Letter: Task force meeting was 'puzzling'

The Sylva Herald
Letters to the Editor: 02/28/08

Task force meeting was 'puzzling'

To the Editor:

Observing the Feb. 13 Jackson County Transportation Task Force meeting
was a puzzling experience for this taxpayer. While grateful that it was
open to the public, I left wondering what exactly the Department of
Transportation means when they assure us they are responsive to the
community.

The bulk of the meeting focused on developing data for a comprehensive
transportation plan and included the circulation of a proposed
community survey. One might have never guessed that there was a highly
controversial road lurking in the background.

Finally, at the end of the agenda, Walter Kulash, an independent
traffic consultant representing the Smart Roads Alliance, brought up
the subject of the Southern Loop – the "elephant in the room." From his
questions I learned that DOT has already started an environmental study
for the proposed four-lane highway, despite considerable public
opposition as far back as when the Southern Loop was first proposed. I
later learned that this particular project/environmental study comes
with a $2 million price tag.

When Kulash pointed out that such a study could expand its scope of
work to include a consideration of alternatives, DOT (District
Engineer) Joel Setzer answered with something that struck me as
equivalent to "trust me." Setzer suggested that the comprehensive plan
might deal with alternatives "perhaps in 2009." Why in the world should
the public or the task force wait that long for serious consideration
of alternatives? Shouldn't such a study include alternatives now?
Common sense says "yes."

One of the items on the agenda was a draft for a community survey. The
gist of the survey questions aim at whether there is a traffic problem,
where the congestion is and whether we want more efficient roads. No
questions about the public's preference for solutions – do we want a
multi-lane freeway or do we think traffic problems can be solved by
other solutions?

I hope the task force will revise the survey to include such questions.
But even if they do, it remains to be seen whether the DOT will pay
attention to the answers. If the DOT is responsive to community
concerns, that should be reflected in their actions. It isn't enough to
say "trust us."

Pat Montee
Sylva

County residents are invited to complete transportation survey

County residents are invited to complete transportation survey
The Sylva Herald
February 28, 2008

Jackson County, the Southwestern Rural Transportation Planning
Organization and the N.C. Department of Transportation's Planning
Branch are seeking public input as part of Jackson County's
Comprehensive Transportation Plan.

County residents are asked to complete a short survey to identify
transportation issues and needs, with answers being used to prepare a
county CTP.

During the CTP process, the county's future transportation needs will
be determined, and solutions will be recommended, according to
Southwestern Commission transportation planner Ryan Sherby. Alternative
modes of transportation will also be studied, and the process will
involve local government officials and the public. Public workshops
will also be held in the future to receive additional input on local
transportation issues.

Paper copies of the survey are available at the Jackson County Public
Library, the Jackson County Planning Department, Sylva's town hall, and
the offices of the Southwestern Commission. The survey can also be
downloaded or completed online at

http://www.regiona.org/econdev/transportation-planning.htm.

Those who are unable to access the survey online or pick up a copy may
call Sherby at 586-1962, ext. 214, or e-mail him at ryan@regiona.org.

Surveys should be completed by March 31 and returned to Ryan Sherby,
Southwestern Commission RPO, 125 Bonnie Lane, Sylva, NC 28779.

Comments on the community survey

On behalf of Smart Roads we wish to make the following observations re:
the current course of the task force. We assume the recent
transportation survey has been developed by NCDOT and the RPO, and
there exists a genuine interest in reaching the public for "input."
 
We find the deadline [March 31, 2008] for completed surveys to be
somewhat arbitrary. Smart Roads
is planning a transportation "display" at the Public Library in April;
we are also planning to table at the "Greening of the Mountains"
Festival in Sylva [in April], an event that draws thousands of people.
Thus we feel the survey could reach significantly more people if the
deadline were extended until April 31, 2008. Perhaps this could be
discussed and voted on via emails among task force members.
 
A more pressing problem exists: the task force [and the community
survey] are proceeding as if there is no controversy over the southern
loop. Is the task force going to proceed until June[?], 2009 with a
comprehensive transportation plan that totally ignores the "elephant in
the room?"
 
We have been told by DOT officials for the past year there is clear
public support for the southern loop; this was later "qualified" by DOT
as "indirect public support." However no official DOT documentation
supports this.
 
The survey should at least make some attempt to determine
public support or non-support for constructing a "multi-lane freeway."
This could be done in the spirit of a somewhat feckless and general
survey question, something comparable to question # 10-e.g. such as:
"Are there any specific transportation issues that you are particularly
concerned with that are NOT addressed by this survey?" Such a question
might actually give the public an opportunity to deal with real issues
[without mentioning the southern loop].
 
The current survey is professional, predictable, and serves the purpose
of confirming we have traffic problems.
 
We feel the addition of such a question is important enough to merit
discussion at the next task force meeting on March 12. If the surveys
have been printed and circulated, then we propose the deadline be
extended until April 31 to allow for a 1/8-1/4 page insert be added for
such a question [in hard copy]. This would be no problem with
electronic surveys. Additional questions should be approved by the task
force.
 
It is time the DOT/RPO proceed in "partnership" with the county task
force. Please don't tell us it is too early in the "process" to address
this issue.
 
Respectfully,
 
Susan Leveille
Roger Turner
Smart Roads Alliance

The Sylva Herald - Letters To The Editor

The Sylva Herald
February 21, 2008
Letters To The Editor

Sylva needs safer roads

To the Editor:

"Not new roads, smarter roads" reads a popular bumper sticker. The
building of the Southern Loop is under debate, but one fact that will
not be disputed is the need for smarter, safer roads.

As a Franklin resident who spends much time in the Sylva/Cullowhee
area, I am often told by Jackson locals that Franklin is an odd and
even scary town. If Franklin is shady or creepy, I have become
acclimated to it so as not to notice. I do know that I find Sylva, from
N.C. 116 to downtown to be very scary when it is dark and raining. When
Jackson County residents divulge to me their negative feelings toward
Franklin, I say, "hey, at least Franklin has reflectors on its roads."
They seem to stop and reflect, their faces flashing back agreement.

I am terrified driving through a dim, damp Sylva. The painted lane
markers are concealed underneath the reflective surface of rainwater.
If the stripes do reflect the light of headlights, they are not
discernible against the striped myriad of reflected tail-lights,
headlights, traffic lights, store lights and so on. Drivers must strain
to know their locations in the lanes and must trust that the drivers
around them know where they themselves are. Motorists drive into the
lanes of opposing traffic, thinking they are in a turn-lane, thereby
presenting ample opportunity for collisions. Now isn't that scary?

Come on Sylva. Make N.C. 107 a smarter, safer road by making the lanes
clearly visible in all weather situations.

Until Sylva installs road reflectors, I must say if I were to choose
between Franklin and Sylva, Sylva is scarier, at least with respect to
traffic.

Thomas Berger
Franklin

Fix is in' on Southern Loop

To the Editor:

Well it seems that the forces of "progress" are back at it again on
this Southern Loop highway that they are determined to ram down
people's throats. This time, because they were hammered with so much
resistance on their last foray, they have taken the Washington, D.C.,
approach of trying to sneak it in through backroom deals and "private"
meetings. The Smart Roads organization is trying to fight this erosion
of Jackson County, but they need help. I know that if your house is not
on the chopping block this seems like no big deal, but remember, they
can always come for your home on their next pork project. This road is
desired by a select few that will derive financial and political
benefit from a highway ripping a gash in the mountainsides of Sylva and
Webster. Make no mistake, there are some of your elected officials that
are all about this road happening, and it would be prudent to find out
whom, and make sure that they do not get re-elected – ever. They are
putting the wants of a very few over the wants of the community, and
using the power of eminent domain as a crowbar to break in and steal
people's land. In the case of my family, (it's) land we have had for
more than 100 years. Follow the cigar smoke, folks, and find the fat
man.

