And this is why they are called ALDONT (Birmingham, Montgomery: taxes, live)

[raj kapoor]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

Actually, I believe the Census Bureau asks the government authorities of a city/county if they want to be in a certain MSA, when they qualify because of employment patterns, etc., and if their central city is large enough for their own MSA. Decatur is >50,000, was asked, and they didn't.

Several years ago, Marshall County was part of the Huntsville MSA but was dropped (perhaps in 1990), and I assume that was because of employment patterns and the growth of Marshall.

There is no local input into the decision concerning MSA and CSA determinations. It is strictly a mathematical matter overlaying some historic criteria. It is one of the few things related to government that can't be tampered with.

Birmingham's metro once lost Walker county for a few years but was added back two years ago. The commuter migration had shifted some. Walker's self contained coal industry kept a lot of its work force in county. The economics of the county have become much more integrated into Jefferson since the coal industry in no longer so labor intensive. With I-22 that is highly unlikely to ever happen again.

[raj kapoor]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

I look forward to see that delay list for the rest of the state, should be fair and balanced right?
aldot has never started a project on time, finished one on time and in most case have serious design flaws.
Wonder how that long promised County line Rd interchange is coming, or how about the replacement bridge for the pre WW2
one over the Tennessee River/

If you read this you will possibly understand why it isn't always fair and balanced in appearance.

Actually four huge projects have started in Birmingham as of this summer. One is well under way.

a. I-59/I-20 downtown connector is being torn down and rebuilt in a new and up to standard design with new access points and more lanes. (this gets underway as I-22 is coming to a finish later at the end of the year.)

b. I-20 from the airport interchange to I-459 interchange is being stripped with new surface and foundational surfaces and Jersey wall replacements for the old guard rails (interior and exterior) that were the standard back in the sixties. (this is underway and be warned the I-20 east of the airport will be closed for a while)

c. I-459 from I-20 interchange to I-65 interchange will be going through the surface changes as above and has just currently almost finished increasing the height of the Jersey walls in the median from I-20 to HWY US 280.

d. I-65 starting at Cahaba Valley Road in Pelham will go under construction soon for eight lanes as a continuation to south of Alabaster to the Shelby County Airport. This is an on going project to eventually six lane I-65 between Montgomery and Birmingham. Last year this project completed eight/ten lanes from Vestavia Hills exit to the Pelham exit mentioned. This work will head northward also as the plan is that I-65 will have six lanes in the outter metro and then move up to eight/ten/twelve lanes as it goes into downtown and then fourteen at the new I-22 interchange.


These have been long term plans and they are not optional like new constructions. (that so much work in Huntsville is for new roadway work it has been delayed) Birmingham also waited a long time for this work. When you are getting it, all seems great and when you are not you just know something is remiss. We've waited forty years for the completion of I-22. wow

This is not arbitrary. The national highway dept. demands that certain maintenance and rehabilitation of roads go forward without regard to state budjet. This is due to design flaws that are gradually being eliminated and also the severe wear on surfaces due to heavy traffic counts, but also in cities like Birmingham that are major national and regional interstate nodes, we have five legs of freeway (not counting I-459) pouring eighteen wheel vehicles of heavy weight through the city day and night including on the southern beltway. This is not wear and tear from local traffic as much as the commercial and the maintenance can't be fairly expected to come from local gas tax collections. Most trucks that enter Alabama or go through the central south go through Birmingham. The feds expect the state to take care of the above type roadwork first or lose grants.
Unfortunately the positive of Birmingham gaining the new $100,000,000 CSX INTERMODAL RAIL distribution facility between Hoover and Mercedes means that there are going to be more trucks than ever in Birmingham. And I-22 will be doing almost to the same degree. Great for local jobs and business cost and certainly already creating new distribution facilities for various companies, but it will challenge all entities involved to keep the roads in shape.

This is one aspect of the roads that many of you may never think about. I am in Hunstville regularly and it always takes me a little while to realize what's missing. Your larger roadways are not inundated with large trucks like other cities since you are not a crossroad. All you see are local deliveries. I do envy that lack of truck traffic. With CSX, I am hoping a little more shifts to container shipping, but I don't see how that can really reduce trucks.

Oh well, a late night rant over..
Best to you,

raj

[KDM256]

I don't want to sound like a Homer but Huntsville roadways are a joke in should be top priority when it comes to the pecking order. Delaying these projects are just an absolute joke and we the public should demand answers and not take this situation lightly.

Its bad enough that ALDONT took away our "Memphis to Atlanta" interstate in North Alabama for I-22 interstate but atleast help ease our local traffic problems. It doesn't make any sense that 2nd biggest metro inthe state of Alabama doesn't have a major interstate. (I-565 is a joke and doesn't count) and have to rely on 2 lane roads throughout Madison County just to get around.

These bozos in Montgomery treats Huntsville like some sort of red-headed step child. Why are our gas taxes going to help other counties that most of us never set foot in to begin with??

[Ross in SouthlakeTX]

Probably right about that!

[sleepless in Bham]

Originally Posted by KDM256

I don't want to sound like a Homer but Huntsville roadways are a joke in should be top priority when it comes to the pecking order. Delaying these projects are just an absolute joke and we the public should demand answers and not take this situation lightly.

Its bad enough that ALDONT took away our "Memphis to Atlanta" interstate in North Alabama for I-22 interstate but atleast help ease our local traffic problems. It doesn't make any sense that 2nd biggest metro inthe state of Alabama doesn't have a major interstate. (I-565 is a joke and doesn't count) and have to rely on 2 lane roads throughout Madison County just to get around.

These bozos in Montgomery treats Huntsville like some sort of red-headed step child. Why are our gas taxes going to help other counties that most of us never set foot in to begin with??

Im sorry but I gotta disagree with a couple of points.

First, Huntsville is a great place, but its not, nor it should be on the top of the pecking order unless traffic counts say otherwise. Alot of the roads in Jefferson County are two lane county roads that have remained two lanes even though the population has grown.

Second, the reason there is no major interstate going through Huntsville/Madison County instead of Decatur is because the thinking back in the 50's was that Decatur was likely to be the bigger city. Huntsville was smaller than Decatur at the time.

Again if you want more road dollars coming your way, either get the local legislative delegation to raise the gas tax, or look at building toll roads. Just be thankful you guys dont have something like 280 to deal with.

[Coogan]

Originally Posted by KDM256

These bozos in Montgomery treats Huntsville like some sort of red-headed step child. Why are our gas taxes going to help other counties that most of us never set foot in to begin with??

Because that's kinda the function of taxes. If the city wants to keep more gas taxes at home, they can presumably impose their own gas tax, and make it even more expensive to drive.

Coog

[BMW Dave]

Originally Posted by sleepless in Bham

Just be thankful you guys dont have something like 280 to deal with.

Been there! Traffic can be a nightmare, puts the worst stuff here to shame.

[AU HSV]

all the more reason to build the roads that have been planned for DECADES so we don't have a highway 280.
A perfect example of an inept reactive highway dept.
University Drive to Athens is quickly becoming a 280 look a like

[BMW Dave]

Originally Posted by AU HSV

all the more reason to build the roads that have been planned for DECADES so we don't have a highway 280.
A perfect example of an inept reactive highway dept.
University Drive to Athens is quickly becoming a 280 look a like

Agreed. I am assuming with AU HSV in your name, you have frequented 280??

[AU HSV]

Originally Posted by BMW Dave

Agreed. I am assuming with AU HSV in your name, you have frequented 280??

i know to avoid it if possible