The petition
By signing this petition, you are registering your opposition to the construction of an elevated roadway on top of U.S. 280, as promoted by Progress 280. Your submission, along with all those who sign this petition, will be sent to both government and community leaders to raise awareness of the widespread opposition to the elevated roadway. Please use the "Tell Others" button above to let your friends and family know about this important petition.
Top Reasons To Oppose an Elevated Roadway on U.S. 280
1. Noise: Bridge designer Linda Figg wrongly asserts that the noise from current U.S. 280 is from stop-and-go commuter traffic that will be improved by the elevated road. The primary source of noise from U.S. 280 is the truck traffic that will still be at grade and not on the elevated road. The elevated road overhead will trap and exacerbate truck noise, further broadcasting it throughout adjoining neighborhoods.
2. Air: The Birmingham metro area ranks with Los Angeles in poor air quality according to the American Lung Association. In 2006, that group gave Jefferson County a grade of “F” for ozone (smog) and ranked Birmingham #9 of the 25 worst for year-round particle pollution. Progress 280 projects that traffic on U.S. 280 may double by 2025. The greater number of cars that will be on the road will quickly eclipse any promised short-term improvements in air quality that may be realized by decreasing stop-and-go traffic.
3. Obsolescence: Development along the U.S. 280 corridor will continue (and with the elevated roadway, potentially accelerate) to the point that the toll road could be as congested as the present U.S. 280 in a relatively short amount of time.
4. Poor Planning: You may tell your children that “poor planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” That same principle is at work here. Despite ample warning, local governments along the U.S. 280 corridor have refused to set aside rights of way or plan for the smooth and orderly flow of traffic. The “emergency” we have on U.S. 280 was a calculated decision, not an accident.
5. Property values: Although Progress 280 is only discussing a 4-lane roadway publicly, it is significant that the project drawings show that the road can be enlarged to 6 lanes. An elevated toll road and its associated negatives may lead to a decline in property values in communities all along U.S. 280. When property tax valuations decrease, so too do tax collections in effected communities, thereby reducing monies for city services and schools that are dependent on this revenue.
6. Promises, Not Guarantees: While consultant Linda Figg has tried to respond to some of the criticism outlined above, it is important to remember that her statements are not guarantees and are not binding on the Alabama Dept. of Transportation (ALDOT). So even if she claims to have an answer about noise abatement, lights, landscaping, or aesthetics, there is no guarantee that these representations will be incorporated into the final product.
7. New York City, Alabama: When asked to name a project similar in scope that runs through residential neighborhoods that Figg Engineering has done in the past, Linda Figg’s only answer was the Van Wyck Expressway in Queens, NY. While it’s nice to visit the Big Apple, we do not want to emulate New York City by turning communities along U.S. 280 into Queens. See for yourself by Googling “picture of the Van Wyck Expressway” and try to envision that kind of “solution” in your community.
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