|
The Freedom Forum Northwest Florida Daily News Highway 98 Traffic SurveyFrom: Ken Schubert CommentsTracy Conner, Business Editor of the Northwest Florida Daily News, today published the results of her reader survey on ways of improving traffic flow on Highway 98 through our city. Out of more than 70 responses, only three favored the Around the Mound route being touted by the Fort Walton Beach city manager, the Fort Walton Beach Main Street program and the Community Redevelopment Agency. Surprisingly, no one mentioned the outrageous cost of this absurd program: 21.8 million dollars estimated by the district MPO staff; and 25 million dollars by the city’s own traffic engineering firm “to do the job right.” With only 20 active businesses along the proposed route, that’s a cost of more than 1 million dollars per affected business! The city council, lead by councilman Chuck Kelley, have been misleading the public by stating that the project will cost “only” 15 million dollars. What they don’t tell you is that amount covers only a bare bones project with no sidewalks and with narrowed traffic lanes to save right of way costs. They also don’t tell you that the Florida Department of Transportation will never approve a major highway renovation program that includes those limitations. Mrs. Conner’s survey also reported negative comments regarding the “historical” value of Fort Walton Beach downtown. Those comments give the lie to the nostalgia based downtown property owners’ insistence that preserving the “historical” theme is key to maintaining the city’s quality of life as stated in the city’s outdated vision plan. There have been times when I have felt like a “voice in the wilderness” when I have argued against Around the Mound, maintaining that it is a poorly disguised attempt to save downtown rather than a way to expedite traffic flow through our city. But Mrs. Conner’s report tells me that other people in our community share my views. I believe Mrs. Conner has done the citizens of our city a great favor with her report. Come next municipal elections, those citizens will vote to clean out city hall and put control of our city back in the hands of all the people, not just those of a favored few. ______ Last changed: March 04, 2008
|