DonLibes
Premium,ExMod 2001
join:2003-01-19
1 edit | reply to nixen
Re: MC: falling apart and here's why
Yes, traffic will continue to increase but it will increase even faster due to the ICC. The State Highway Administration report admits it. The ICC will spur more development and the ICC will spur people to drive more. (Drivers are wonderfully sensitive to road conditions.) Of the intersections studied by the State Highway Administration, remarkably few will be aided significantly. Most of the intersections the SHA cites as "failing" will continue to be so.
Some roadways (e.g., the Beltway) will have increased traffic due to the ICC, negatively affecting the entire region. And in Montgomery County, the ICC will take away funding to expand and improve existing roads and intersections.
So if you want to claim that "the ICC is good for people," I'd have to add "but it's bad for others." On balance, I just don't see any overwhelming reason. Factor in the $3B cost and I can't imagine how anyone seriously supports it.
By the way, the report says it may be a toll road. (It includes analysis of usage at varying toll costs.)
The SHA report forcasts that by 2030:
• Number of jobs will grow by 32 percent.
• Population will grow by 24 percent.
However those figures are just for the study area. The figures are much higher for the region - for example, jobs in the region are expected to increase by 46%!!! So you can expect an even larger load placed on the road system by people moving through the area even though they don't live or work in MC. |
DonLibes
Premium,ExMod 2001
join:2003-01-19
| said by DonLibes  :So if you want to claim that "the ICC is good for people," I'd have to add "but it's bad for others." On balance, I just don't see any overwhelming reason. Factor in the $3B cost and I can't imagine how anyone seriously supports it. By the way, the report says it may be a toll road. (It includes analysis of usage at varying toll costs.) Looks like the MD Transportation Authority is pretty fixed on the idea of ICC tolls. (I guess the $3B base price is not enough.) The Gazette is reporting that the Transportation Authority is in the middle of a survey to "learn about motorists' willingness to pay tolls." |
