Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Blog #9 - A New Bypass
Last night while the storm raged and many of us were at the candidate forum, a group of concerned and interested citizens were in the PWB gym discussing the new eastern bypass. Read the article from the Tuscaloosa News and provide your thoughts. I'm not giving you questions this week, as you tend to answer my suggestive questions directly. I would like to see you expound with your own thoughts.
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This article was a good example of how government does not always consider the individual when making decisions for the whole. The man mentioned in the article had to uproot his life once before for the Mercedes-Benz plant. Government does not look at situations like these when biulding new roads. Or what about the wildlife in the creek? That cannot be taken back. The flip side of this though is convenience for the majority of people. How many wrecks are going to be avoided by this new bypass? Government sometimes has to look over the individual to do the best thing for the long run. There are going to be many advantages to this road and I think they will outway the disadvantages by far.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same as Megan, the government doesnt look at it from the individuals prospective. Many people and businesses will have to be condemned due to this bypass. I feel that the government should let the people and whos ever business this will invole take on a vote on whether or not the bypass should be taken into place, because there are many advantages along with disadvantages that are going to occur. Like Megan stated there might be fewer wrecks, and more routes to take, but think about the homes and businesses of others that will no longer exist, and also like she mentioned the wildlife, some things just cant be replaced. What will happen to the ones that lose their homes? Will the government replace their homes?
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading this article in the library Mr. Dooley walked by and shared what he thought about the bypass. He's good friends with John Wathen, the keeper of Hurricane Creek, and told me that Hurricane Creek is major resource of this region and those in charge of keeping the creek are extremely against the bypass. However, Mr. Dooley thinks that the proposed bypass won't completely destroy the creek because it is above ground on pillars. He also thought that if they were going to use federal funding and have all that equipment in that area, they should add a provision to create a boat launch and park beneath the bypass to benefit the community. I agree with Mr. Dooley too - if it is going to happen, why not try to add a provision to use some of the money to benefit more people. Car noise would be a little annoying, but the overall benefit would be that more people in the Tuscaloosa area could enjoy Hurricane Creek and then in later would work hard to protect it and keep it nice.
ReplyDeleteI think the article did a bad job of adequately explaining all sides of the issue. I had a hard time discerning exactly what is going on and failed to find a side I agree with. Every time developments are made to a city, people have to get stepped on and businesses have to move. Remember when Midtown was a quiet neighborhood? Know what the developers did to those people? Quietly bought them out so that by the time the neighbors all figured it out, it was too late for them to do anything and many of them did not get a fair amount of money for the house they sold. The last few neighbors approached were able to get tenfold what the first did because they had leverage. At least with this development, all the cards are on the table and everyone is being honest.
ReplyDeleteDevelopments and changes to a city are a necessary evil. All of McFarland used to be a neighborhood. A woman that works at Arts n Autism with me told me that where the TCBY on McFarland stands is where her father built his first home many many years ago. (She is in her 60's or 70's now.) When McFarland got developed, the city picked up that house and now it is somewhere in the West End and she can still go see it. Not every story has as happy an ending as this one, but I do hope that if they move forward with the development, steps will be taken to make it as painless for the displaced as possible.
Jessica: I appreciate hearing Mr. Dooley and your thoughts on the issue. His comments gave more insight than the article in my opinion. I think this issue is one where there is no way everyone can be happy, so the best thing to do is work to compromise best as possible. I like the boat launch and park idea a lot. I think that addition would be great.
ReplyDeleteThe bypass idea should be trashed in my opinion. Yes it may cut down on some traffic in Tuscaloosa but it has more negative draw backs than positive gains. By the bypass being built many people would loses theirs houses and the area of Tuscaloosa would lose the peaceful tranquility of the creek that resides in the place where the bridge will be built. I'm haooy Tuscaloosa is moving towards a more big city look but I beleive as we begin to make this transformation we should remember to preserve those little things like parks and pools, and creeks for the time that people need to just get away from the city for a while. Also we should always remeber the people we may hurt through our actions as well.
ReplyDelete@Megan thats very true over the years the government has done a good job at showing the common people that if you're in the way of their agenda you will be wiped out the way.
