I guess some people don't want the city to plan for growth after all (Falls of Neuse Road Widening) (Raleigh: house)

[North_Raleigh_Guy]

So many complaints about Raleigh's lack of planning for growth, then when they finally do plan for the future, the current residents are the first people to cry foul. Interesting......

"The leaders of neighborhoods along Falls of Neuse Road agree that the congested thoroughfare needs to be widened and realigned. but they say the city's plans to make room there for a future limited-access, six-lane roadway are too ambitious."

newsobserver.com | Residents fault Falls widening (http://www.newsobserver.com/2903/story/1263985.html - broken link)

My favorite quotes from those against the larger road:

"Why are we going ahead and destroying our environment today?"

I wonder if this person was as concerned about the environment when their house and neighborhood was being built in that area? I'm guessing not.

"We shouldn't be building out for that extent for something 35 years from now when government money is as tight as it is anyway."

Yes, lets not actually plan for future growth. It's best to respond after it happens. So let's put this off and wait until traffic gets really bad. I'm sure the road construction costs will only have increased 10 fold by then.

[Jules_NC]

All I can say is something needs to be done sooner than later! Thanks for the link NRG.

[saturnfan]

Falls is a mess with lanes way too narrow in some areas.

[dansdrive]

Let me frame this issue under the golden arches. The Hamburger that exist today just doesn't cut the amount of fries that have to travel through that area everyday! This fry being one of them! Replacing it with the Big Mac (6 lane) road solution is not the answer either. I think the Double Cheese Burger will fit the driving appetite for a considerable amount of time! So my vote is for the Double Cheese Burger (4 lane) solution so all us fries can flow freely to and from the area!

...and since most of the areas drinking water comes from Falls Lake that goes under Falls of Nuese Road, I'll take the water and hold the soda and shake please!

[chuckreis]

As much as I hate the Sprawl, you have to open up those lanes before other things are built. Look at roads like Six Forks and Wake Forest north of the Beltline where the lanes are so narrow I have had people hit my side view mirror before.

[geoff2v]

Originally Posted by dansdrive

Let me frame this issue under the golden arches. The Hamburger that exist today just doesn't cut the amount of fries that have to travel through that area everyday! This fry being one of them! Replacing it with the Big Mac (6 lane) road solution is not the answer either. I think the Double Cheese Burger will fit the driving appetite for a considerable amount of time! So my vote is for the Double Cheese Burger (4 lane) solution so all us fries can flow freely to and from the area!

...and since most of the areas drinking water comes from Falls Lake that goes under Falls of Nuese Road, I'll take the water and hold the soda and shake please!

TWEET. I call a technical foul on the analogy! It popped at the beginning, but it just fizzes out at the end.

[tony23]

I'd say you need a few more transplanted Californians out there If you've ever lived in Southern California, you'll know the importance of planning your infrastructure decades in advance.

[papilgee4evaeva]

Originally Posted by dansdrive

Let me frame this issue under the golden arches. The Hamburger that exist today just doesn't cut the amount of fries that have to travel through that area everyday! This fry being one of them! Replacing it with the Big Mac (6 lane) road solution is not the answer either. I think the Double Cheese Burger will fit the driving appetite for a considerable amount of time! So my vote is for the Double Cheese Burger (4 lane) solution so all us fries can flow freely to and from the area!

...and since most of the areas drinking water comes from Falls Lake that goes under Falls of Nuese Road, I'll take the water and hold the soda and shake please!

Divided or not?

I ask because I read the article and saw that residents want a 5-lane road (two each direction, one center lane). Having lived right off of one of those, IMO, that's one of the worst ideas.

[CaliBoy]

Some things I've read:

"Sylvester Percival, the job's project engineer, said the city will widen the road only to four lanes at first. But forecasts show that the traffic will grow from about 25,400 vehicles a day now to nearly 45,000 in 30 years. That traffic eventually will require a wider, six-lane road, he said."

I don't doubt that for a second considering the development that's occurring up that road.

"Instead of waiting 30 years from now to purchase additional property to accommodate the full six-lane section, we would go ahead and get that now," Percival said. "Not only that, we plan to also set this design up in such a way that when six lanes is warranted, we will do it on the inside instead of the outside to not further impact communities."

I've always thought that planning contingencies was a good idea. There are so many places in this nation that did not and are eminate domaining things to high heaven only pissing people off more in the future (and it costs more too). Plan for traffic, but put in place contingencies now so that it doesn't become a bureaucratic and financial nightmare later.

"We shouldn't be building out for that extent for something 35 years from now when government money is as tight as it is anyway."

This is the funniest short sighted line I've ever heard from a concerned citizen, and I'm sure it's been voiced many, many times in the past with embarrassment.

Though I don't live in the area, it's nice to read that planners are actually planning ahead appropriately like they do. That's why they are presumably paid for their profession... and to field concerns from those less experienced, too. Refreshing to read.