|
The
Details
Traffic
and congestion are increasing in Griffis-Widewater and elsewhere.
If you think you’re
sitting longer in traffic, you’re correct. The annual average daily
traffic count at the intersection of Route 1 and 610 (Garrisonville Road)
increased 26% in just five years, from an average of 19,000 vehicles daily
in 2001 to an average of 24,000 vehicles daily in 2006.
|
Intersection
|
2001
Annual Average Daily Traffic
|
2006
Annual Average Daily Traffic
|
Number
Increase
|
Percent
Increase
|
|
Garrisonville
ramp onto 95
|
49,000
|
53,000
|
4,000
|
8%
|
|
Decatur Rd
at Widewater Rd
|
990
|
1,500
|
510
|
52%
|
|
Widewater Rd
at Telegraph Rd
|
2,900
|
3,200
|
300
|
10%
|
|
Onville Rd
at Garrisonville Rd
|
7,000
|
8,100
|
1,100
|
16%
|
|
Barrett Heights Rd
at Garrisonville Rd
|
1,700
|
1,900
|
200
|
12%
|
|
Doc Stone Rd
at Garrisonville Rd
|
1,500
|
4,200
|
2,700
|
180%
|
While
residents of Griffis-Widewater await relief, County resources go to
projects that facilitate more development.
Runaway
growth has created a traffic nightmare on many of our roads. Yet instead
of finding ways to make developers pay for traffic impacts, Jack
Cavalier has voted to use taxpayer dollars to finance road projects that
will facilitate development. For example, he voted:
·
To spend $6.5 million
to “reconstruct”
Courthouse Road east
of 95, even though there were fewer than 3,500 vehicle trips a day on that
section of the road.
With improvements, a new development has popped up at the end of the new
road, and more are on the way.
·
To spend another $6.8
million to reconstruct a bridge at the end of
Courthouse Road
—a
bridge that is needed so that developers can get heavy construction
machinery to waterfront property along Aquia Creek.
The
Woodson Alternative
No more
development without adequate roads.
ü
Reject any development
projects that do not have an adequate road infrastructure, both at the
site entrance and at nearby traffic intersections;
ü
Allocate scarce road
improvement dollars to road projects that are needed by residents, not by
developers;
ü
Link land use planning and
ordinances to transportation, so that decisions about growth and
development take into full account potential traffic impacts.
ü
Objectively identify road
improvement priorities based on average daily traffic counts and accident
statistics.
|
