Tuesday, December 16, 2008

The DOT's bailout wish list

Lindsay Holliday, a Macon dentist, long-time environmental activist and twice, I believe, candidate for Bibb County Commission Chairman has provided the public with a pdf of the Georgia Department of Transportations' stimulus package proposal to the federal government.

You can download the approximately 240-line document from Doc Holliday here. He, of course, received it from the DOT, which provides quite a lot of information through its own Web site.

From his response / thank you note to various DOT staff members:
I notice that GDOT is not asking for any roundabouts - anywhere in the entire state. In comparison, Chattanooga, TN is asking for 2 roundabouts at the very top of their "Obamabucks" wish-list. I will send you an article about Tennessee's smart(er) choices later.

I also notice that the 2 Bibb County intersection projects on this list are ones designed/managed/whatever by Moreland- Altobelli. These projects are not well designed. GDOT should look to forward thinking road planners, instead of building the same old inefficient and unsafe intersections that are the staple product of Moreland's company. Georgia taxpayers need a better return on their investments.
I think it's safe to say Moreland Altobelli, headed by former DOT Commissioner Tom Moreland, would disagree with Dr. Holliday, but what the hell. They're big boys. They can take it.

Holliday and I were both at public hearing where DOT Commissioner Gena Evans went on record as "really interested roundabouts." That was 3 months ago, and I imagine not enough time has passed that roundabout projects are designed and ready to go like the feds want.

But, still, out of 240 projects across the state, not a single one? Interesting.

(Please note, I have not verified Holliday's count yet, but he's usually solid on details.)

7 comments:

Keich said...

Enough with the roundabouts. . .

roadblocker said...

Keich,
Enough with your bitterness towards Macon and/or some of its citizens.
Keep your pettiness in Texas. We don't want, or need it in Georgia.

Victor said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Keich said...

Yep. That's me. All chock full of bitterness.

That must be why I personally attack people on blogs.

whatwhatsthescene said...

why all the hate for roundabouts?

not a fan of france, where the modern roundabout first appeared in 1901?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundabout

personally, i just like saying "roundabout"...

Keich said...

I can take them or leave them, which really isn't the issue.

The issue is that regardless whether the roundabouts are great or not, they simply haven't been built in great numbers in this country and are not going to be built in great numbers in this country, so the endless jihad in Macon to make them happen is an incredible waste of time and energy that could be better spent on traffic solutions that actually have a chance to happen.

But there are certain people in the community that want to die on that hill. All I can say is that it will be a lonely and pointless death and that most of the powerbrokers have already learned to tune them out.

whatwhatsthescene said...

ranting about the inherent evilness of roundabouts at 4 AM on christmas eve?

i'm intrigued. did a roundabout kill your family?

personally, i think the "jihad" comment was a nice touch. reminds the readers that if roundabouts become common, THE TERRORISTS WILL HAVE WON!