Agenda - 09-24-1979 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Y Mr. T. L. Waters, Manager September 18,1979 Page 3 subtle ways, and may threaten its viability as a corrunity. Aerial photographs of the area reveal that alternative alignments may be possible for SR 1374 either paralleling the new west bound on ramp or on the northwestern periphery ,of this neighborhood. We feel these alternative routes should be given careful consideration since they would avoid a, "direct hit" and lessen the impact of the proposed project on the Miles Community. It was your request that Grange County advise you of any environ- mentally sensitive areas affected by 1-85aprore:ct. Having done this we would like to take this opportunity to about the need for construction and improvement of the Interstate highway system. Policy early 0s construction interstate was made in the early and resources as they were perceived at that time. In the subsequent thirty years, a number of the factors which underlay this policy decision have changed so drastically that we feel a re-evaluation of transportation problems and solutions is needed. The realities of the 180s include a realization that a number of resources are in short supply and should be expended carefully and wisely. The energy position of the United States today, for example, calls into solutions problems that eie de earlier J abund ant" t am The contructionofhghspeeInterstatehighwaysserving the individual automobile is one problem-solution set which needs re-evalua- tion. Certainly there are other alternatives which can provide safe, effi- cient transportation for Americans. Federal and State transportation policy makers do seem to be responding— somewhat slowly in our opinion-to these new realities. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1973 provides that if Federal , State and local officials agree, pror approval for an urban portion of an Interstate highway may be withdrawn and a local area may substitute instead a non-highway mass transit project which will be funded at the same level as the Interstate highway p j like to know if innovative alternatives such as this were investigated when it was realized that the capacity of the I-85 transportation corridor would need to be increased in the future. Certainly, consideration should be given to such alternatives before the point is reached where we are locked into a particular alternative. Another energy-related concern v:e have is the 70 mile-per-hour (MPH) design speed of the project. As we understand it this means that the sweep of curves, sight distances over the crest of hills, lengths of off-ramps for deceleration, etc. will be designed so that automobiles can travel safety on the highway at 70 MPH. In light of the energy savings that can be realized tha by automobiles traveling at slwer speds and Presi the speed on Interstate highways be posted