Skip to main content

EPA: Gaston Parkway - Not a good idea

In reviewing the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Garden Parkway, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has significant concerns on the environmental impact of the toll road. It also questions in how much consideration various alternative were given.

The DEIS was released in May.

The EPA's concerns are many:
  • "Very Significant" Impact to nearby waterways, and that mitigation for these impacts have not been thoroughly provided and explained
  • More consideration to other transportation methods - including light rail
  • The time savings for commuters range from 0-5 minutes for more than half the project. They fail to see a benefit to commuters in Gaston County and in the study area.
  • Other socio-economic factors - from minority relocation and the impact on poor residents.
The NCTA has received similar responses from the Southern Environmental Law Center, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission.

The Turnpike Authority intends to answer the EPA's and all concerns when they release the Final EIS in the spring of 2010.

Story: EPA cites numerous problems with Garden Parkway ---Gaston Gazette

Commentary:
Immediately, opponents of the Garden Parkway pointed to the EPA's response as more reason why the Parkway shouldn't be built.
“It confirms what we believed — that there are serious problems with the project,” said Bill Toole, spokesman for a group opposing the toll road. “Just as we’ve been saying, the EPA is saying there are far better alternatives that need much more careful thought before they get rejected.”
And honestly, they're right. The road really does not significantly cut commute times for most residents in Gaston County - and the comments from the EPA in regards to the DEIS - show a lot of questions on the environmental impact on the highway.

This just adds to the controversy over the selection of the Gaston Parkway Preferred Alternative by the Turnpike Authority. Many residents have questioned the influence of State Senator David Hoyle (D-Gastonia) on the route. Hoyle, who has been a strong supporter of the Parkway, and his family own about 327 acres of land near one of the proposed exits of the Garden Parkway.

The N.C. Legislative Ethics Committee has cleared Hoyle in any wrong doing in a September 2008 advisory letter.

Former State Senator Robert Pittinger also owns land near the proposed Parkway; however, he abstained from voting on any legislation regarding the road.

Former State Senator, Robert Pittinger, also owns land near the Parkway, but he did not vote on any bills that included the Garden Parkway.

In addition, not all of the municipalities impacted along the route have signed on to the NCTA's preferred alternative. The Town of Belmont supports another routing of the highway.

Back to the EPA, this letter seems to have stung the proponents of the road. The concerns of the EPA has amplified the objections to the route and puts the burden on the NCTA to ease and explain their solutions to the numerous concerns of the EPA and other agencies.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Abandoned US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon

Within the Truckee River Canyon in the Sierra Nevada range numerous abandoned portions of US Route 40 can be found alongside modern Interstate 80.   This segment of highway was opened during 1926 as a bypass of the Dog Valley Grade which carried the early North Lincoln Highway and Victory Highway. The corridor of the Truckee River Canyon State Highway would be assigned as US Route 40 when the US Route System was commissioned during November 1926. During 1958 the segment of Interstate 80 between Boca, California and the Nevada state line was complete. When Interstate 80 opened east of Boca numerous obsolete portions of US Route 40 were abandoned. Some of these abandoned segments have been incorporated into the Tahoe-Pyramid Trail.  Part 1; the history of US Route 40 in the Truckee River Canyon The Truckee River Canyon for centuries has been an established corridor of travel known to native tribes crossing the Sierra Nevada range.  The first documented wagon crossi...

Former US Route 50 and the Pioneer Route Lincoln Highway on Johnson's Pass Road

Johnson's Pass Road is one of the oldest highway corridors in California.  Johnson's Pass was part of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road as it was completed during 1856 over the Sierra Nevada.  The pass would later be incorporated into the Pioneer Branch of the Lincoln Highway in 1913 and US Route 50 in 1926.  Johnson's Pass Road would be bypassed by a new alignment of US Route 50 over Echo Summit in 1938.  A replacement of the Meyers Grade east of Johnson's Pass would be opened to traffic in 1947.   Johnson's Pass Road remains accessible to traffic and is still signed by the Lincoln Highway Association.  Pictured as the blog cover is the view from the top of Johnson's Pass Road overlooking modern US Route 50 and Lake Tahoe.   Part 1; the history of Johnson's Pass Much of the history of what become the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road is discussed in the  September 1950 California Highways & Public Works  during its Centennial Edition.  The or...

Former US Route 50 and the South Lincoln Highway from Folsom east to Placerville

The corridor of Folsom of Sacramento County east to Placerville of El Dorado County has been a long established corridor of overland travel dating back to the California Gold Rush.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor was once part of the path of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road which became the first California State Highway and later the South Lincoln Highway.  In time the South Lincoln Highway's surface alignment was inherited by US Route 50.  The Folsom-Placerville corridor also includes the communities of; Clarksville, Shingle Springs and El Dorado. Part 1; the history of the Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, South Lincoln Highway and US Route 50 through Folsom-Placerville Folsom is located on the American River/Lake Natoma of eastern Sacramento County.  That lands now occupied by the City of Folsom were part of Rancho Rio de los Americanos prior to the finding of gold at Sutter's Mill during 1848.  During the California Gold Rush the lands of Rancho Rio de los Americanos were p...