Comments regarding the CTP by Adam Bigelow, Community member, 12/16/09

This is an important issue and one that needs reporting.  In the article written by Justin Goble about the hearing, I am quoted as saying: ""I agree with all the folks that have spoken in favor of removing the connector from the CTP," he said. "I like to call it the 'John Bardo Expressway.' Our leaders need to consider the extent this will impact the welfare of our citizens."" While I did say the first part of this quote, including naming the proposed road as the "John Bardo Expressway"  (which I am now updating to be the John Bardo/Bear Lake Reserve Expressway to reflect what I believe to be the economic impetus for this road proposal), the final statement attributed to me is not an accurate account of what I said, nor is it even a condensation of my statement summing up the "gist" of my message.  In order to rectify this mistake, and to further the dialog on the road project, I am responding in the hopes that my letter will clarify things.  What I addressed to the Commissioners at the hearing concerned the necessity of building this road based on the idea of continued vehicular traffic growth, without looking at and thinking about the impacts of Global Climate Change and Peak Oil.  There is an assumption that we can project growth based upon how things have grown in the past, and based upon how we have grown in the past we can assume that we will grow exponentially more in the future.  I believe that without accounting for the effects of Global Climate Change and Peak Oil, we cannot accurately predict future growth, especially of fossil fuel dependant and intensive vehicular transportation.  When looking at Peak Oil effects, we need to understand that oil extraction will not just shut off like a faucet when we run out, but rather the amounts of available oil will decrease, and its extraction will get more difficult.  These, and other contributing factors, including market speculation, will cause the price of oil to go up, and its availability to go down.  As oil, and therefore gasoline, gets more expensive, will we truly see an increase in vehicular traffic on our highways?  When the price of oil jumped to $170/barrel and the price of gasoline rose to $4.50/gallon we saw a decrease in traffic counts, as well as an increase in public transportation usage and car-pooling.  The NCDOT has stated to me that they can not include ideas of Peak Oil in their considerations, and therefore can only base their projections on incomplete data.  I asked that the Jackson County Commisioners, who can include other factors besides traffic counts, reject the Hwy 107 connector and look for other options for relieving congestion.  Thank you,  Adam Bigelow