People have come to Jackson County for decades to escape congestion,
pollution and overcrowding. But now we have some that wish to inject
those things into this beautiful mountain oasis. This road will be of
great benefit to the massive expansion of Western Carolina University.
It will also help out the "mega-bucks" communities being developed
around Bear Lake and in Cashiers. But it is zero benefit to the local
residents. The locals will get the shaft, as usual, in a nice, pretty
package tied up with a bow. Drive up to where I live in New Jersey if
you want to see what you are going to be getting, or drive down to
Atlanta or to Raleigh. Is that what you want? This road will destroy
untold acres of pristine mountain land, and it will destroy the homes,
dreams and memories of hundreds of native citizens who just happen to
be in the way of a few greedy people's "progress." Stand up and fight.
This affects all of us. Don't allow backroom deals and sleazy politics
to destroy something as grand as our mountains. Once you send in the
bulldozers, there is no getting it back.

Frank Huguelet
Pennsville, N.J.

County transportation task force establishes study boundary

County transportation task force establishes study boundary
The Sylva Herald
February 21, 2008
By Lynn Hotaling
http://thesylvaherald.com/html/county_transportation_task_for.html

Members of Jackson County's transportation task force last week (Feb.
13) identified a study boundary and determined existing roads that will
be included as they proceed toward developing a comprehensive
transportation plan.

Meeting for the first time in six months, the group heard from N.C.
Department of Transportation planner Sarah Smith that delineating a
boundary and identifying the existing thoroughfares to be included are
the necessary first steps that could lead to a Jackson County CTP by
June 2009.

Several present, including Smart Roads Alliance member Susan Leveille
and that group's consultant, Walter Kulash, questioned why planning for
the controversial Southern Loop is proceeding separately from the task
force's discussion of the county's transportation needs.

That road, proposed in 2003 as a link from U.S. 23/74 near Blanton
Branch to U.S. 23/441 near Cagle Branch, is now discussed by DOT
officials in terms of a "link" between U.S. 23/74 and N.C. 107 or Old
Cullowhee Road (S.R. 1002).

Kulash asked why DOT is looking at a new road before the CTP identifies
the county's transportation needs.

District 14 Division Engineer Joel Setzer, who was at the task force
meeting, said it's because planning with regard to the Southern Loop
will take a long time to develop. Also, he said that he doubts there
will be a corridor link with existing roads, and that it's highly
likely some kind of link will be shown to be needed.

When Kulash asked if the DOT's process could be expanded to include
alternatives besides a new road as well as a broader corridor, Setzer
said the DOT's scoping process for the new road is not complete and
that alternatives have not been set.

"The way I intend to present it is that we need to look at constructing
a link," Setzer said. "Does it need to end on old 107 (now Old
Cullowhee Road) or new 107? We're not considering just one thing."

After Kulash stated that Southern Loop planning didn't seem to be a
"transparent process," Setzer offered to have the Southern Loop project
engineers attend a task force meeting to answer questions.

When Leveille asked whether the Southern Loop is proceeding without
input from the task force, Setzer said that planning is taking place.
That planning does not include all the way from U.S. 23/74 to U.S. 441,
however, and only one meeting has been held so far, he said.

"There's nothing hard and fast," Setzer said.

"So that process will proceed with or without this task force?"
Leveille asked.

"It currently is proceeding, and the task force is proceeding," Setzer
said. "There are opportunities for them to mesh – if you proceed on
schedule (and have a CTP) by June 2009, those things will be meshed. By
then we'll know a lot more about the development of (the Southern Loop)
project."

Leveille pointed out that the reason the group, which was first
organized in 2003, is not on schedule is not the fault of the task
force but due to changes in DOT and Region A planning personnel.

"We can't be held up by the DOT again," she said.

County Commissioner William Shelton, who was also present for the
session, said it was the county's intent that the work of the task
force would mesh with DOT planning and that the task force's input
would weigh into the Southern Loop project.

The question of the Southern Loop corridor also came up during the
group's discussion of a study boundary, when Leveille said she thought
any area the DOT is considering as a potential Loop route should be
included in the study area.

Setzer responded that since Cullowhee is the destination and the DOT is
trying to develop a connector from 23/74 to either old or new 107, he
thought the proposed southern project boundary – the N.C. 107/N.C. 281
intersection – "is far enough south to capture the link."

The study boundary approved Feb. 13 is larger than an earlier one
identified during the task force's first meeting in 2004. It includes
all of U.S. 441 from Cherokee to the Macon County line and extends out
23/74 to its intersection with Skyland Drive at Sugarloaf. As mentioned
above, it extends out 107 to Tuckasegee.

Roads listed by the task force in its study include all those within
the boundary that are not dead ends – N.C. 107, North and South River
roads, Old Cullowhee Road, N.C. 116, Little Savannah Road, Cope Creek
Road and Centennial Drive.

Task force member Jay Coward asked whether Cane Creek, Locust Creek and
Fairview roads should be part of the study; town of Sylva Planning
Director Jim Aust said they should not be, because they are currently
dead ends.

Such roads could become connecting roads under a plan developed by Aust
as a possible alternative to the eastern portion of the Southern Loop.
The Smart Roads group and Kulash have endorsed that plan, which
includes construction of sections of new two-lane roads to connect
existing roads and create travel alternatives to N.C. 107. The Aust
plan was not discussed during Wednesday's meeting.

With the task force's approval of the study boundary and network roads,
Smith said DOT planners will continue with data collection with regard
to those roads.

"Right now we're looking at the current traffic and current capacity,"
she said. "Once we have the current capacity, we'll look at future
traffic projections to see what to do to address it."

That data should be available at the group's next meeting, which is
scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 12, in Room A-227 of the Justice
Center, Smith said.

The other major topic discussed Feb. 13 was a survey that's planned to
gather additional public input on residents' traffic concerns.

According to Smith, DOT planners have found that public information
sessions work better once some recommendations are made, but a survey
would be a way to gauge the public's current feelings.

Plans are to post the survey online and have copies available at town
halls and libraries. Target dates for the survey to be available are
March 1 through March 31.

The proposed survey asks respondents to identify the community they
live in, state their race or ethnicity and give their age. It asks them
to rate the importance of transportation goals such as increased public
transportation options, economic growth, community and rural culture
preservation, environmental protection, faster travel times, service of
special needs and increased transportation choices.

Other questions ask if respondents currently use an alternate route to
avoid N.C. 107 and whether they would use sidewalks, off-road trails or
greenways, off-road bicycle routes, or buses, if such options were
available.

In addition, the survey will ask residents to identify locations where
they experience traffic congestion on a regular basis, when the
congestion occurs and possible reasons for the congestion, i.e. rush
hour, school bus pick-up/drop-off, lack of a left turn lane.

DOT accused of convoluted planning

DOT accused of convoluted planning
Smoky Mountain News
February 20, 2008
By Becky Johnson • Staff Writer
http://smokymountainnews.com/issues/02_08/02_20_08/fr_dot_accused.html

Opponents to the Southern Loop again urged the N.C. Department of
Transportation to halt planning for the new highway last week during a
meeting of the Jackson County Transportation Task Force.

They asked the DOT to hold off until the task force finished its
long-rang transportation plan — a plan that could reveal new solutions
to traffic congestion other than the Southern Loop. The DOT is backing
the development of the long-range transportation plan. But meanwhile,
it has also launched a $2.2 million planning process for the Southern
Loop.

An independent traffic engineer, Walter Kulash, questioned the
seemingly diametrically opposed planning tracks. Opponents fear the
Southern Loop will become a fait accomplis if planning gets too far
along, and that alternative solutions proposed in the transportation
plan won't get an honest look.

"I'm curious why we are continuing with a process for a very specific
type of solution," said Kulash, who has been enlisted by the Smart
Roads Alliance in its quest for alternative solutions to the Southern
Loop. "Why are we embarking on a study confined to a multi-lane freeway
in a fairly narrow geographic corridor while we are going through a
comprehensive transportation plan?"

Sarah Smith, a DOT staffer assigned to the task force, replied that the
two planning tracks — the Southern Loop planning on one hand and the
comprehensive transportation plan on the other — are two different
processes.

That was Kulash's point: the two processes seemed divorced when they
shouldn't be.

