Charlotte Roads

I received a copy of a letter from the folks at Take Back Charlotte Mecklenburg, a group that

is made of courageous men and women that take a stand for our Independences. The same freedoms “The Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence” and our "Declaration of Independence” stood for, these freedoms are dying. The sacrifices have long been forgotten and our independents are taken for granted, by our immediate generation and direction.

The letter, shown below in it's entirety, was sent to all city council members. They are waiting to see what, if any, response comes from the city council.

I am very concern on what Charlotte leadership is allowing these days. As one says,"Danger Mr. McCrory and City Council." As a council member, I like to hear from city council what they are going to do well as taking their elected responsibility. As head of a organization that stands against this type of behavior we are tired of the non-sense. We have done a in depth study on the issue of rail and have found following be true.

September 6, 2006 was reported that cost of South Corridor Light Rail would oversee $426 million dollar budget. Again, costs have gone up. All major construction projects that occur in the states have been hit significantly with higher cost. If the project is managed with, proper planning and insight be in better shape. FedÂ’s do not help in cost overruns only been very few exceptions. This is on the shoulders of local taxpayer unless the state will participate and I-485 can answer that!

In 1999, Parsons Transportation Group was paid $38 million dollars to design CharlotteÂ’s Light Rail. This project was supposed have nine subcontractors, which did not. The City is seeking reimbursement but will not know amount until end of project, unless a possible agreement is worked out. CityÂ’s engineering department has been asked step in with Charlotte Area Transit System help with this matter. When the design consultant is fired halfway through any project will usually cost lot of money. Reason, city officials are having city engineering department take over. Now extra cost could be played out on the taxpayer. Again, if proper planning was done this would not have happen.

Officials claim that the half-cent sales tax will cover extra cost. The half-cent sales tax handles the operations of transit system well as capital cost. More than likely what will happen is rail construction cost overruns eventually lead to reductions in bus service, fare increases, and running buses a lot longer before replacement than was originally planned.

City Attorney Mac McCarley said, “Some of the errors won't show up until we hit them at that phase of the construction. We just can't speculate on a number today.”

Sure that the city does not want to admit to any more mistakes or estimate errors. Since they look foolish enough and more than likely city is in deep doo-doo. One ask what other incompetence will become known!

Our city council members and transportation officials have shown incompetence towards this project from the start. They rather point fingers at one another than take responsibility for their votes and actions.

Background:

To significantly reduce today's severe congestion and prepare for growth expected by 2030, North Carolina needs just over 4,350 new lane-miles at a total cost of $12.4 billion, in today's dollars. That's a cost of $113 per resident each year. North Carolina ranks eighth out of 50 states and the District of Columbia in terms of most lane-miles needed and 11th in the total cost of those improvements. If the state made these improvements, it would save 68 million hours per year that are now wasted in traffic jams.

North Carolina has two cities that currently suffer from severe congestion, which this study identifies as areas with Travel Time Indices (TTIs) of 1.18 or higher. The Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham areas are the 26th and 42nd most congested regions in the United States, with TTIs of 1.31 and 1.19, respectively. This means that driving times during peak traffic hours are 31 and 19 percent longer than during off-peak times.

Unless major steps are taken to relieve congestion, drivers in these parts of North Carolina can expect to see TTIs of 1.62 and 1.37 by 2030. For an idea of how severe these levels of congestion would be, projections for Charlotte are greater than traffic delays in any city in the United States but present-day Los Angeles, and those for Raleigh-Durham are equivalent to present-day Baltimore and San Jose. But North Carolina can significantly reduce these congestion problems by adding about 4,350 new lane-miles by 2030 at an estimated cost of $12.4 billion in today's dollars.

This investment would save an estimated 68 million hours per year that are now lost sitting in Tar Heel traffic, at a cost of $7.23 per delay-hour saved. This does not account for the additional benefits not quantified in this study, including: lower fuel use, reduced accident rates and vehicle operating costs, lower shipping costs and truck travel time reductions, greater freight reliability, and a number of benefits associated with greater community accessibility, including an expanded labor pool for employers and new job choices for workers.

North Carolina's other urban areas are substantially less congested than Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham. However, the relative increase in delay projected over the next 25 years for these cities is quite high, ranging from 75–200 percent. (The 'delay' in the travel time is the portion of the Congestion Index over 1.0.) Such a significant increase will be sharply felt by local commuters in these smaller cities. With TTIs of 1.09–1.10, cities like Greensboro, Wilmington, Gastonia, and Concord are facing future traffic delays similar to those currently experienced in much larger cities like Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland.

It will be a comfort for the citizens of Charlotte to know that our transit projects are using various people, who have been involved with both Boston's Big Dig and Los Angeles sinkhole disasters.

Parsons Brinckerhoff Quade & Douglas were having difficulties before the Big Dig became bad. With inquiries and scandals, Parsons Brinckerhoff was able to become serious player through years in transit engineering. The difficulty that happened in 1995, a sinkhole of 80 feet that swallowed part of Hollywood Boulevard cause serious damages to buildings well as surrounding area. Excess of thousand lawsuits came from this totaling over a billion dollars in damages. Consequences were that the project was not at all done correctly like BostonÂ’s Big Dig. Interesting that Transit chief Ron Tober worked in Boston, which the Big Dig occurred. Well as Cleveland, Miami, Seattle which light rail projects became questionable. One asks will these same factors occur again with transportation plans for our city.