ReplyDeleteSince this the first time I’ve heard anything about the new bypass, this article wasn’t really enough for me to understand what was really happening. However, when I read that more than 250 homes would have to be condemned for this project to work, it really made me angry because it seems that whenever city officials want to change something, the lives of the citizens of Tuscaloosa are the last thing on their minds. Even though it might be able to relieve some of the traffic in Tuscaloosa, I can’t see how that outweighs the fact that they would have to condemn 13 businesses. I think this is something that the public should be able to vote on and if the majority of the people don’t want it then no one should have the right to force it. It might be that I don’t know enough on the situation, but from what I’ve read in this article, I don’t think this would be something I support.
ReplyDeleteThis is the first time I have heard, or in this case read, about this new bypass. Based off of this article this would not be something I would favor or support. One reason why I would not support the building of this bypass is because 250 houses and 13 businesses would have to be condemned and closed. Alabama is in enough debt, and enough people are without jobs! this would not benefit the people. Look at David Battle, this will be the second time his house has been condemned because of construction. Is this really what we want to keep doing to Alabamians? Another reason I would not support building this bypass is because Hurricane Creek would looses its tranquility and less people would go to it think about how much money, safe environment for animals, and time could be lost there. I believe contractors are looking at short term and definitely not long term when it comes to the construction of this bypass.
ReplyDelete@Ben I agree! We must look at all sides of building this bypass, not just cutting down on traffic. It is so much more to it than this.
ReplyDeleteI feel as if this article was poorly written. If you did not know of this plan before reading this (myself)then it would be quite difficult to understand. Well, not difficult, but it doesn't give many details. Anyway, with that being said, I don't feel that it is the greatest idea to build an eastern bypass in Tuscaloosa. It seems to have more negative set backs than positive out come. I personally feel that Tuscaloosa does not have a significant amount of traffic honestly, compared to other cities. I think that maybe the plan should be put on hold for a few years as Tuscaloosa is continually growing, but until then, I don't really see the need. I also care about the environmental aspect of it. If you place a road in the middle of a creek then the noise and emissions from vehicles will run away the beautiful wildlife residing at and around Hurricane Creek. I also look at it from the views of individuals. The article says that more than 250 homes and 13 businesses would have to be destroyed in order to build this bypass. To sum it all up, I don't think it's a great idea. Or at least not right now.
ReplyDeleteAmber- I agree with you when you said that if we lost 13 businesses that would mean losing jobs basically. I think I agreed with a little bit of what everyone has said.
ReplyDeleteThis issue hits home with me because I live very close to the area where they will be building the highway. I have countless memories from my childhood of running through the woods of the "M" in hurricane creek. It's always been in walking distance from my house so I spent a good amount of time there. I think the construction of the highway would be most environmentally hazardous. The Hurricane Creek ecosystem is a very unique and delicate one. Building a highway through it would be so detrimental to the wildlife living in the area. I think that this area should be conserved for the communities sake. A raised highway is a better idea than a road, neither are great for the environment though. Its a great location for the road, but I feel that this area should be left alone right now. 250 homes would be condemned in the project process. Those people might not want to move, but if the project follows through, those people don't have a choice. The government can do whatever it wants to do. I don't want to have this highway years from now, just outside of my view, but inside of earshot. If there were a different route that the project designers would consider, I feel that they should take it and leave the creek be.
ReplyDelete@ lena- The article doesn't give many details about what the project really is, does it?
I think that this bypass could be a good idea. It would alliviate traffic in some parts of the city and giv more opportunity for businesses to open along this route. My only concern is that the environment of Hurricane Creek wouldn't be harmed. I think those that want to protect the creek should do research and do what they can to find out how much the bypass would truly hurt that area. Personally, I don't think it would alter the environment as much as they stated, but of course it will change.
ReplyDelete@LNZ. I agree with you. While a bypass would be nice for a lot of reasons, putting a citywide vote would make the plan more democratic.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking about how the bypass would be a major step towards Tuscaloosa growing as a city. However, having a bypass also means giving up some of the cozy feeling of T-town. The bypass is a major step towards modernization, but I'm wondering if modernization is what we really want nowadays.
