On Aug. 28, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that Little Rock Mayor Mark Stodola, North Little Rock Mayor Jim Smith, and Pulaski County Judge Barry Hyde came out backing the latest proposal by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department to expand Interstate 30 in the greater Little Rock area.
Apparently, they feel the latest version of the 30 Crossing Project should be exempted from a 20-year-old Metroplan policy that highways should have no more than six lanes. Metroplan is the planning agency for Central Arkansas.
On Aug. 31, KUAR reported that most members of the Metroplan board of directors voted in approval of the waiver. (Incidentally, Stodola, Smith, and Hyde are on the board.) However, Metroplan must approve other documents before the highway department can begin construction. The 30 Crossing Project is nevertheless one step closer to seeing reality.
One step closer is one step further from sensible improvements to I-30. Opponents think expansion will be detrimental to quality of life and will cost too much. Kathy Wells of the Coalition of Greater Little Rock Neighborhoods is concerned that the approval process is being rushed along, despite the fact that a federal environmental study will not be finished until the springtime at the earliest. Barry Haas of Improve 30 Crossing has suggested that litigation could arise from such a situation. The Arkansas Public Policy Panel has been critical of misleading claims made by the highway department.
Mayor Stodola is quoted in the Democrat-Gazette as saying the department has "basically moved a complete 180 degrees" from its earlier 10-lane proposals. The new and improved scheme entails three lanes on either side--that's six--plus two feeder lanes on either side--that's four. Bringing it to a grand total of 10 lanes.
While possibly not intentional, Mayor Stodola's praise of "split diamonds" and "boulevards" distracts attention from basic facts. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to understand that more lanes will lead to more pollution, more congestion, and more dangerous driving conditions. No amount of "tree-lined sidewalks" will make those facts go away. We cannot close our eyes to the problems of carbon emission and climate change.
Approval by the 34-member Metroplan board wasn't unanimous. Jarod Varner, executive director of Rock Region Metro, was the lone dissenter. He is not a wild-eyed environmentalist. But as quoted in the Sept. 1 Democrat-Gazette, he argued that limiting the number of lanes is based on a "desire to create a balanced transportation network." He also said that the waiver opens the door to "future roadway widening and a pattern of development that does not support effective transit goals or livability goals outlined in our long-range plans."
The Regional Planning Advisory Council overwhelmingly recommended to Metroplan last month that the waiver should not be approved.
The 30 Crossing Project is about accommodating interstate commerce, not about convenience. The cost of the project is cited as $630.7 million. (It was cited as $631.7 million at an informational session held in North Little Rock in April.) But there's little information about how much contractors like Garver Engineering and Nelson/Nygand stand to profit from the deal. Nor is there much discussion of the tax liability, direct or indirect, for the people of Central Arkansas, the state, and the United States.
There's something fishy about the highway department giving the public the impression there are only three options for action--do nothing, choose eight lanes, or choose 10 lanes. It's disturbing that elected officials would back such disingenuousness over the opposition of community activists and regional planners.
The other option is to keep I-30 at its present size, but to also keep it in good condition with regular maintenance. That's the most healthy and cost-effective option for Central Arkansas.
According to the Aug. 28 Democrat-Gazette, Mayor Stodola said, "You've got to be pragmatic at some point." Nothing could be truer. But we have to consider true economic development--the kind that helps everyone, not just a few special interests. In its current form, 30 Crossing is not pragmatic.
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Anthony B. Newkirk teaches history at Philander Smith College.
Editorial on 09/09/2016