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City Council talks roads
Published Wednesday, November 18, 2009
City leaders discussed a plan Wednesday to fund $1.17 million worth of transportation improvements in the coming fiscal year with money from the general fund.
About $1 million would go toward intersection construction in the city, while $170,000 would be used for channel dredging. City leaders are waiting on responses from federal grants for key projects, one in particular being the widening of U.S. Route 58.
The capital improvements plan is a preliminary 10-year overview of the projects city leaders anticipate needing during that time period. Each year, the plan is updated and the first year of the plan is incorporated into the budget process.
Public Works director Eric Nielsen presented the city’s transportation priorities to City Council during its meeting Wednesday. The planning commission is scheduled to review the plan next month, and Council will adopt a version of the plan early next year.
The many projects on the table include widenings of Holland Road, Bridge Road and Nansemond Parkway, the replacement of the Kings Highway Bridge, and more.
Holland Road operated in 2008 at level of service “B,” on a six-letter scale from A through F, according to a study done by the Hampton Roads Planning District Commission in June 2008. However, several developments along the corridor have since been approved by City Council, including the massive 930-acre CenterPoint Properties intermodal park. If nothing is done or if only spot improvements are made, that segment of road will be at level “F” in 2017, according to the study. A widening to six lanes will bring it up to a “B.”
A similar scenario is true for Bridge Road. In 2008, the road had an “A” rating during the morning rush hour and a “B” rating during the afternoon rush hour. However, if no or only minor improvements are made by 2018, the road will be at level “D” during the afternoon rush hour, according to a study by the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization. A widening to six lanes would pull the road up to level A, B or C, depending on the rush hour and which other improvements are made.
“The costs of doing nothing could be detrimental to the economic vitality of the area surrounding this corridor and the overall qualify of life for many Suffolk, Isle of Wight and Chesapeake residents,” the study said.
The city is due to find out next year whether it will be accepted for a federal stimulus grant to help pay for the Holland Road widening. The city submitted its application this summer for a Grant for Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER Grant.
City Councilman Charles Parr put forth an idea for funding the projects by using the first year of tax dollars from new developments for transportation. Budget Officer Anne Seward agreed it sounded like a good idea.
“They’re not dollars we’ve built into the budget, they’re not dollars we have a purpose for, I truly see it as a win-win.”
The entire capital improvements plan will be discussed by the Planning Commission in an upcoming meeting.
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Comments
Posted by OD (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 5:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)
And this money for expansion of transportation projects is coming out of the general fund. My question is where is the 3 million that Centerpoint offered in for road immprovents around the industrial crown jewel of Suffolk at? That money should in my opinion been deposited into its own account and spent as to what it was provided for, not placed into the general fund to be spent elsewhere at the whim of the mayor and council. This way no one at Market Street can say "We dont have the money" Holland road will have to wait.With all of the traffic problems out there as it is now, it wont take a 500.00 an hour lawyer to bust the city general fund and more in a law suit due to gross mis management when one is injured or killed because of road improvements not being done. There surely will be a closed door meeting over that possibility.
Posted by NP (anonymous) on November 19, 2009 at 7:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I am glad to see the city talking about infrastruture! I was suprised to see that Holland road was at level B though. When driving it seems to have more traffic than that. I suppose it feels that way because it is a poorly constructed highway. I travel this road twice a day and it is a dangerous road. On the right side of the road there is a narrow shoulder and ont the left there is no shoulder. In my opinion the existing road should not be widened but a new bypass should be built. Especially with the coming develpment. Why have tractor trailers entering and exiting a 6 lane road? Build a bypass with its' own exits and on ramps for the Centerpoint area. This road is already unsafe. Safety should be the primary factor concerning this road. How many more wrecks will it take? How long before a school bus gets hit from behind? I am not a big proponent of "build it and they will come." But, Suffolk has done a poor job of building basic infrastructure before development as a whole. The commerce parks are great but getting to them safely is a big problem. You're right OD where is the $3 million from Centerpoint?
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