Competing road studies likely for N.C. 107

Competing road studies likely for N.C. 107
Smoky Mountain News
January 2, 2008
By Becky Johnson • Staff Writer

The next year could play out as a battle of the traffic studies between
the Department of Transportation and opponents to a new four-lane
divided highway through Jackson County.

For years, opponents to the Southern Loop have called on the DOT to
consider alternatives to a new highway. But DOT officials have insisted
it is the only solution to traffic congestion on N.C. 107 — the main
commercial drag and major commuter road in Jackson County.

Bending to public pressure to consider alternatives, the DOT has
finally agreed to do a traffic study of N.C. 107 to see what it would
take to fix the congestion without building a new highway.

But Southern Loop opponents aren't satisfied. A group called the
Jackson County Smart Roads Alliance is questioning the DOT's sincerity
before the study has even begun. They fear the DOT will prejudice the
study — namely by developing an alternative fix for N.C. 107 that is so
distasteful the Southern Loop will look like the lesser of two evils.

"Every idea we have given them for an alternative has been constantly
shot down," said Harold Messer, an opponent to the Southern Loop. "The
first thing they do is say it won't work. To them the only thing that
will work is the Southern Loop."

Officials with DOT were out of the office over the past week and could
not be reached for this story. But in a recent memo, Joel Setzer, head
of the DOT in the region, portrayed the DOT as genuine in its
exploration of alternatives. He said their study will look at
"improving existing N.C. 107 as an alternative to the Southern Loop."

The memo was circulated within the DOT and to town and county officials
two weeks ago in response to an ad Smart Roads placed in the Sylva
Herald newspaper. The ad — spanning two full pages — blasted the DOT
and listed hundreds of people who could have their property taken
depending on the ultimate route chosen for the Southern Loop. Setzer's
memo called the ad "misleading."

Setzer also objected to the characterization of the DOT in the ad,
namely a statement that DOT "continues to ignore reasonable
alternatives." Setzer said DOT has agreed to conduct a study
specifically to identify alternatives to the Southern Loop.

"This study will look at N.C. 107 from U.S. 23 Business to Cullowhee to
determine what can be improved so this highway will perform acceptably
into the future," Setzer wrote in the memo.

It sounds exactly like the kind of study Smart Roads wants, but not
under the auspices of the DOT. Smart Roads wants an independent
consultant who doesn't answer to the DOT to do the study.

In Waynesville, a traffic consultant will soon begin a study of Russ
Avenue, the main commercial corridor in that town. But the consultant
won't be answering to DOT during the project. Instead, DOT gave a
$40,000 grant to the town, which in turn is hiring the traffic
consultant of its choosing and setting its own parameters for the
study. Roger Turner, a member of Smart Roads, wants an arrangement like
that for Jackson County when it comes to the study of N.C. 107.

DOT is certainly not short on studies at the moment. In fact, there are
two more in the works, both regarding the Southern Loop.

The DOT is currently in the planning phase for the Southern Loop. The
planning phase is the last step before the DOT starts buying right of
way. Several million has been allocated for the planning phase, which
could take several years, however.

Messer said DOT should halt the planning phase for the Southern Loop
until alternatives are explored.

"You have the cart so far ahead of the horse. Let your process have an
opportunity to work. Then if the community sees a need for the road,
put it back on," Messer said.

But Setzer said that the planning phase for the Southern Loop won't
include just the Southern Loop.

"It will look at additional alternatives including a 'no build' or 'do
nothing' alternative," Setzer said in his memo.

The DOT is also supposedly working on yet a third study: a
comprehensive transportation plan for the entire county. That study has
been promised by the DOT for three years now, but hasn't materialized.
The study has stagnated due to staff changes in the DOT. The DOT is now
on its third staff person assigned to the study. All of them worked out
of Raleigh. There were long gaps between staff changes when no one was
assigned to the study at all.