Saturday, April 01, 2006
Safety concerns require speedy resolution to I-81 problems
From the RoundTable blog
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Joyce Waugh
Waugh is vice president of public policy for the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Anyone who drives Interstate 81 knows immediate improvements to the road are long past needed.
Accidents, too many of which are fatal, occur too often.
In fact, fatality rates are twice those of I-95, according to the Virginia Department of Transportation's 2003 statistics.
Why? Because I-81 carries traffic well beyond its capacity.
The recently released Tier 1 Draft Environmental Impact Statement, on which VDOT is now seeking comment, is required as part of the public process for improving the road.
It indicates that traffic along the corridor has more than doubled -- tripled in some locations -- during the past 25 years. It will likely double again by 2035, with truck traffic growing the most rapidly.
A new perspective on the I-81 crisis has come from the presidents of the 28 colleges and universities along the corridor. These schools collectively pour tens of thousands of students onto I-81 at holidays and thousands every weekend.
At Gov. Tim Kaine's town hall meeting on transportation at Roanoke College on Feb. 14, Roanoke College President Dr. Sabine O'Hara spoke for the presidents when she expressed concern over the safety of the 100,000-plus college students who attend institutions of higher education along the I-81 corridor.
Safety is paramount in the quest to improve the interstate.
"As a parent of a college student attending one of the many universities along the I-81 corridor, I add my voice to the thousands of parents who are looking to our legislators to make I-81 safer for our children," said Steve Chapin of Roanoke.
Statistics dramatically illustrate the urgent need to widen the road and are key to the impact statement's conclusions.
After two years of study and consideration of more than 200 options, VDOT's study underscores the need for major upgrades and outlines measures that will improve safety, decrease congestion and speed the movement of goods along the 325-mile corridor.
Those measures include a combination of additional lanes for cars, dedicated lanes for trucks, some rail upgrades and other improvements.
The document clearly points out that no single solution will satisfy I-81's need for capacity.
"This study supports what many of us have been saying for years. I-81, which is the economic life blood of our western region, needs immediate improvement," said Robert Sandel, chairman of the Roanoke Regional Chamber of Commerce.
"It will require a multimodal approach, which we continue to support," he added. "But individual components of that approach, such as new lanes, should continue to move forward in the process so conditions can improve sooner rather than later. We can't hold everything up to figure out the details on the more complicated pieces, such as rail, that can complement I-81 later on."
The study makes some notable conclusions.
Rail improvements alone do little to address future needs on I-81, but are compatible and complementary with the critical and necessary roadway improvements.
Also important, the study indicates that nearly all improvements can occur within the existing right of way, minimizing the impact on the environment and private property.
The concerns about the impact of tolling on secondary roads is addressed with evidence that traffic diversions onto local roads would be low.
The Tier 1 study is a key step in a process that will lead to a safer, less congested I-81.
The public hearing to be held April 11 at the Roanoke Wyndham Hotel is one more step to reaching agreement on the current and future needs along I-81 and the most effective and efficient long-term improvements.
The Commonwealth Transportation Board will choose between "build" and "no build." Indications are that the board will choose to build, but the proposed improvements to I-81 still must undergo additional federal and state reviews and various construction alternatives must be studied. This can take years.
Meanwhile, more lives will be lost as traffic increases and construction costs mount. Improvements are needed now.
"The need to address transportation is so urgent and has been passed over for so long, it is time to act," said Tim Swecker of the Pepsi Bottling Group in Roanoke. "Something needs to be done to address these needs immediately."
Therefore, the Roanoke Regional Chamber urges the Commonwealth Transportation Board to speedily review the Tier 1 DEIS and future tier studies so that progress may continue toward an improved I-81 -- sooner rather than later.
