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Why can't we get some roads built? I'd eagerly pay more taxes for them.

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No Lifer
In the less than two years since I've lived in my house I've noticed a fairly drastic increase in traffic in my area. It just continues to get worse. The nation as a whole has had a far more significant increase in the number of cars in the past few decades than the miles of road paved.

What I don't hear much about is politicians selling their platforms with a big part of it being new roads. Personally I'd have no problem paying some tax money for some new roads to be built, and I suspect that this is probably one of the areas for tax increases where you'd see the least resistance.

As it seems now, the only way to get out of traffic is to move to a smaller city or commute less, or commute at ridiculous times (like the 6:30-3:30 schedule I had for a while).

With a continuing increase in the number of vehicles on the road, why is it that I hear essentially nothing about new roads in my area? Is anybody reading this thread aware of vast increases to the interstates in their area? This sucks.
 
I have a vision of roads with no stop signs. Everything is overpasses or underpasses and cloverleap on and offramps.

I'll pay to see that become a reality.
 
Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
I have a vision of roads with no stop signs. Everything is overpasses or underpasses and cloverleap on and offramps.

I'll pay to see that become a reality.
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If we could adapt the computer-controlled cars we could basically make that a reality. Markers in the road, and computers on each car to control traffic. It would reduce tons of problems: faster commutes, safer traffic, less gas used.

 

I think we have the opposite problem in my area...

I would rather they complete one project at time instead of have so many roads under contruction at the same time...Maybe I am wrong, but it seems they should finish one project before they start on the next...
 
Speaking or roads. Some of the city roads definitely need repavement. I drive down Rosemead Ave from the 210 to the 10 everyday (I'm in SoCal) and it is pretty much an obstacle course of potholes. I'd pay a little (emphasize on little) more tax for road improvement.
 
Unless you're Bill Gates or Warren Buffet, I don't think your willingness to pay a little extra is going to count for much . . ..
 
Skoorb, it's Alabama. Even if they do start a new road project it'll be 10 years before it is completed. Politicians don't have that kind of foresight. 🙂 Especially Alabama politicians.
 
No doubt. Colorado, and specifically Denver, has some of the worst paved roads in the country. Because of our crazy weather patterns, our roads deteriorate faster then most. Its not fun driving down a lot of the roads here, they get worse and worse it seems, and instead of repaving them, they usually just "patch" them up. Which is good because it saves money and the time the road will be closed or whatever. Except that it seems like they don't even care, and whoever is contracted by the city to do this crap, suxx horribly at their job.
 
Honestly I really don't want more roads. As much as I love cars...I'd rather keep the congestion to discourage people from driving when they don't have to or use public transportation, carpooling, etc.

I'm not saying don't build any new roads...but I'm not interested in a huge increase of roads. You have to also realize that those tax increases would most likely be permanent to maintain these additional roads.
 
Originally posted by: Queasy
Skoorb, it's Alabama. Even if they do start a new road project it'll be 10 years before it is completed. Politicians don't have that kind of foresight. 🙂 Especially Alabama politicians.
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It's the same in most states.

Incidentally, road conditions here are fine (minus the sh*t the rednecks throw on the road). It's just the lack of them.
Honestly I really don't want more roads. As much as I love cars...I'd rather keep the congestion to discourage people from driving when they don't have to or use public transportation, carpooling, etc.
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If that did anything, I'd agree, but it doesn't. It just means slower roads for us. It's simply not feasible for most people to carpool or use public transportation in many cities.
 
Here in Washington the politicians made a bipartisan agreement to raise the gas tax 5 cents to pay for new road contstruction, and both parties voted for it.

In the next election, the state Republican party funded attack ads against Democrat candidates for raising gas prices.

Tax increases can be political suicide.
 
Around here there is massive resistance by envirnomentalist groups to installing a circ highway that was originally planned for construction in the 1960s. The purpose would be to tie different communities more directly to the interstate, and regarding the piece that is currently under debate, to bypass traffic that has to go through a traffic nightmare known as '5-corners'. 5 corners consists of a nightmare light system for the convergence of 5 roads, half of which have rail road tracks running over them close by the junction to further complicate matters.

Despite the fact this is obviously in dire need, even moreso than 40 god damn years ago when the idea was originally presented...morons continue to resist it. Initially they put out reports stating that the creation of more roads creates more traffic. (I'm serious) Obviously, we should tear up all existing roads to fix the traffic problem then.