Oh! And one more thing, Lyndsey, I remember you hitting your head! I'm glad you brought that up because I didn't know that Hurricane Creek is where we were that day.
I think in some situations a bypass could be a good idea however i think these days we are always worried about having the fastest way to get some where. The way we solve that problem is building these bypasses through places like hurricane creek. I dont think the bypass would negatively effect the creek but i have not at all seen these plans O think that would help develop my opinion. So I feel like that im middle of the fence on this issue even still after reading the article.
ReplyDeleteI do though like Dooley's opinion on the matter and think that would be a great compromise for both parties involved.
Considering that I've never heard of this issue until now, I dont think I have enough information to come to a strong conclusion. However, i do feel that this bypass is not a good idea as far as a long term goal. Even though this could have one positive turn-out to it, it has alot of negative's to go along with it. 250 houses is alot of people without a place to stay and 13 buisnesses is alot of jobs lost and in my opinion just isn't worth sacrificing for what they're trying to do. They should really consider what the city wants and like lena said let the city vote on this before making an action.
ReplyDelete@ ben i totally agree with you when you said that they need to leave that little part of enviorment where you can get away from the city for a while. Me personally I prefer being away from the city most often because to much of it just dosen't do me any good. However, everybody feels differently and isn't me soooooo....yes. But Alabama will loose some of its southern, peaceful feel, I believe, if we continue to tear such meaningful and helpful places down for things such as a faster route to work.
ReplyDeleteThis is actually the first time I have heard about this new bypass also. Just from reading the article, I do not think I would support it. 250 houses and 13 businesses would be condemned and closed, NO! I can truly say for myself it is hard finding a job now a days, we seriously do not have it that simple anymore. We have to think about these people and their families. How much would this affect their lives? I remember when my aunt had to move out of her home because they were building a new interstate, that is a huge change in your life especially when your not in the condition to make a sudden change as such. We as Americans need to stop thinking about what will help some and think of what will help most of ALL. I know that there is no possible way to help everyone but if there is any way of making it work for majority tham i think it should be done.
ReplyDelete@ Jessica
ReplyDeleteI also appreciate hearing Mr. Dooley thoughts on the issue. His comments helped me get a clearer understanding also.
For me as a lot of other this article was a little difficult to understand, but from what I understand I don't agree with it. In my life time I’ve seen plenty of neighborhoods be bought out, because someone wanted to start a development. The people who are bought out never get their fair share. I understand that this would help with traffic, but more than 250 houses and 13 businesses are way too much. I feel no one is really listening to the little people. If so many people are against this bypass than maybe someone should say maybe we shouldn’t do this. Although it would be great for them to compromise. Find something that they both can agree on. I feel like are city is becoming huge and the neighborhoods way to small. I also could use a lot more detail information.
ReplyDelete@ Amber I agree that closing businesses would increase unemployment, and who would want to do that.
ReplyDeleteFrom reading the article it sounds like the construction of the new bypass would do more negative things than positive. The article mentioned that over 250 people would lose their homes, 13 businesses would be condemned, and it would have a harmful impact on the environment. It sounds to me like the City isn’t taking the people who live and work there into consideration, and that their only concern is to alleviate the traffic on Woolsey Finnell Bridge. Since these are the only effects I am aware of the bypass sounds like a bad idea. However I think if I had more information on the subject I would be able to form a stronger opinion.
ReplyDeleteI personally think that the bypass is a horrible idea. I do not think that a little traffic congestion is worth having to get rid of over 250 houses and 13 businesses. In my opinion the traffic problem isn't bad enough yet to think about doing something this large. I also do not think that the city has taken public opinion into account with this decision, because 250 families is a lot of people to uproot.
ReplyDelete@diamond, i agree with your point, and i am also in the same situation. I do not think this is a very public issue and many people have no knowledge that this is even happening.
ReplyDeleteI think that if the people of Hurricane Creek feel that the new Bypass won't benefit them, then maybe the government shouldn't build it. I understand that there is alot of traffic in certain areas of Alabama, but if they build a bypass where these people live, there will be traffic there too. And the government also needs to consider the families that live in Hurricane Creek because alot of the people who live there might've been living there they're whole lives. I know that if the government was planning on building a bypass where I live and tearing down my house, I would be very upset. Like Megan and Chasity said, this is an example of how the government doesn't consider the prospective of the individuals that things like this will affect.