Joel Setzer, head of the DOT for the region, replied that it was a safe
bet to continue with the Southern Loop planning rather than wait on the
outcome of the transportation plan. In all likelihood, the
transportation plan will call for something akin to the Southern Loop —
a new link between N.C. 107 and U.S. 23-74, Setzer said. It will be
good to have a jump start on the planning since it is going to take so
long, Setzer said.

"I think it is highly likely after you've done the analysis that some
kind of link will be shown to be needed," Setzer said. "It is somewhat
of a gamble to proceed with project development, but project
development will take years to complete. The concept of this link is
going to take a long time to develop."

By then, the comprehensive transportation plan will have caught up,
Setzer said.

Conrad Burrell, a Jackson County resident who is the regional
representative on the state DOT board, was at the meeting with Setzer
but did not speak.

Susan Leveille, a representative of the Smart Roads Alliance on the
task force, asked Setzer if the planning for the Southern Loop was
proceeding without input by the task force.

"Unless you have given any input I don't know about to the project
engineer, the planning is proceeding," Setzer replied. The planning is
largely being handled out of Raleigh, with the local DOT branch serving
in an advisory capacity only.

County Commissioner William Shelton, a member of the task force, said
county leaders want to see the comprehensive transportation plan done
first — before the Southern Loop planning.

"The way I heard it just now is there is a chance that these two things
will mesh, and a chance they may not mesh," Shelton said at the
meeting. "I think we need to do everything in our power to make sure
they do."

Shelton reminded the room of the county commissioners' resolution last
fall calling on the DOT to place a comprehensive transportation list at
the top of its to-do list, ahead of Southern Loop planning. County
leaders were specifically asked to weigh in on the DOT's list of
priorities. The county commissioners unanimously ranked the
comprehensive transportation plan above the Southern Loop, Shelton
said.

"When we suggested this comprehensive transportation plan be brought
forward as a top priority, our intention was that it would not be two
separate things," Shelton said.

Shelton said people need to know whether the comprehensive
transportation plan will mean anything.

"The public perception is that this is a done deal. I think they need
to be told in layman's language that it is or isn't and whether or not
this comprehensive study is going to have an impact on the Southern
Loop," Shelton said.

Not everyone on the task force saw a problem with Southern Loop
planning and a comprehensive transportation plan being developed
concurrently. Dr. Cecil Groves, president of Southwestern Community
College, said the two will in all likelihood mesh. Groves said it is
wise to get a jumpstart on Southern Loop planning. The planning will
take so long as it is, additional delays should be avoided.

"By then you really have a mess brewing on 107," Groves said.

Task force tangle

Setzer said he had hoped the comprehensive transportation plan would be
done by now, then there wouldn't be a timing problem that everyone
seems so concerned about. But, it's not too late for the task force to
influence the planning process for the Southern Loop, he said. The
comprehensive transportation plan will take a year to complete.
Planning for the Southern Loop will still be in the early stages by
then, Setzer said.

"If your work is able to proceed on schedule and be close to 2009, and
you progress in your work, those two processes will be meshed
together," Setzer told the task force.

Leveille seemed offended. She said the task force would be delighted to
proceed in its work if DOT would stop holding them up. The task force
has been stalled by a revolving door of DOT staffers assigned to
oversee the task force, she said. The current staffer makes number
four. In between changes of the guard, the task force was put on hold,
sometimes for as long as a year. Jay Coward, a member of the task
force, has accused the DOT of purposeful "evasion and delay" of the
task force.

"To be held up for five years because the DOT couldn't join us, I trust
that won't happen again," Leveille said. "There are enough of us here
with good minds that we can move forward with something."

On the other hand, task force members did not take the initiative to
meet in the absence of a DOT staffer to oversee them. That's largely
due to a presumption that the DOT controlled the task force, down to
what could and couldn't be discussed at meetings, making the staffer in
charge feel like a handler rather than facilitator.

All in the wording

Kulash didn't dispute that N.C. 107 — the commercial drag and commuter
route in Jackson County — needs a new link. But not necessarily a
multi-lane freeway, he said. Kulash suggested broadening the scope of
the Southern Loop planning so the DOT wouldn't pigeonhole itself.

"I understand you have to get started on something now but can that
something have a broader scope?" Kulash asked.

Setzer said not to worry. The scope of the project hasn't been set yet,
he said.

Kulash questioned that assertion, however, pointing to a DOT memo
soliciting consulting firms to oversee the Southern Loop planning
process. The memo describes the job as "a multi-lane facility on new
location" with "controlled access."

"That knocks out anything other than multilane and any use of existing
roads," Kulash said. "If I was a consultant — and I am a consultant — I
would look at this and say 'You are asking me to design a multi-lane on
a new location.'"

Setzer said that wording was simply used to solicit consultants. Before
the consultants get started, they will get new marching orders. That
hasn't happened yet, he said.

In that case, Kulash asked Setzer to change the wording so as not to
bias the consultants. Better yet, Kulash asked if the task force could
participate in developing the wording to ensure that a "full and fair
range of alternatives" are studied by the consultants.

Setzer said it would.

"The DOT is not focused on just the alternatives that everyone says
they are," Setzer said. "There is nothing hard and fast and there is
nothing off the table."

Kulash was still skeptical, again pointing to the language in the memo
seeking consultants.

"I don't see a transparent process so that the task force members can
satisfy themselves that it is going forward with a sufficiently broad
scope," Kulash said.

A consulting firm for the Southern Loop has already been selected, KO
Associates out of Raleigh. The DOT has nearly finalized its contract
with KO, and the language is indeed less specific than the original
memo, according to Michael Penney, contract management engineer with
the DOT in Raleigh.

"The contract isn't written so specifically that it can't evolve. It
doesn't stipulate the type of facility," Penney said in a phone
interview.

The actual contract with KO describes the job this way: "The consultant
will perform project development associated with the proposed Southern
Loop around Sylva-Dillsboro from U.S. 23-74 to U.S. 441."

That leaves it open for the consultants to consider a boulevard-type
road, for example — although that's not the impression Penney said he
had of the project.

"If you are trying to move traffic from point A to point B most
expeditiously with the least amount of congestion then a boulevard
doesn't achieve that," Penney said. "It sort of depends on what is
driving the process."

Penney said his impression of the job was to design a new highway that
would move large volumes of traffic quickly. That concept was laid out
in the county's old comprehensive transportation plan developed in the
early 1990s, Penney said.

"Based on what we were provided, which was from a previous
comprehensive plan, that's what we were told," Penney said. "If they
change the comprehensive plan that would have to be taken into
consideration."

The real marching orders for the Southern Loop planning — the holy
grail of the planning process so to speak — will be the "purpose and
need" statement. That has yet to be developed, but once it is, it
becomes the litmus test by which everything else is judged. If an
alternative doesn't meet the "purpose and need," it won't be
considered.

If the "purpose and need" is broad — such as reducing traffic
congestion on N.C. 107 — it opens the door for all sorts of
alternatives to be considered. If the purpose and need statement is
narrow — such as build a new road around Sylva and Dillsboro — it will
confine the options that are considered.

Setzer said the "purpose and need" statement likely won't be drafted
until the fall.

What is the Southern Loop?

The Southern Loop is a proposed freeway that will bisect Jackson County
with an interchange over N.C. 107 somewhere between Cullowhee and
Sylva. It will tie into U.S. 23-74 somewhere north of Sylva and U.S.
441 somewhere south of Dillsboro.

What is a comprehensive transportation plan?

After five years of various hold-ups, the N.C. Department of
Transportation is finally embarking on a comprehensive transportation
plan for Jackson County.

In a nutshell, the plan will predict future traffic congestion and come
up with solutions.

"We'll have a number for future traffic, and we'll have the carrying
capacity for the roads. What roads in the future are going to go over
that capacity? That's where we have to come up with solutions — to
address those roads that are over capacity," explained Sarah Smith, a
DOT staffer in Raleigh assigned to the comprehensive transportation
plan.

