DOT has not justified the huge Stretch project
EDITOR:
After countless hours researching piles of documents, I believe that
the 18-Mile Stretch could be made significantly safer today, and should
have been during the 15-year permitting process, through highly visible,
round-the-clock enforcement. Without enforcement, building a
higher-speed road between Florida City and the Keys would only encourage
more dangerous driving.
Recent compelling research covering 50 states over 11 years shows
that new roads, by themselves, do not mean fewer accidents. That this
project will mean more and faster traffic within the Keys that will
result in increased accidents and fatalities (vehicular, bicycle and
pedestrian).
The state Department of Transportation’s project will not improve our
hurricane evacuation times because, according to DOT’s consultant, this
segment is not a critical link. Using evacuation software funded by DOT,
another northbound lane on this segment does not improve clearance
times.
One of the most critical links is Florida City, which, since 1996 has
been slated to receive a third northbound lane. DOT has not funded this
essential project.
A very cost-effective improvement to our hurricane evacuation
clearance time would increase the radius of the 90-degree turn at County
Road 905 and Card Sound Road, speeding evacuation. This project is not
funded by DOT until the completion year of the Stretch project.
DOT has not addressed the impacts of this road on the communities and
environment outside of the project footprint, despite the requirement to
do so.
The public is not well-informed about how huge the project is,
starting with the 1.5-mile long, 75-foot-high, 65-foot clearance bridge
with four cloverleaf service ramps extending to 350 feet from edge to
edge.
In a nutshell, DOT has failed to seize opportunities to make the
Stretch safer; has overstated the safety potential of the project; has
misrepresented the hurricane-evacuation value of the project; has failed
to fund projects that would improve our evacuation; has failed to
address the impact of the project on our communities and environment;
and has failed to inform the public so they could participate in the
process.
DOT will hold public hearings between 6 and 9 p.m. Jan. 26 at the
Key Largo library, Jan. 27 at the Florida City/Homestead Library, Jan.
28 at the Key West Harvey Government Center, and Jan. 29 at the Marathon
Government Center. Please add your voices.
John Hammerstrom
Key Largo |