Top reporters Mark Pellin and Tara Servatius have given an in-depth look into light rail. They have made it clear that their have been problems from the start. Still our Magoo's (City Council) kept giving every dime for / CAT's without question. Now, I am sure that Mayor McCrory wish he would have listen to many warnings about project. The John Locke Foundation did a meeting about the dangers of light rail, which several city council members attended. Sad that they did not head the call. Many times activist Mark Palmer address city council of the concerns to light rail well as former city council members Don Reid and Mike Castano. Again, city council would not listen. Maybe they should be accountable representatives and pay back the lost and fire Tabor.

Ron Tober as the Transit Chief of Charlotte Area Transit System believes city will receive federal funding. However, Mr. Tober has stated that competition has intensified by other cities and federal criteria stricter. City of Charlotte and Charlotte Area Transit System executives are looking at how to obtain private sources for cost.

CAT'S' made it clear in“2003” the construction on the light rail line would have little effect to the tracks already laid for the trolley. CATS' called it cosmetics construction to different areas of the track line that would be removed. CAT'S' explains that different locations of light rail line would require the removal to add additional track connections required. CATS' is now tearing up a majority of the track line, which has cost millions to the taxpayers

Charlotte city's rail-transit project is half-billion-dollar project. It has been a major concern for taxpayers from the start. Businesses along the construction of light rail project have reported significant profit lost due too many construction delays. Thus far, several businesses had to cut back and permit some employees to go. One business owner believes the city takes always what they desire and will come back for more, until nothing is left!

The difficulties that have caused these delays are poor planning and cost increases. Because of these factors, it is requiring high capital costs from the taxpayer. This has been a recurring record from these types of projects. Instead of light rail opening in April then August 2007, now it will open late November 2007? Opening date has been changed several times for this rail project. One questions, about the final out come for Charlotte - Mecklenburg Taxpayers and transit cost. Selling point with light rail is the federal government would help pay for it, still comes from our taxes. Point, people who run these transits projects are not accountable. They are not elected to their position and have one goal light rail. UNC Charlotte professor David Hartgen, released a look of Charlotte's Transit and N.C. Transit systems. Professor Hartgen feels that smaller percentages of transit cost come from rider ship. A reality check needs to be made from city and transit officials of Charlotte. Taxpayers are supporting around 85 percent for every bus trip. Charlotte Transit feels more like 75 percent every bus trip. Comes down that taxpayer are holding the bag since taxpayers subsidized each trip. Charlotte is already known as second congested mid-sized city next to Austin, Texas. Once light rail is, operational South Blvd. will become a traffic haven of congestion that will spread causing more problems for motorist. This has been the case in many areas that light rail has been placed. Citizens in Miami felt that rail had too many stops and travel time took longer.

Elizabeth Dole has withdrawn her support for Light Rail / TTA. Senator Burr and Senator Dole have sent a letter to TTA indicating that North Carolina Senators are not supporting $810 million dollar commuter rail – transit project for Triangle. Letter against rail-transit project was sent to Senator Elizabeth Dole, from Rep. Skip Stam and signed by about 15 GOP House Members. Interesting that Senator Dole has stated this about Triangle Light Rail and not on Charlotte's Light Rail. Costs are stilling climbing on Charlotte's Light Rail and Senator Dole not worried about Charlotte's Taxpayers!

To bad, Charlotte did not have a better fight!

Safety Concerns:

Construction is not only concern for light rail.

Our city has allowed our public safety take a back seat to the bureaucratic correctness of development. The same applies with Homeland Security. Charlotte is a seating duck to a chemical attack. Terrorists could use a train that is carrying chemicals and release it upon Charlotte. Even worse are the many train cars that already sit on the tracks by schools and parts of our city. Through out the world their have been all kinds of accidents that have already have occurred with chemicals from train accidents.

Colonel David Hunt a military consultant to President Bush and various media outlets. Spoke in Charlotte after the terrorist attacks that took place in London, England, which involved their commuter train. In the Q&A section, he was asked about if Charlotte leaders should be concern about light rail and rail. Colonel David Hunt replied most defiantly and was concern about the cities plans for rail. In the audience, several city council members were upset with the points brought out questioning safety of rail. If terrorist attacked or train accident, happen that involved toxic chemicals people would not have a chance. Just think, if this would happen near a school or downtown, what the out come would be!

Mayor Pat McCrory and city officials have heard these concerns and nothing has changed. This is what occurs when heritage and democracy have gone. Officials seem to look over and band-aid our city problems by different committees. Mayor Pat McCrory an elected official is accountable to the citizens of Charlotte, still has not enacted to any of these matters.

"Ask, who will pay the price? Charlotte-Mecklenburg Taxpayers, thatÂ’s who and hopefully not with their lives."

Sincerely,

Peabody / President of Take Back Charlotte Mecklenburg
Mark A. Palmer / Spokesperson of Take Back Charlotte Mecklenburg

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