Solutions could mean new roads or improving traffic flow of existing
roads. Solutions could mean the controversial Southern Loop freeway or
smarter intersection designs. The Jackson County Transportation Task
Force will serve as an advisory board during the process, but the plan
will ultimately be developed by DOT staff in Raleigh.

Residents have two chances to influence the transportation plan. The
first is by filling out a survey in March. The second is public
workshops in late-summer. Watch The Smoky Mountain News for how to
participate in both.

Overview of January 10th Public Information Meeting

> Dear Smart Roads Supporter:
>
> Thank you for coming to our Jan. 10 presentation on "Alternatives to
> the Southern Loop" at the Jackson County Justice Center. We estimate
> 200 people attended.
>
> We are at the beginning of a struggle that will determine whether many
> of us keep our homes, businesses, land, and rural landscape. This is
> really about the future of Jackson County, and involves all who live
> here.
>
> Our goals are achievable: to hold DOT accountable to its mission for
> community involvement (including the rejuvenation of the Jackson Co.
> Transportation Task Force) throughout its decision making process; to
> keep the public informed; and to demand DOT consider and implement
> viable alternatives to the southern loop.
>
> Walter Kulash, an independent traffic engineer, proposed one viable
> alternative on Jan. 10: by upgrading existing two-lane roadways we can
> create a "network" of roads that can alleviate local traffic on 107
> and possibly connect WCU's campus to US 23/74 without using a
> multi-lane freeway. Furthermore, Avram Friedman and Odell Thompson
> showed that public transportation can also play an important role in
> reducing traffic on 107 and meeting the future transportation needs of
> the WCU campus.
>
> We invoked the N.C. Public Records Act in Nov., 2007 to obtain all
> documents (since 2003) from District 14 DOT pertaining to the southern
> loop. We have reviewed this documentation and conclude that DOT
> followed its own agenda in placing the southern loop on a regional
> "priority" list of transportation projects. There was no public
> "process." This will be challenged.
>
> We have recently learned that DOT has authorized a $200,000
> Environmental Impact Study for eight miles of the southern loop,
> presumably the "funded" segment from US 23/74 to NC Hwy. 107. The
> beginning of this study is a flashing red light for us:
>
> $160,000 is from federal transportation funds. It is an important step
> in advancing this project. It is crucial that we make our opposition
> loud and clear to our elected representatives at the local, state, and
> federal levels NOW.
>
> In our next communication we will list the names of key officials who
> need to be contacted. Please consider writing or calling them. It is
> also important that your neighbors understand how far along this
> project has been advanced without input from the public. The southern
> loop can be stopped, but not by a small group. Our success depends on
> broad-based and clear opposition, starting with you.
>
> Thank you for being part of our great success on Jan. 10.

Smart Roads files complaint over Southern Loop project

Smart Roads files complaint over Southern Loop project

The Macon County News
January 31, 2008
By Jessica Richardson, Staff Writer
http://www.maconnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2052&Itemid=34

Citizens group accuses NCDOT of deception and secrecy

Two routes, a northern and a southern have been proposed for the
Southern Loop that would attempt to bypass traffic particularly from
WCU off of 107. The eastern section of the loop connecting to 23/74 has
already received funding.

Following a recent cancellation of a transportation task force meeting,
the Smart Roads Alliance issued a formal public comment to N.C.
Department of Transportation regarding its controversial Southern Loop.
The comment was issued formally against the State Transportation
Improvement Plan and received on Jan. 15 by a project oversight manager
in Raleigh.

In the comment submitted by Smart Roads' member John Chinners, the
alliance outlines the background of the project and continues to stress
an alternative to the Southern Loop that could potentially require
rights-of-way to more than 120 residences and nearly 20 businesses.
Smart Roads makes a demand that alternatives to the multi-lane highway
be considered as viable and a cost comparison be done.

"We demand that DOT clearly identify alternatives to the Southern Loop
and enlarge the 'scope of work' for its Federal Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to include such alternatives, including direct and
indirect potential impacts to the human and natural environments. We
also demand a cost comparison for the construction and mitigation of a
multi-lane freeway versus the upgrading of existing roads around 107
and/or an upgraded two-lane road nearer Western Carolina University
linking its campus and student traffic eastbound to Hwy 23/74."

Since its inception, the community-based organization has promoted
alternatives to the loop or bypass. As Chinners explains, the group has
worked with the transportation task force as well as local
municipalities in that effort. The Jackson County Board of
Commissioners created the task force in 2003, he said, with the task of
developing a comprehensive transportation plan to find solutions to
traffic congestion on 107. Solutions have included access management
strategies.

The Southern Loop is a planned four-lane bypass of 107 that would have
limited points of access. The highway would connect traffic to 23/74
East near Blanton Branch and 23/441 in Dillsboro. The road would
connect to 107 around South River Road and would feasibly reroute
traffic from Western Carolina University and possibly from Southwestern
Community College.

Also in 2003, Webster, Dillsboro, Sylva and Forest Hills passed
resolutions against the bypass. Smart Roads claims that "despite this
clear opposition, DOT proceeded with its planning for the southern
loop, which was placed on a 'prioritized' list of projects in 2006 by
Conrad Burrell and Joel Setzer."

Division 14 engineer Joel Setzer admits he and Burrell, division board
chair, told NCDOT that the road should be funded and cited continuing
through with a thoroughfare plan adopted by county leaders in the '90s
and noted that NCDOT is charged with addressing growth and increased
traffic. According to Setzer, though, the comprehensive transportation
plan is the current approach to the county road planning and that it
will consider other alternatives, even bussing, bicycling and
pedestrian paths. Until that plan is complete, NCDOT is moving forward
with the Southern Loop.

Little has been seen in the form of results from the relationship
between NCDOT and the Jackson County Transportation Task Force. The
lack of communication may stem from the fact that those assigned to the
task force have been based out of Raleigh and that person has changed
at least three times over the past five years. Setzer insisted that
community input will still play a large role in shaping the Southern
Loop project and other roads in the county.

Smart Roads hosted a public hearing on Jan. 10 that brought engineer
Walter Kulash to discuss a network of connections as an alternative to
the bypass.

According to the Smart Roads, "the concept for a network system was
first conceived by the Town of Sylva Planning Department in 2003," but
DOT considered the proposed alternatives and expansion of existing
roads as not feasible.

Smart Roads has accused NCDOT of moving forward with the plan despite
public opposition. According to Chinners, in November 2007, the group
invoked the N.C. Public Records Act to obtain all the documents from
District 14 pertaining to the Southern Loop and the task force. In the
comment, Chinners writes, "After reviewing this documentation we have
concluded: nothing in the documentation shows indirect public support
or any record of official meetings in support of the Southern Loop."

Smart Roads also claims that during a taped two-hour long recorded
discussion with Setzer that the decision to place the loop on a
priority list was based on "indirect public support and closed
breakfast meetings with local officials." Setzer claims that
information misrepresents him and has been used purposefully to mislead
the public.

DOT did recently place 107 on a list for a feasibility study, which,
according to Setzer, would take into consideration what would need to
be done to fix the road to carry projected 2025 traffic.

Before a Smart Roads Alliance public hearing two weeks ago, local
residents reviewed a map showing two potential routes for the Southern
Loop and wondered how their homes or businesses would be affected.
Such a feasibility study was conducted in 2003 on the Southern Loop
project, but it focused on two alternate routes for the road. That
study claims that the road is needed to relieve traffic congestion on
107 and US 23 Business in Sylva and Dillsboro. According to that
report, Jackson County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution in
2000 requesting an investigation of options to relieve traffic. So far,
DOT's suggestions have been limited to the proposed bypass.

As the feasibility study points out, the thoroughfare plan was adopted
by Sylva and Dillsboro in 1994, but Smart Roads focuses on the fact
that those same municipalities (as well as the county) have since
requested alternatives.

As Smart Roads member Jeannette Evans noted at the recent public
hearing, $7 million has already been designated by the state to begin
right-of-way purchase for half the road in 2010- 2013. According to a
map released by NCDOT, that funding would go towards the eastern half
of the roadway from where it intersects with 107 around River Road and
connects with 23/74 East near Blanton Branch.

