Transportation funding bill 1 year later...thoughts, observations? (Allentown, Reading: real estate, transfer)

[fisheye]

Originally Posted by BPP1999

I agree. However, show me a government that's proficient. My only hope is that the bulk of the new tax revenue is used intelligently.

The one thing I have noticed about this tax increase is that the masses are judging it a failure too soon. Let's wait a few years and see the fruits of our increased taxes. As I and others have noted on this thread, there are multiple (much needed and long overdue) road construction projects that have been advanced several years due to the increased tax revenue. Some of these single projects (such as simple intersection improvements where turning lanes and arrows are added) have the potential to save people $1 per week in gas, let alone time.

Unfortunately we have complicated road building so much that roads do not get built or are outdated by the time they are built. Between legal hassles, environmental issues, safety concerns and many other problems; construction moves too slowly. Then, even if all the hurdles are jumped; we still do not build to future standards. Sometimes we do not do everything at the same time; we build and then rip up for underground power cables or sewage lines (like they recently did close to my house).

My feeling is that more money will only lead us to more waste.

[BPP1999]

Originally Posted by fisheye

Unfortunately we have complicated road building so much that roads do not get built or are outdated by the time they are built. Between legal hassles, environmental issues, safety concerns and many other problems; construction moves too slowly. Then, even if all the hurdles are jumped; we still do not build to future standards. Sometimes we do not do everything at the same time; we build and then rip up for underground power cables or sewage lines (like they recently did close to my house).

My feeling is that more money will only lead us to more waste.

I agree about your first point. It's ridiculous the length of time and the amount of "studies" that must be done prior to these types of projects happening. Sometimes it's amazing that anything actually gets done in this country, although in a way we as a nation are only hobbling along at this point and have become almost impotent. We can't get out of our own way. But, that's a topic for another thread.

[Duderino]

Originally Posted by fisheye

Unfortunately we have complicated road building so much that roads do not get built or are outdated by the time they are built. Between legal hassles, environmental issues, safety concerns and many other problems; construction moves too slowly. Then, even if all the hurdles are jumped; we still do not build to future standards. Sometimes we do not do everything at the same time; we build and then rip up for underground power cables or sewage lines (like they recently did close to my house).

My feeling is that more money will only lead us to more waste.

I can definitely understand that sentiment--progress can be extremely slow at times, and there should be much more efficiency in major infrastructure projects. And yes, there absolutely should be more coordination between utilities and DOTs to make sure there is a way to limit their impact.

I think there is hope though that new technologies will be able to facilitate quicker study and construction phases, but of course that requires some more up-front funding.

[pman]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

That is certainly a major issue for more reasons than one such as splittng up neighborhoods etc. but I'm not sure how you get around it. If you travel to places like Dallas/Ft. Worth that was largely built around the Interstates it's a different story.

Getting around it was exactly the solution

[pman]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

If I had store that wasn't profitable to begin with I could certainly increase the amount of people coming into my store by extending hours and slashing prices. That isn't a wise business decision.

This shows a complete inability to grasp basic issues in transportation, or unwillingness. Not really a surprise I guess given your absurdly anti transit stance and insistence we need to accept your way without you accepting ours.

[pman]

Originally Posted by fisheye

While we are talking about improvements with the transportation bill; we will all be paying more at the pumps come Thursday: Gas tax will add 10 cents per gallon starting Thursday; registrations, licenses, inspections also increase | PennLive.com. That is only the second round of increases. The PA Turnpike is also going up on the 4th and licensing and registration fees are going up on July 1st.

I just wish that 'proficiency' was the standard requirement for more tax dollars!

they just reaped my street last year (local income tax dollars) only to have it completely ripped up the next year for water main work. I think if more people concentrated on the political (ineffective) nature of decision making we might be able to move forward but as long as the Metcalfe s and coalman insist on declaring war on the states biggest economic generators the discussion won't move in that direction

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by pman

Getting around it was exactly the solution

That's not what I meant, poor choice of words. I'm not sure how you get around putting an interstate through a major city.

[thecoalman]

Originally Posted by pman

This shows a complete inability to grasp basic issues in transportation, or unwillingness. Not really a surprise I guess given your absurdly anti transit stance and insistence we need to accept your way without you accepting ours.

I don't care how you get transportation, the problem here is because you don't like the mode of transportation I many others choose you're insisting we pay for yours. Ride the bus and the train all you want, at the very least offer to pay for what it cost.

[pman]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

I don't care how you get transportation, the problem here is because you don't like the mode of transportation I many others choose you're insisting we pay for yours. Ride the bus and the train all you want, at the very least offer to pay for what it cost.

Nope. The opposite is true, because you dislike transit you insist on spending even more money to build road projects.not only do I pay for trains but I have to pay for roads in dead coal regions that are dragging my state down. You don't even seem capable of these basic concepts. The city spent money to increase service to reduce the need for additional roadway. We can spend billions to destroy value in dense environments or we can spend hundreds of millions to enhance value. The fact that people who are completely clueless about areas unlike their own insist that all areas be treated the same is part of the problem. One size does not fit all

[pman]

Originally Posted by thecoalman

That's not what I meant, poor choice of words. I'm not sure how you get around putting an interstate through a major city.

And getting around it was the proposal. The way they built in dc was the original model. More road money needs to go into mitigating the impact of the highways that have been built. Penndot should be required to fund replacement or capping of highways where parkland has been taken. The reality is that roads were artificially cheap because they didn't adequately pay for their costs they just shoved the cost down other people's throats. Remember there was already a transportation system in existence so it's not like urban highways had to be built. The original highway system architects rightly saw that I was not cost effective to publicly fund and make free highways for the sole purpose of commuting