When pressed, they were forced to come up with an alternate solution to the 5 corners bypass plan. The 'solution' they came up with was to tear up 5 corners and install a roundabout. Nevermind the fact that this would require tearing down an old library, several historic buildings, a gas station and a bank, to make it a reality or that the average level of understanding of roundabouts around here is approximentally 0%...but the train that travels regularly on the tracks is unlikely to fit well into the roundabout scenario. They also recommended that a road be build exactly where the circ was to go to help alleviate traffic further. 😕

Due to these recent events, I can only conclude that the individuals in charge of this commitee are asshole morons who should be hung to death in the park post haste.
 
In northern California, we actually see projects coming to fruition and making a huge difference. Traffic in the East Bay is much better than it was a few years ago.

In Suisun they changed the 680/80 interchange to two full lanes and it eliminated the gridlock that used to form there every day.

They're redesigning the Douglas exit off 80 in Sacramento to releave traffic coming into Roseville.

A new bridge is being constructed over the Benicia Bay. I go over the bridge once or twice a week and am able to watch these guys constructing these giant 300 foot pillars and dream of flying through FastTrak on my way home without shuffling over the bridge with the Vallejo and Benicia crowd. Unless they're going to decommission the current bridge....I need to read up on it.

Closer to SF you can't get anything done because you may squash the habitat of the endagered red-bellied sand tick and arouse the ire of some birkenstock-wearing tense-lipped stringy-haired no-on-recall what's-deodorant hemp-shirted wannabe-hippy.
 
The 'solution' they came up with was to tear up 5 corners and install a roundabout.
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North Americans are not intelligent enough to use roundabouts. I've seen them in action, and they are horror when put into the hands of Canadians, so I feel comfortable stating that Americans would handle them no better.

Our little "5 corners" is called "Malfunction junction". I manage to avoid it most days, but one of the roads leading to it has AT LEAST one accident a day, often closing down some or all of its lanes. I can't imagine if I had to take that road every day.
 
Because the politicians gots to get paid and so do their pimp daddies and mistresses. Because everybody in the south is "slow."
 
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Originally posted by: Queasy
Skoorb, it's Alabama. Even if they do start a new road project it'll be 10 years before it is completed. Politicians don't have that kind of foresight. 🙂 Especially Alabama politicians.
Click to expand...
It's the same in most states.

Incidentally, road conditions here are fine (minus the sh*t the rednecks throw on the road). It's just the lack of them.
Click to expand...
I used to live in Alabama and travel back there regularly. I'm still amazed at how long it is taking them to widen 20/59 and add concrete medians. It's like they are doing it with the bare minimum of labor. At least that is fixing up the highway around Anniston. That was the worst stretch of road to drive on....

 
Originally posted by: Queasy
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Originally posted by: Queasy
Skoorb, it's Alabama. Even if they do start a new road project it'll be 10 years before it is completed. Politicians don't have that kind of foresight. 🙂 Especially Alabama politicians.
Click to expand...
It's the same in most states.

Incidentally, road conditions here are fine (minus the sh*t the rednecks throw on the road). It's just the lack of them.
Click to expand...
I used to live in Alabama and travel back there regularly. I'm still amazed at how long it is taking them to widen 20/59 and add concrete medians. It's like they are doing it with the bare minimum of labor. At least that is fixing up the highway around Anniston. That was the worst stretch of road to drive on....
Click to expand...

That brings me to my other pet peeve with road construction: Stop hiring the cheapest bidder, they fvcking suck and they lie. A recent bridge reconstruction project was apparently going to take 10 months to complete. The project was finished last year, 3 years after the start date.

Just get some one with a good rep who knows what the fvck they're doing. It'll probably cost less in the long run too.
 
I wish there were more people like you Skoorb. Our taxes are so little compared to other countries, and they all probably have better roads than us. Heck, I live in a big residential area, and there are 2 main roads that are still not paved. This area has been around for decades.
 
Originally posted by: Metron
Most New Roads in the Dallas Area are TOLL Would you be willing to pay a Toll instead of a Tax?
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There is a private company in Georgia that has proposed using a toll road to pay for turning Highway 316 between Atlanta and Athens into a real highway (right now it is a death trap). They say they'd be able to get it done in less that 10 years while the state says they wouldn't even be able to begin construction for almost 20 years. In this case, I'm in favor of a toll road.
 
Around here i moved away from the city and now drive a 45minute+ commute. It's roughly 20-30miles depending on the route i take.

I-95 is a complete and utter joke, average traffic speed on the highway in the 65mph zone hovers around 25-30mph.

There is a bunch of alternative side roads that i can take but they are also slow- avg time spent at a light is about 5minutes.

Traffic is so horrible i dont know what to do. I'm in harford country MD btw.
 
our road quality... just... suffers so bad. when they repave stuff... it's using crap that falls apart a week later. my suspension really hates it.
 
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