In a recent interview, Setzer said the connection to 23/74 is a higher
priority in comparison to the section connecting to Dillsboro. "The
question is do they need to connect all the way to 441 or build the
connection to old 107 and stop?" He added that the second section may
not be needed for another 20 years or so. He estimated the cost of the
southern loop to be approximately $220 million.

NCDOT has also recently hired KO Associates to conduct an environmental
impact assessment at the price of $200,000 on the Southern Loop
corridor. Smart Roads concludes that NCDOT's efforts to move forward
with the project shows that decisions have been made without fair
public input.

"There has been a clear record of deception and secrecy by NCDOT over
the past four years re: this project, including the willful exclusion
or non-consideration of viable alternatives, specifically any
consideration of a network system of roads either parallel or around
107 that would facilitate local traffic patterns," said Chinners.

Just in Oct. 2007, DOT came under fire at the state level for a study
conducted by McKinsey and Co. regarding how to improve the agency's
accountability. The study came at a price of $3.6 million and was
criticized for a cloak of secrecy surrounding it and many sections of
the study being blacked out. Republican leaders like Senate leader Phil
Berger responded to the study. Said Berger, "North Carolina's
transportation bureaucracy is in desperate need of reform ... At this
point, most people are asking why the DOT required the expenditure of
$3.6 million for consultants in order to do those things that any
objective observer would have recommended. It is past time for the DOT
to cut through the red tape and instead, utilize the tax dollars
provided to the department to address the road needs of our State."

N.C. State Treasurer and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Richard
Moore recently set the goal of trying to curb political influence at
the DOT. He apparently wants to see more transparency in setting the
agency's road-building priorities and called for a publicly available
analysis of projects. He also wants to ban political donations and
political fundraising by the agency's nine-member board, according to
columnist Scott Mooneyham.

In Macon County, residents seemed equally surprised as those in Sylva
when the DOT held a public meeting last fall on four alternatives for a
Siler Road extension. Although the agency claims the cause for the road
is to provide better access to SCC's Macon Campus, documents indicate
an interest to serve private development as well. Macon County Board of
Commissioners issued a resolution opposing many aspects of the proposed
roadways. According to DOT representatives, the Siler Road extension
project will now go before environmental state agencies for review.

For more information regarding Smart Roads Alliance visit

www.smartroads.org

Those interested can make comments on the project through NCDOT's
website, www.ncdot.org. Be sure to note when making comments the number
of the Southern Loop project, R-4745 Division 14.

DOT contacts regarding Jackson County roads include DOT District
Engineer Joel Setzer at jsetzer@dot.state.nc.usThis email address is
being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
or Conrad Burrell c/o NCDOT – District 14 Sylva Office 253 Webster Rd.
Sylva, NC 28779.

Planning Consultant for Jackson County is Zaneta G. Adme, 1554 Mail
Service Center Raleigh, NC 27699, 919-715-5737 ext. 62,
zgadme@dot.state.nc.usThis email address is being protected from spam
bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

Rural Planning Organizer Ryan Sherby can also be contacted at 125
Bonnie Lane Sylva, NC 29779, 828-586-1962 ext. 214. The Rural Planning
Organization acts as a liaison to the DOT and makes suggestions based
on input at rural planning committee meetings.

A Jackson County Transportation Committee meeting is planned for
Wednesday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m. at the Jackson County Justice Center.

DOT must clarify Southern Loop alternatives

DOT must clarify Southern Loop alternatives
January 8, 2008
Smoky Mountain News
http://smokymountainnews.com/issues/01_08/01_30_08/op_edlet_dot.html

Editor's note: These comments were submitted to the N.C. Department of
Transportation by the Jackson County Smart Roads Alliance during the
DOT's annual public hearing on proposed road projects throughout the
region.

These comments are on behalf of the Jackson County Smart Roads
Alliance, a member of the Jackson County Transportation Task Force.

The Task Force was created by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners
in November 2003 to develop a comprehensive transportation plan and to
identify solutions for fixing N.C. 107. This included the use of access
management strategies for relieving traffic congestion.

At the time there were official resolutions in place from four
municipalities (Webster, Dillsboro, Sylva, and Forest Hills) opposed to
any further consideration or planning of the southern loop. Despite
this clear opposition, DOT proceeded with its planning for the Southern
Loop, which was placed on a "prioritized" list of projects in 2007 by
Conrad Burrell and Joel Setzer. According to Mr. Setzer, on Nov. 26,
2007, (during a recorded two-hour discussion at the DOT office in Sylva
with Setzer and Smart Roads), the decision to place the Southern Loop
on this list was based on "indirect public support," closed "breakfast
meetings" with local officials, and the lack of progress by the Jackson
County Task Force in developing a comprehensive plan.

In November 2007 Smart Roads invoked the North Carolina Public Records
Act to obtain all documentation from District 14 DOT pertaining to the
Southern Loop from the creation of the Task Force (2003) to November
2006. After reviewing this documentation we have concluded: nothing in
the documentation shows indirect public support or any record of
"official" meetings in support of the Southern Loop. Any reference to
the task force was in two short emails.

We now learn that DOT hired KO Associates in 2006 to do a $200,000
environmental impact assessment for the Southern Loop corridor, and yet
DOT continues to tell us there is no defined or established corridor.
Thus there has been a clear record of deception and secrecy by DOT over
the past four years regarding this project, including the willful
exclusion or non-consideration of viable alternatives, specifically any
consideration of a network system of roads either parallel (to) or
around 107 that would facilitate local traffic patterns.

The concept for a network system was first conceived by the Town of
Sylva Planning Department in 2003. The upgrading and expansion of
existing roads was clearly identified. However, without any known
analysis from DOT this expansion of existing roads was deemed
"infeasible."

We demand that DOT clearly identify alternatives to the Southern Loop
and enlarge the "scope of work" for its Federal Environmental Impact
Statement (EIS) to include such alternatives, including direct and
indirect potential impacts to the human and natural environments. We
also demand a cost comparison for the construction and mitigation of a
multi-lane freeway versus the upgrading of existing roads around 107 or
an upgraded two-lane road nearer WCU, linking its campus and student
traffic eastbound to U.S. 23/74.

Respectfully submitted,

John Chinners

Jackson County Smart Roads Alliance

Smart Roads event discusses alternatives to Southern Loop

Smart Roads event discusses alternatives to Southern Loop
The Sylva Herald
January 17, 2008
By Stephanie Salmons

An event last Thursday (Jan. 10) hosted by the Smart Roads Coalition
sought to inform local citizens of alternatives to the proposed
Southern Loop.

Initial plans indicated the Southern Loop would run from U.S. 23/441
south of Dillsboro, cross N.C. 107 near Locust Creek and intersect with
U.S. 23/74 near Blanton Branch, but right-of-way acquisition funding in
the Department of Transportation's Transportation Improvement Plan is
only for the 107-23/74 connector.

Independent traffic engineer Walter Kulash of Orlando-based Glatting
Jackson Inc. was on hand to discuss one possible alternative – a
network of smaller connecting roads that's based on a similar plan
proposed in 2003 by Sylva Planning Director Jim Aust.

While Kulash's talk was short on specifics, the map Aust drew four
years ago included construction of 6.5 miles of new two-lane roads and
improving 3.8 miles of existing roads.

By building a 1-mile connector to join the relocated Hospital Road with
Cope Creek Road, travelers from the Moody Bottom area could avoid the
Business 23/107 intersection, Aust said at that time. Another connector
could give Dillardtown residents access to the same new road, he said.

Constructing another mile or so of new road from Cope Creek to Haskett
Road could provide travelers with an alternate route to Fairview
Elementary and Smoky Mountain High schools. Also included is a
connector from Claude Cook Road, off of East Cope Creek, to Songbird
Lane in the area of Fairview Road.

Among other features of Aust's plan are a new road to connect Griffin
Road to Buchanan Loop, to provide a back entrance to Wal-Mart and a
connection from Cherry Street to Walter Ashe Road to allow Rhodes Cove
travelers to enter the highway at a controlled intersection.