ReplyDeleteI think this article has a million pros and cons regarding the bypass. I feel though that it doesn't explain the two halves very well though, if you weren't a member of the communities surrounding the proposed bypass you wouldn't be able to imagine the traffic and road conditions. Also I feel the 13 businesses that would be condemned should be first priority and before any construction begans they should be reopened in a sucessful area. Since unemployment rates aren't in a place where we need to be closing businesses. As for the 250 houses that are going to be demolished, the same thing happened for Midtown. It's not the end of the world as long as the people aren't taken advantage of and fairly paid for ther property. I'm actually suprised that the policy requires reevaluation of the enviroment. It's nice knowing that they are looking for the creek. I hate to say it but the volume of people, cars and traffic in Tuscaloosa has increased and it was only a matter of time until this happened.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chasity and Megan about how government doesn't consider the prospective of the individual, and I also agree with John about people always caring more about the fastest way to get somewhere instead of worrying about the people that the bypass will affect.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, I really don't feel like the idea of the bypass is going to make too large of an impact on the whole, so no one should be overly concerned. If the bypass gets built, it would appear that it would greatly relieve traffic congestion and inconvenience on the other bridge. If it isn't built, then things will remain as normal. I personally don't feel things are too bad the way they are, but constructing the bypass wouldn't be too big of a deal in my opinion. There are always going to be people opposed to a city's attempts to expand itself at the cost of some of its citizens comfort. I am not particularly a fan of the way the current plan cuts through Hurricane Creek, which has proven to be a prized element of this town for several generations. The plan does not destroy the creek though and simply makes a small portion of the creek louder with traffic, which isn't that big of a price to pay when a town is trying to improve itself. On the whole, I wouldn't mind if it was built or if it was left alone. My biggest wish is that they would stop jerking around the owners of 250 houses and 16 businesses. It's unfair and disrespectful to the citizens of this city to have a plan that concerns a large portion of their livelihood held over them for an undisclosed amount of time. Whatever they are going to do, they should get on with it.
ReplyDelete@Everyone who is against uprooting families
ReplyDeleteI agree that it is a terrible thing to take the homes of citizens who have done nothing to deserve uprooting, but do you not think that in some situations there has to be sacrifice for progress? I'm not saying that this is the case here, but no empire, country, or organization has become great without running over the little guy every once in a while or making someone pay a price. This is a well accepted idea considering war has been condoned by our government since its birth. At what point does this become okay, if at all?
This was my first of ever hearing anything about the bypass and after reading this article I have to say I disagree with the new bypass. This article, first of all, did not convince me other wise that this would be a good idea. 250 homes and 13 businesses? That's a lot of people affected by that and it almost seems unreasonable to do such a thing already given the poor financial and economic state that Alabama is in. The only good example, although unfortunate for the man from Vance who had to move when they built the Mercedes plant, is putting the Mercedes plant in Alabama. It has brought a lot of revenue and jobs to this state as we know. I don't see however, how creating a bypass is going to put money back into Alabama.
ReplyDeleteFirstly, I would like to say that my opinion of the matter is a little shaky based on the amount of detail this article provided. On one hand I would regret building anything disturbing a national or state park, but also I was under the impression that Hurricane Creek became inaccessible to the public a few years ago. If this is still the case, building a road won't affect the aesthetic of the Creek since no one would be there to experience it. Regardless, it would be a horrible shame to affect the ecosystem of well preserved natural and uninhabited land. This whole issue boils down to the country's history of hypocrisy when it comes to the environment. I also feel that delaying this is only delaying the inevitable. Tuscaloosa and it's surrounding communities are slowly but surely becoming one entity, and may soon even become connected with the Birmingham area through suburbs. This mass expansion will cause many more foreclosures to come, as well as the destruction and disturbance of the remaining untouched ecosystems that lie in the way.
