it when 30 was expanded, why should these people?

One way to get to come to a grinding halt - enact a local tax, where those who live outside Pulaski county but work within PAY their fair share of infrastructure costs. We are subsidizing 7 + counties. Should have been done back in the 1980s. Sprawl would never have happened here if it had.

Plus, what neighborhoods are they talking about? It is a shit hole on the east side of both LR & NLR. Half of the housing Needs to be torn down. Vibrant DT activity? Phooey - it will be dead within 5 years anyway. It'll be onto something new by then.