Another road shown as a connector on a more recent Aust map runs from
Blanton Branch Road, one terminus for the proposed Southern Loop, to
Cane Creek Road. That route already exists though a portion of it is
unpaved and very difficult for most vehicles to travel.

The updated map from Aust shows numerous other proposed connectors.
Included are roads from Locust Creek to East Cope Creek, Claude Cook
Road to the new Blanton Branch-Cane Creek connector, Cope Creek to
Lovesfield near Wal-Mart, and North River Road to the back of Wal-Mart.

Kulash said that upgrading existing roads and building a series of
two-lane connector roads is a more demanding and sophisticated solution
than the Southern Loop.

According to Kulash, the roads are now laid out in what is referred to
as a conventional pattern of design, which means that land uses are
separated and the roads are not connected. This is compared to a
traditional pattern of design, much like downtown Sylva, where
everything is connected.

With the conventional design, a majority of travel has to be conducted
on the main highway, much like having to drive on 107 to get to
Wal-Mart or to any educational institution, Kulash said. This increases
the number of turning movements, which impedes traffic.

"Every trip is hostage to this highway," Kulash said. "It never was the
mission of the N.C. Department of Transportation to carry every last
trip for every development on the state highway system," he said.

He said the highway should be used for important regional trips,
long-distance commuting or tourism while "proverbial trips to Wal-Mart
for a loaf of bread should not be held hostage to that highway."

Kulash said the proposed network provides other routes to various
destinations, such as Western Carolina University, SMHS, Southwestern
Community College and Harris Regional Hospital without having to access
parts of N.C. 107.

Kulash said in comparison to the networking alternative, a bypass is
not as advantageous as one might believe.

According to Kulash, the proposed Southern Loop would offer more
benefits to people coming from outside of the area than to those
already here.

Kulash said a bypass will also create a "hot spot" because there will
only be one interchange on 107.

"All traffic using (the Southern Loop) for our educational institutions
would get funneled through this (interchange) so (vehicles) either go
north to get to SCC and the high school or south to get to WCU. We're
back to keeping people hostage to 107. It's not the same distance it
was before, but we still have that 'hot spot,' " he said.

According to Kulash, the bypass would not be used locally for commerce,
but more by individuals coming from outside the area.

However, he said with the network alternative, there would be a myriad
of ways to get from within the area to various destinations.

According to Kulash, a connecting series of roads will bring down the
volume of cars on 107 nearly as much as a four-lane bypass would, "but
we're doing it in an entirely different way and we're gaining a lot of
street frontage in the meantime."

Kulash contends that NCDOT officials need to look at other alternatives.

"Right now, we're looking at something that's way at the bottom of the
cost and benefits scale, which is to do nothing. Then we're looking at
something that's a very expensive, high-benefit solution of a four-lane
freeway," Kulash said. "We maintain that there is probably a whole
spectrum of alternatives in between. There's always an alternative that
captures a lot of the (benefits) at a (smaller) cost. That's what we're
interested in finding here. We think it's the network."

During the question-and-answer segment following Kulash's presentation,
one audience member asked about the cost of building a four-lane
highway.

According to Kulash, it's "not that unusual" for a properly mitigated
road to cost between $40 and $50 million per mile to construct.

DOT Division 14 engineer Joel Setzer, who attended the session but did
not participate, told The Herald Monday that Kulash gave a lot of good
information that "seemed to be founded in good engineering thought."

"The specifics of it need to be looked at more, but there was a lot of
good thought and a lot of good ideas in his presentation," Setzer said.

Kulash did not go into specifics with regard to his connection routes,
but the one shown by Kulash through the Cane Creek area is doing the
same thing DOT has proposed, which is to get traffic "more toward its
destination without the congestion."

During a May 2007 conversation, Setzer told The Herald that he
envisions the portion of the Southern Loop that would connect U.S.
23/74 with N.C. 107 as a two-lane road that would perhaps be
constructed on a four-lane right of way. In his mind, that new road
would have full access control with no driveways, he said. According to
Setzer, such total access control would not invite development except
at the interchange where the new road joins N.C. 107, and a road like
that could move a lot of traffic safely and quickly.

The similarity Setzer saw between Kulash's idea and DOT plans is that
while the Blantons Branch area still seems the most likely starting
point from U.S. 74 for that portion of the Southern Loop, he said in
May that planners might now look at merging with N.C. 107 closer to
Cullowhee, possibly through Cane Creek.

With regard to the plan Kulash described last week, Setzer said there
would need to be more discussion about what kind of connector roads
would be built; Kulash said Thursday night that he envisions roads with
a 45 mph speed limit.

"We need to look at any alternatives we can offer people to relieve
congestion," Setzer said.

Avram Friedman, head of the Canary Coalition, and local architect Odell
Thompson, spoke about other possibilities to relieve traffic in the
area.

"I'm fond of saying the DOT is the 'Department of Transportation,' not
the 'Department of Roads,' " Friedman said. "There's more than one way
to move around from one place to the next. You can walk, you can take a
bicycle – in some places you can take buses or trolleys and trains.
Shouldn't we be considering this public transportation option as an
option for us as well?"

Friedman said that one option he'd thought of is a light rail system
that would connect the state's entire university system and allow small
communities to "plug in" to it.

According to Friedman and Thompson, light rails, or monorails, can use
existing corridors.

"The important thing here is that we have multiple forms of
transportation that are interconnecting," Thompson said. He said that
any community can make use of mass transit systems.

Thompson said that as it gets more expensive to own and operate
individual vehicles, then mass transit is an alternative that needs to
be considered.

Setzer said that currently in North Carolina, light rail is only
available in Charlotte, so the idea of getting a light rail installed
in rural areas compared to some of the larger urban areas is "thinking
out of the box."

However, he said that if individuals decide to pursue this option,
"that's fine," but that he added that the same thing could be
accomplished with a bus system.

Smart Roads members Bob Warshaw and Jay Coward gave the closing
remarks. Both warned individuals who are against the Southern Loop to
be vigilant because, in their words, the NCDOT is not going to let the
matter rest.

Warshaw called for citizens to press the issue with their elected
representatives or "we will find a new slate of candidates and let this
issue be a referendum on whether these people should stay in office."

Warshaw mentioned the level of "game-playing" that goes on in
Washington D.C., and told the audience it's happening here as well.

"They (Washington politicians) are amateurs as opposed to what we have
right here in Sylva," he said.

Setzer said Monday that he was surprised that this statement was met
with applause.

Setzer said he had faith in local leaders and Warshaw's comments were a
"mischaracterization."

Coward warned those present not to believe the NCDOT until "such a time
that we have documents to prove what they're saying and they're held
accountable."

Setzer said that while the DOT was not given the opportunity to speak
or answer questions Thursday, he felt the presentations made by Kulash
and Friedman were beneficial in helping find a solution to the traffic
problem on 107.

However, he said that statements made by Warshaw and Coward were
counterproductive to the effort.

"I felt like both Warshaw's and Coward's comments were polarizing and
did not help Smart Roads, NCDOT or local governments," Setzer said
Monday. "I thought their statements drove a wedge in relationships
because it's hard to work together with someone who's attacking you.
We're going to strive to come together to seek a solution for the
traffic problem, but it makes it much more difficult when you're being
attacked."

Residents hear about alternatives for Southern Loop

Residents hear about alternatives for Southern Loop
Smoky Mountain News
January 16, 2007
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer

Tom Dowell searches a large topographic map of Jackson County for his
home located along Airy Lane. He is one of the many residents whose
homes may be in jeopardy if the North Carolina Department of
Transportation gets its way and the Southern Loop is built.

The Southern Loop, a four-lane bypass that would run through Jackson
County from U.S. 441 to U.S. 23-74 near Scotts Creek, will reduce
traffic congestion along N.C. 107 out of Sylva, according to DOT
officials.

"It could be affected," Dowell said about his home of 32 years. He was
one of more than 100 residents who attended a public hearing about the
road on Jan. 10.

