The Commissioners are considering a resolution on this issue, and it is very important that they hear from all concerned citizens, especially those who live and work along the U.S. 280 corridor in Shelby County.
The address of the meeting is: 200 West College Street, Columbiana, AL 35051, Phone (205) 669-3740. Please plan to attend this important and informative meeting!
4 comments:
Best hope the Vincent quarry does not get approved. Rock is expensive to haul and that alone can be over half of a mines' operational costs.
It is much more convenient to supply this 280 project with materials from Vincent, than from the western side of the county.
The quarry's parent company, Vecillio and Grogan are one of the nation's largest road builders; so it is a win win situation for them.
I am a strong proponent of putting in an elevated light rail system from Chelsea into downtown Birmingham. The rail could have stops at major shopping centers such as Lee Branch, Brook Highland, somewhere in Inverness, The Summit, Brookwood, Mountain Brook Village/Homewood Area, and finally downtown Birmingham. This idea proposes a much smaller footprint on the 280 area. I lived in Charlotte, NC and saw the light rail system flurish in that area. Birmingham could do the same...
Is this movement dead? What's been happening since June 28th? I live off of 280 and am, despite traffic, desperately opposed to a multi-level toll road (Who is really going to pay those tolls anyway? Working-class Americans are going to be driving in the traffic on the lanes UNDER it!)
Birmingham has a huge problem with urban and suburban sprawl. We've simply over-expanded our infrastructure. The ReThink280 plan is a good way to temporarily solve the problem (although it will undoubtedly encourage even further sprawl out past Chelsea). Light Rail would be a better long-term solution. (We really need that anyway to move into the current century).
Ultimately, however, what Birmingham needs to do is revitalize our city center and make it an attractive place for families to live, to entice people out of far-reaching suburbs and back into town. We can't do that without a MUCH BETTER SCHOOL SYSTEM. Personally, I think they should not do ANYTHING to 280 and should put every penny of that money into education and urban renewal projects.
Well, I asked some speakers on WBHM's (NPR) show "on the line" about 1 year ago how this elevated hwy idea would be a good idea long term if and when gas prices get higher and higher, say 5 dollars per gallon?
I was told on that show by one of the speakers that I couldnt speculate about such a price hike long term....
Well, my diesel is 3.80 and rising right now and the middle east is looking increasingly instable - these gas spikes are devistating on the middle class, even if they are relatively short lived, and putting a bigger hwy for people to dive likely further still yet will be in my way so archaic and silly.
People just need to live closer to their jobs, carpool, light rail, we need to actually make policies that help our air quality, traffic congestion, and help people be more economically stable. Adding to the demand for oil is not going to help people.
If you do not like the congestion on 280, there are some houses for sale in Hoover in my neighborhood that are very nice, and well priced - very little traffic for me.
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