GUEST COLUMN | Eastern Bypass makes no sense
Eastern Bypass plan is archaic and doesn't fit with Tuscaloosa's sustainable plan for area's future
Published: Sunday, May 6, 2012 at 3:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Saturday, May 5, 2012 at 11:53 p.m.
TUSCALOOSA | In the wake of last year's tornadoes, the Friends of
Hurricane Creek ask our local leaders to plan with consideration of the
importance of our existing neighborhoods, community bonds and wild,
natural areas rather than an outdated definition of “growth” as bases
for our city's future. We are inspired and encouraged by the forward
thinking represented by the planning efforts that have taken place since
2011's devastation, and we look forward to that type of planning being
implemented throughout the city and county.
Unfortunately, a fossil
stands in our way. Known as the Eastern Bypass, this relic is a dated
creation of the past century that is still being taken seriously. The
bypass is a model for sprawl and decentralization; for increased
reliance upon the personal automobile resulting in more pollution and
numerous other well-documented side effects.
The
Tuscaloosa Forward plan, on the other hand, is a model for planning
healthy, safe, accessible, connected and sustainable communities.
The
disconnect between the Tuscaloosa Forward plan and the Eastern Bypass
plan to move some parts of Tuscaloosa backward is too large to ignore.
The
Alabama Department of Transportation has concluded that the best route
for the bypass is through the heart of Hurricane Creek Park's unique
M-Bend area. It crosses the creek twice in the M-Bend with a total of
five bridges (refer to the 1998 Environmental Impact Statement or
“EIS”).
This continues to
be the official position, even though this route will irreversibly
damage a public park, displace hundreds of local residents — many of
whom were impacted by the 2011 tornadoes — drastically alter noise and
pollution levels, permanently divide communities and possibly even
impact the flow and health of Hurricane Creek itself.
The half-hearted process by which
ALDOT has “engaged” the
community on this massive and costly project suggests that some would
prefer to keep the public uninformed. For example, the EIS — the
document which purports to analyze the available routes and justify the
one chosen — was not available online for 14 years. It was made
available within the past month only after a private citizen, a local
mother of three, contacted the Federal Highway Administration and
questioned the legality of not having it available.
ALDOT has held several “public forums,” the past two of which were scheduled during Christmas and spring breaks, respectively.
At
the “forums” the information was presented in such an arcane,
disjointed way that even the few community members in attendance
continue to be confused about the exact location, impact and purpose of
the Eastern Bypass.
Most
other states attempting such vast transportation projects maintain Web
sites with extensive information, maps and updates for the taxpayers who
fund them. ALDOT does not.
Given
the lukewarm attempts to inform and educate the public to date, we have
little hope that ALDOT will change tactics when this bypass is actually
being built.
In addition
to the changes brought by the passage of time since the 1998 route
decision, two major changes have occurred which cannot be ignored. These
changes have rendered stale and irrelevant those portions of the
Environmental Impact Statement which pertain to segments of the bypass
in the Hurricane Creek area.
A
249-acre public park was established by the Tuscaloosa Parks and
Recreation Authority for the specific purpose of providing a natural
outdoor experience for the public and for protecting the spectacular
M-Bend.
How can families
enjoy the outdoors while trucks and traffic from a 4-lane highway whizz
overhead? Imagining that you can have both a bypass and a natural park
is the kind of dangerous wishful thinking that will turn the bypass, a
transportation relic, into backward reality.
Another
game-changer was the 2011 tornado, which destroyed countless acres of
mixed woodlands and removed shady creek cover from two linear miles of
the stream past the Holt-Peterson Bridge over Hurricane Creek.
Natural conditions have been
altered to such a degree that the analyses in the 14-year-old EIS are no
longer applicable and must be re-done.
The
current route disproportionately affects lower-income residents of
Tuscaloosa County, while positive benefits tend to accrue for
higher-income residents of the area north of the river, a situation
which generates hostility and a sense of division.
The
fact that some must be “wronged” by a project which purports to be a
tool for “economic development” is ironic and difficult to stomach.
The fact that those recently traumatized by the tornado are next in line to be traumatized by the bypass verges on the tragic.
This
part of the city, especially the Holt and Cottondale communities, will
resemble the least appealing parts of Atlanta, where continuous traffic,
noise pollution and automotive exhaust characterize the milieu.
In
addition, the families visiting loved ones buried at Memorial Park will
have to contend with their new status as scenery for a regional truck
route.
Hurricane Creek has long been used for swimming, boating and fishing by local residents.
It
also has a powerful historical value for local residents who refer to
its peace and tranquility as a “treasure unique to our state.”
Turning
the creek watershed into a trucking route will undoubtedly affect its
status as a local recreational treasure enjoyed by residents who may not
be able to afford more costly sources of recreation.
Our leaders have committed to a green recovery and a Tuscaloosa that moves “forward,” which requires letting go of the fossil.
Let's
make sure that the Holt, Cottondale and East Tuscaloosa's communities
and environment are included in this goal for healthy, connected,
sustainable and naturally beautiful areas.
Laurie Johns is the president
and Alina Coryell is a board member of The Friends of Hurricane Creek, a
501c3 organization dedicated to education, recreation, and preservation
of the Hurricane Creek watershed and its tributaries. Readers can visit
their web site at www.hurricane-
creek.org,