"I am opposed because if the problem is the traffic on N.C. 107, I
don't see how this will solve it," Dowell said. "I see no reason why
this will help."

Because of such opposition, DOT has agreed to do a traffic study to
examine alternatives to the Southern Loop. Members of Jackson County's
Smart Roads Alliance, however, want their own study done to make sure
that all alternatives are equitably considered.

An alternate route

"Finding an alternate is the best solution and best defense," Smart
Roads Chairwoman Jeanette Evans said at the Jan. 10 meeting. "It will
help us generate ideas and focus on what we are up against. It's going
to take a community to find a solution to this."

The main focus of the public meeting was to discuss alternatives to the
Southern Loop.

Guest speaker Walter Kulash, a private traffic engineer who has been
working with Smart Roads for four years, presented a potential
alternative to the Southern Loop at the meeting.

Kulash says that instead of building a multi-lane freeway like the
proposed Southern Loop, an alternative would be to build several
smaller roads. He says that new roads and upgrades to existing roads
like North River Road and King Creek Road will create a network that
will be able to handle regional traffic better.

Implementing a plan like this, however, is "much more trickier to plan
and in many ways more demanding," said Kulash.

One part of Kulash's presentation included a breakdown of the time it
takes to get to different places along N.C. 107.

"Every trip is hostage to this highway," he said.

Kulash said with the alternate solution in place you can get to places
without starting at the primary highway.

Also at the meeting was Joel Setzer, N.C. Department of Transportation
Region 14 division engineer. Setzer was invited by the Smart Roads
group but was asked not to speak or answer questions at the meeting.

Seltzer, in an interview from his office, said that both parties —
Smart Roads and DOT — agree more capacity is needed.

"This transportation problem is a real problem, and a do-nothing
approach is something that is detrimental," Setzer said.

A network of roads

By implementing a network of streets, community members will be able to
walk to stores and access the downtown district by foot or bike.
Imagine being able to walk to the Movie Gallery located along N.C. 107
by foot or bicycle instead of having to drive in the car.

Additionally, having numerous smaller streets will provide easier
access for visitors and local drivers. When one looks at the proposed
route of the Southern Loop on a map, Kulash says that it mainly
benefits those entering the town from outside the area who want to
access Western Carolina University or the retail stores.

"It's good for the extra access, but how about those local folks," he
said.

Kulash's presentation contained some information that Setzer said
features similar concepts that the DOT is considering. Setzer
references one of the connecting roads that Kulash showed during the
presentation as a "feature that DOT is looking to explore in the bypass
project."

The connecting roadway that Setzer is referencing would connect U.S.
23-74 to old N.C. 107. According to Setzer "that connection is
something that DOT is trying to do."

"I don't know if DOT is far off from what the Smart Roads is asking to
be done," he said in reference to Kulash's alternative road proposal.

Under the network option, visitors and local drivers will be able to
travel throughout the community without always using N.C. 107.

Both alternatives — the Southern Loop and a network of roads — will end
up decreasing driving time, said Kulash. According to Kulash's
predictions, a driver spends about 17 minutes commuting along N.C. 107
right now, however, the travel time can be reduced to nine minutes if
the Southern Loop is built. It will also be reduced to nine minutes if
the roads are upgraded and the speed limits are increased to 45 mph, he
said.

Another benefit of the network of roads is that it will cut down on the
number of local trips.

According to Kulash, the DOT estimates that the number of cars using
N.C. 107 will reach 56,000 per day in 2025; however, this number will
be reduced if the network of roads is implemented.

By 2025 the traffic count on N.C. 107 will reduce to 25,000 vehicles if
new smaller roads are built, which is the same number expected if the
Southern Loop is built.

Kulash's alternatives are not something that DOT is going to brush
aside.

"We do plan to hopefully talk with Kulash on Thursday to compare
notes," Setzer said. "We plan to look at some of his concepts and look
at what could be added as an alternative to this project."

The Smart Roads meeting also brought out several Jackson County public
officials. Some officials present at the meeting included Sylva
Aldermen Maurice Moody, Ray Lewis and Sarah Graham, Sylva Town Manager
Jay Denton, and Jackson County Commissioners Tom Massie and Mark Jones.

‘Alternatives to Southern Loop’ to be topic of tonight’s meeting

'Alternatives to Southern Loop' to be topic of tonight's meeting
The Sylva Herald
January 10, 2008

Smart Roads Alliance will hold an open meeting on alternatives to the
Southern Loop from 6:30 until 9 p.m. tonight (Thursday), in Courtroom 1
at the Justice Center.

Smart Roads is a grassroots organization that advocates for a more
flexible approach to solving traffic congestion on N.C. 107 than is
being proposed by North Carolina's Department of Transportation.

According to publicist Roger Turner, NCDOT officials have indicated
that the only solution for relieving traffic congestion on the busy
road is by building a $400 million "multi-lane freeway" around Sylva.
However, DOT Division Engineer Joel Setzer has indicated to The Sylva
Herald that only the U.S. 74/N.C. 107 connector is being studied at
this time and that he envisions a two-lane road on a four-lane right of
way that would have full access control.

Event organizers believe such roads reinforce "the longstanding
conventional approach to traffic congestion – adding more capacity –
has not only failed to stem traffic congestion, but has actually
accelerated the rate of growth in congestion, while degrading the
travel experience and quality of communities," Turner said.

The evening's featured speaker will be Walter Kulash, an independent
traffic engineer formerly with the Orlando-based community-planning
firm of Glatting Jackson, Inc. Kulash combines 40 years of licensed
professional engineering experience with an academic background in
engineering at N.C. State and Northwestern.

He has worked on traffic and transit planning projects throughout the
United States and Canada and has specialized since the early 1990s in
the "rapidly emerging field of livable traffic design." He has been a
consultant to the Smart Roads group since 2003.

"There is strong community support for the preservation of our rural
landscape," said Susan Leveille, Smart Roads representative to the
Jackson County Transportation Task Force. "The Southern Loop will only
accelerate the loss of that landscape. It would be like extending the
Jackson County Airport runway for another 14 miles, causing more
mountain ridge/top instability and erosion."

Smart Roads is the only community-based organization on the county's
Transportation Task Force, where its representatives advocate for the
county to develop a more comprehensive transportation system, better
community planning to reduce dependence on cars, and using an
independent traffic consultant for a corridor study of N.C.107.

According to Harold Messer of Locust Creek, a Smart Roads member, "the
meeting will open the public's eyes to other ideas for fixing 107."

"You don't need to build loops or add another four lanes or eliminate a
lot of businesses. I suspect a DOT study will only reinforce the
Southern Loop," Messer said. "The county should use an impartial
traffic consultant."

The event will also be a fund-raiser and membership drive for Smart
Roads.

"We believe this will rekindle public interest in a planning process
that has largely ignored the public since 2003," said Smart Roads
member Jeanette Evans.

DOT road hearings have potential for controversy

DOT road hearings have potential for controversy
Smoky Mountain News
January 9, 2007
By Becky Johnson • Staff Writer

A public hearing on dozens of proposed road projects in the region —
including the controversial Southern Loop in Jackson County, the Siler
Road extension in Macon County, and Corridor K through Swain County —
will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 15, outside Andrews.

Every year, the Department of Transportation holds a public hearing on
its list of upcoming road projects for the region. The meeting covers
all road projects in the DOT's most western district — including
Jackson, Macon and Swain counties. The meeting is held in a different
county within the district each year, forcing people to travel long
distances for their turn at the microphone. Speakers are limited to
three minutes.

There are several controversial road projects on the DOT's list that
could attract speakers. But the public hearing is a chance for anyone
to voice their complains to the DOT on any subject, from substandard
shoulders on their commute route to a congested intersection that needs
fixing.

• The Southern Loop in Jackson County — This four-lane divided highway
would bisect Jackson County somewhere between Sylva and Cullowhee,
bridging N.C. 107 with a freeway interchange. It would tie into U.S.
23-74 north of Sylva and tie into U.S. 441 south of Dillsboro.

