Local
streets gridlocked 6 hours a day. Off-peak: faster, heavier traffic endangering
pedestrians, bicyclists, children and pets. Most left turns prohibited on Richmond
and West Alabama. A "reversible lane" making West Alabama into a highway.
Crumbling streets. Choking fumes. Diesel smoke. Endless, endless traffic noise.
Chronic health problems. Collisions. Police, fire and ambulance struggling to
get through. Bike lanes? Forget it. And if you are blind or unable to walk,
things will really get ugly.
Welcome to the neighborhood, 2004 - 2006.
WALQ
believes that changes made by the City to accommodate overwhelming Spur construction
traffic will permanently change the character of cherished neighbor-hoods. There
are substantial differences between a neighborhood and a traffic conduit. Residents
want a neighborhood, not a traffic conduit.
It doesn’t have to be this way. Experts say
that with proper planning, timing and investment, TxDOT can rebuild Spur 527
without choking our neighborhood with unmanageable traffic. But if we want
a fair, sensible solution, we’ll have to fight for it.
