🚀 go-pugleaf

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1998-07/26/147l-072698-idx.html


Some excerpts:

"To hear Prince George's County Executive Wayne Curry tell it [Close to
Home, May 22], Alexandrians owe his county an enormous debt of gratitude
for dropping a proposed 12-lane bridge in our backyard instead of simply
paving over our city."

[Mr. Kerry sets the tone early -- a left-field comment about paving
Alexandria plus forgetting the small fact the new bridge will -- gasp --
enter and effect PG County as well]

"Alexandrians already have made concessions proportional to the traffic,
noise and air-quality impacts we will have to endure during construction
of a new bridge and for decades thereafter."

[Mr. Kerry apparently believes that vehicles stopped in traffic emit less
pollution than those that are moving, a shortcoming shared by a number
automotive illiterates on this very newsgroup]

"Against recognizing the need for a southern crossing of the Potomac River
within the regional transportation planning process, which was favored by
Alexandria and approved 7 to 6."

[Here I agree with Mr. Kerry, although it's interesting to note that a
bridge at the existing site will "destroy" Alexandria, but apparently Mr.
Kerry has few qualms about "destroying" Occoquan...

"...and funding to build it is $900 million short, meaning that tolls
almost certainly will be required."

[One wonders what Mr. Kerry has against tolls; his constituency has
roughly 3 times the median income of PG county's -- can't Alexandrians
afford tolls?]

"In the Federal Highway Administration's own tests, a 12-lane bridge
outperforms a 10-lane version, and then only slightly, if -- and only if
-- the Beltway expands to 10 lanes, including two HOV lanes."

[Mr. Kerry seems to be unaware of the concept of merge lanes onto highways
-- something quite lacking from the current US1/I95 interchange. With the
bridge so close to the river, the acceleration lanes become defacto lanes
of the brige. This isn't a complex concept..]
                  
"...bridge of 10 lanes -- not the 12-lane, budget-busting, environmental
disaster that some officials in our region refuse to let die."

[One wonders exactly how 2 lanes -- 24 feet -- are going to dramatically
change the budget of this bridge, and, I have any less environmental
impact.]

-- 
 > B E N T L E Y <     bentley AT digex DOT net
A long frisbee throw from the pungent and lovely Potomac River
www.access.digex.net/~bentley/remove-this-bot-blocking-part