ReplyDeleteOkay, so my view on this is, I think that the plans for this bypass should NOT go into action. Why should the people of east Tuscaloosa have to lose their homes just for the purpose of creating another way to get to the other side of town? In the long run, how is this going to ultimately benefit those people and businesses? What are we gaining from this? As a resident of Holt, I don't think that people should lose homes for this. This could alter the lives of these people if they are not able to sell their current homes and find new ones. Honestly, I don't think that this a good idea being proposed. It may clear up some traffic, but people will lose homes and businesses just for this gain. I believe that it's not going to harm anyone if the bypass is not built.
ReplyDeleteI havent heard much about this bypass before but from what I got out of the article the negative consequences of the bypass greatly outweigh its benefits. Constructing this bypass would remove 250 homes and 13 businesses in the area. That encompasses a lot of people. And in addition to all that, ALDOT wants to build this bypass on one of the last remaining pristine and untouched locations in the state. This bypass just isn't worth the trouble.
ReplyDelete@Andrew, There should be NO sacrifice of giving up your home just to relieve traffic. That is not logical reasoning for such a change. Did you think of how those people would be affected by this. Did it cross your mind as to what some of them might have to go through after the loss of their homes? Some may not have the advantage of purchasing another home. What will those people then have to say that they gained? Really. What are they supposed to do? Just say, "I lost my home, but hey, I now have a quicker way to the other side of town!" NO! There is more to think about with this issue than that.
ReplyDeleteWell this was my first time hearing of the bypass, and I have mixed feelings about it. This article is one side of the story, and has valid points, but however there is also another side, which i'm sure also has valid points. Before I go saying the bypass should be thrown away and forgotten, I would like to hear the story from a less one sided view, or from the opposite view. However I do lean to forgetting about constructing the bypass because 250 homes is putting alot of people out of homes.
ReplyDelete@Mat I didn't notice the part about 13 businesses. Thats killing jobs too, another reason not to continue with construction.
ReplyDeleteI feel that this bpass that they are trying to build is a very poor idea due to the amount of damage it will due. The article said that 250 houses an 13 businesses will parish because of this bypass. According to the article I found no true point to why they are even building this bypa in the first place. I don't feel the people of east Tucaloosa will like this bypass. Joe Robinson says it will be a big benefit to the city, well I want to know in what way?
ReplyDelete@MAtt I agree with you, I do not think that the bypass is even worth our time.
ReplyDeleteI want to start by saying that I totally agree with what Jennifer said about being iggnorant to this issue. It was very hard to understand what was going on, but I was able to form an opinoion from what I read. I believe this will just bring upon a bunch of unwanted and unecessary drama to our city. we already have enouh problems with the UA buying everbody out and now we must worry about the federal government? I don't believe they are really looking out for our best intrests. Yeah they said it would elleviate our traffic issues but what about all of the homes and jobs that would be taken away in the process? Is it really worth it over traffic?
ReplyDelete@ mike:
ReplyDeleteI get why you say that this story is one-sided. There are many valid points as to why there SHOULDN'T be a bypass but there might also be some very good reasons as to why there should be. I wonder where that piece of information could be hiding...??
@Andrew
ReplyDeleteI can relate on your feelings of either way we're fine with or with out the bypass and that they need to go ahead and let the public know so the 250+ people most affected can have some peace of mind.
@everyone about people losing homes
ReplyDeleteIt's not just like the people are going to just get kicked out with no home and with nothing for it. Most of the time when people's land gets bought by companies and the city they are compensated for it. So it's not like they get completely screwed over
@Paris, yes I was ignorant to this information as well, and it doesn't really effect me.
ReplyDeleteI think what will happen is there will be a group of people, probably the homeowners who will start a petition or rally against the creation of the bypass.
I really don't think the government is being considerate of the citizens at all. You can't just expect people to move from their homes. I the government should take these peoples feelings into consideration!!!! Everything has pretty much already been stated by my classmates. But my whole thought on it is before you build this by pass, get the reactions of the citizens and at least try to make it benefit them.
ReplyDelete@hayden...I didn't know that. That kinda changes things, and from what I've heard, those people actually do get a good amount of money for their property. But at the same time, although they are not just getting kicked out, they are still being put out of their homes. No amount of money is worth that to some people.
ReplyDelete@hayden- I don't think anybody thought that the people losing their homes were gonna get "screwed over". It is just the fact that they are losing their home and you never know what their home means to them.
ReplyDeleteSorry I'm late Mrs. Matherson..
ReplyDeleteThis is also my first time hearing of the bypass. I do think it's a good way to alleviate traffic jams however I also do not agree with the fact that people's homes are being taken away from them. However,both issues are important and I'd have to hear more facts about the construction and how it was exactly going to affect the community around it.I do agree with Nancy that it didn't show each side very clearly and it was hard at first for me to discern what was going on as well.
@Jessica:That was very interesting point that Mr.Dooley brought up. Although the bypass wouldn't be exactly earth friendly the parks and boat landing would be a good way for the community to be compensated and for everyone to see this boat landing in a more positive light.
@ Erin
ReplyDelete...
You do know... that they will be compensated for leaving their homes... They are paid by the government to move out based on the value of the home... The only problem is that they'd have to pick up their life and move it elsewhere. That's a big inconvenience to say the least, but it's not like they're saying "Sorry about your house, see ya!"
@Megan I agree with what you said to Hayden.. a person's home could mean a whole lot to them, and its the thought of it that counts...
ReplyDelete@ Courtney I agree with your statement, the government should be considerate.
Megan - Good questions. Hope someone answers later on.
ReplyDeleteChasity - Fair market value will be offered to those involved.
Jessica - Good points. Consider however, that with more people comes more environment damage and destruction.
Nancy - Good points. Development can sometimes be a necessary evil.
Ben M. - Haooy? Don’t believe I’ve ever encountered that word :). Excellent points of cosideration. Your response to Megan - reflect on the governments use of eminent domain.
Lena - not fussing at you, but see what happens when you don’t keep up with what is going on. Something like this may not directly effect you, but it is a ripple affect. Excellent points of contention.
Amber - Good points. See my comment above regarding being informed.
Jennifer - Good point. Regarding traffic - compare the Western bypass build many years ago.
Ben B. - Excellent points and yes it does hit “closer to home” for you than anyone else. NIMBY! There are many ripple effects to consider.
Hayden - Those who are protectors of the creek have done a great deal of research. Search the Tuscaloosa News and you can read about their believes regarding the importance of the creek.
Lyndsey - Very good points. As you can see a decision is not always an easy one.
John - There are always two sides to every issue and we must weigh all the evidence. Please proof-read in that improper grammar does alter your grade :(.
Diamond - A good citizen is an informed citizen :). There is indeed much to be considered. Proof-read as well.
Da’Shelle - Good points and before anything is done, all kinds of studies have been done and hopefully the best possible method employeed.
Te’Kara - Good points. Please know that the citizens who are directly effected by this are fighting.
Mona - Yes, to make a more informed decision you would need to seek further information. Hopefully, you (and others) will search the Tuscaloosa News website for other articles to continue to add to your knowledge of this subject.
Cortez - Good points. Rest assured that the people who would be effected are not sitting back and waiting.
Deja - Good points. The government does consider all possible sides, but as Nancy mentioned sometimes the actions of government can be a necessary evil.
Madison - Good points. A different perspective.
Andrew - Very good response. Yes indeed there will always be those opposed and those in favor. The ideal would be to find solutions to satisfy both.
Mercedes - Sometimes there has to be a wait and see game when building something new.
Julian - Very good response. Parts of Hurricane Creek are off-limits but not all. Wonder what Doug Phillips’s opinion on this would be?
Erin - You’ve offered some excellent considerations. One thing to clarify. The people would not have to sell their homes. The government would buy them out (like they did in Midtown), tear them down or move the homes and try to resale them.
Matt - If you only have the negative consequences can you truly make an informed decision?
Michael - Yes, there are always two sides to every story and you should seek out both sides. Did you go back to the Tuscaloosa News to search for other stories regarding this issue?
Amani - Good question. Have you found an answer? Did you think about search the Tuscaloosa News to read other stories for both sides?
Paris - Good points and a nice touch with the outside information. Read more to become better informed on this issue, because it will not be the last time you hear of it.
Courtney - In my class? Really??? Liked your response to Hayden. Sometimes money just cannot solve everything.
Glad to see a few of you respond (and on time). Now, let's keep up the habit!