• The Siler Road extension in Macon County — This new road would
parallel and most likely bridge the Little Tennessee River. The road
would pass by the doorstep of the new Macon County Library and
Southwestern Community College campus, but is also billed providing
access to private developers with grand plans for commercial
enterprises that would otherwise lack good access. It would also
reconfigure traffic in and out of the Clark's Chapel community.

• Corridor K — This four-lane divided highway would go from Cherokee
County to Swain County, passing through Graham County along the way. It
would be an alternative to driving through the narrow Nantahala Gorge
when traveling to Andrews and Murphy. Currently, there is no four-lane
road to get to Andrews and Murphy.

The public hearing will be at the Tri-County Community College on U.S.
64 east of Andrews. For more information call Ryan Sherby, regional
community planning director, at 828.586.1962 ext. 214.

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.

2009-2015 Draft TIP Public Comment Meetings

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Ryan Sherby" <ryan@regiona.org>
> Date: January 2, 2008 9:52:42 AM EST
> Subject: 2009-2015 Draft TIP Public Comment Meetings
>
>
> FYI
>  
> This is a chance for the public to comment on the Draft State
> Transportation Improvement Program.  The NCDOT division 14A meeting
> will be on January 15th, 2008 in MURPHY, NC at Tri-County Community
> College, 4600 East US 64 in the McSwain Building – Conference Room.
>  
> All meetings are from 2-4PM, with registration beginning 1 hour prior
> to the meeting. 
>  
> Attached are the meeting locations for all of the divisions.
>  
> Ryan Sherby
> RPO Planner
> Southwest Commission - Region A
> 125 Bonnie Lane
> Sylva, NC 28779
> (828) 586-1962 x214
> www.regiona.org
>  

Editorial: Compromise is needed on local traffic issues (Sylva Herald 12/20/07)

The Sylva Herald Editorial 12/20/07
	Compromise is needed on local traffic issue The debate about what to do about traffic problems on N.C. 107 has gone on far too long. If we’re not careful, we’ll end up like the situation in Buncombe County where disagreement about how many lanes the I-26 connector should have and what type bridge should be built over the French Broad River have pushed construction back years while traffic bottlenecks worsen. The time has come for compromise from all interested parties, including county and town governments, the N.C. Department of Transportation and the Smart Roads Coalition. For starters, DOT should remove the segment of the proposed Southern Loop from N.C. 107 to U.S. 23/441 from any future planning. At the same time, Southern Loop opponents, including the Smart Roads group, should accept that the segment of the proposed highway from 107 to U.S. 23/74 is a viable option that must be considered. The 107-441 segment is not needed since roads such as N.C. 116, North and South River roads and Old Settlement Road provide alternative routes. No such alternate route exists for traffic going from 107 to 23/74. Building only the one segment addresses the Smart Roads argument that the road would hurt downtown Sylva. A plan by DOT Division Engineer Joel Setzer for the new highway to have full access control takes care of the concern that the road would lead to sprawl. We’re not endorsing the connector road yet. Before making a decision, we want to see projected traffic counts to decide if the improvement to traffic congestion on 107 would be worth the millions of dollars needed to build the route. At the same time, we are strong in our belief that the road deserves to be on the table as the discussion moves forward. Also deserving of a fair hearing is a proposal by Sylva Planning Director Jim Aust to build a series of two-lane roads to connect with existing roads as a way of moving some local traffic off 107. We’re concerned that proposal could lead to increased traffic congestion near Smoky Mountain High and Fairview Elementary schools as part of a new network that would run from Hospital Road to Fairview Road. However, that shouldn’t be a deal breaker. One thing we don’t favor is a roundabout at the intersection of N.C. 107 and U.S. 23 Business. It doesn’t appear that even a two-lane roundabout would be enough to handle traffic at that busy intersection and could make a bad situation even worse. A better plan would be to build another lane entering town from 107. County commissioners have shown the willingness to take the lead on other tough issues. Working together with officials from Sylva, Dillsboro, Webster and Forest Hills, as well as the DOT and Smart Roads, we believe commissioners could put us on a course to an acceptable solution. If everyone enters the discussion with an open mind, individuals may not get exactly what they want but we think a workable plan could be agreed upon by 90 percent of county residents. N.C. 107 has been a festering wound for too long, and a Band-Aid approach won’t work. We need bold steps to provide traffic relief for years to come.

Letter to the Editor (Sylva Herald 12/20/07)

Southern Loop should not be built

To the Editor:

I saw the notice of the public information meeting on Jan. 10. Sadly, I will be unable to attend but am sending my views to all parties.

I am against the construction of the Southern Loop as planned by the N.C. Department of Transportation. As a property owner in Webster I will be directly affected by construction of the loop as planned. I joined the previous effort of the Smart Roads group to stop construction of the loop and was hopeful that Jackson County officials would pursue other alternatives to deal with the traffic problems on N.C. 107. No other alternatives have been pursued that I can detect. If the changes discussed to make 107 more pedestrian and bike friendly, slow down traffic but keep it moving through traffic circles or lights that are actually timed, and extend or widen present alternate routes had occurred, we might not be revisiting the Southern Loop construction.

A sidewalk was recently built to connect the Webster sidewalk to the corner of 107 at Ingle’s. It is getting use already, and I plan to use it myself. The traffic circle at the entrance to Western Carolina University works beautifully to keep long lines of traffic moving in and out of campus smoothly at peak hours. There is a growing national movement to build streets that allow pedestrians, bicycles, public transit, and cars to safely share roads. More information on such trends is available online at www.completestreets.org.

As gas prices rise, having this type of access to roads makes communities safer and more desirable as places to live for citizens of all ages.

The Southern Loop caters to big money, big trucks, and ever more cars. I also note it seems to intersect NC 107 where there have been rumors for years of some type of big box store – Super Wal-Mart? Super Ingle’s? Home Depot? A strip mall with Applebee’s or other businesses catering more to WCU students? Who stands to gain the most financially from the construction of this road? Certainly not any of the property owners listed in (the advertisement) in last week’s paper.

NCDOT seems determined to destroy our property, property values, and the rural landscape here. I ask that NCDOT pursue reasonable alternatives to another four-lane. I ask that they respond to citizens rather than ignore us.

Phyllis Jarvinen
Webster

Downtown Sylva group joins opposition to Southern Loop

Downtown Sylva group joins opposition to Southern Loop

The Sylva Herald

December 20, 2007

By Stephanie Salmons and Carey Phillips

The Downtown Sylva Association went on record in opposing the proposed Southern Loop and supporting an alternative supported by the Smart Roads Coalition. That action came during the group’s Dec. 12 meeting.

Smart Roads members Roger Turner and Harold Messer, along with Susan Leveille, the group’s representative on the Jackson County Transportation Task Force – all of whom are against the proposed road – spoke to the DSA board asking the organization to oppose the road based on the effect it could have on downtown.

Initial plans indicate the Southern Loop would run from U.S. 23/441 south of Dillsboro, cross N.C. 107 near Locust Creek and intersect with U.S. 23/74 near Blanton Branch.

The Smart Roads Coalition contends that such a bypass would be detrimental to downtown Sylva.

“You’re surrounded by black top,” Messer said. “What’s going to bring people into Sylva, Dillsboro and Webster when they can drive on around you and go to Asheville, Atlanta or anywhere?”

Messer said the thing that troubles him about the merchants and the economy in Sylva is that “it’s a known fact that people will drive around rather than come into the town.”

Turner said even if people still drive into Sylva, “you still have that terrible intersection.” Turner was referring to the intersection located where N.C. 107 and U.S. 23 Business meet.

“This thing is a glorified nightmare of all the problems it’s going to create trying to save 15 seconds at a red light at Bogart’s,” Messer said.

According to Messer, a two-lane roundabout would help relieve traffic at that intersection.

“They say the roundabout will not work and we cannot afford to disturb the businesses that are there,” Messer said. “The Southern Loop affects 43 business, numerous homes and it doesn’t impact that intersection.

Turner pointed out that roundabouts in Waynesville and Cullowhee work well.

Smart Roads supports a plan developed by Sylva Planning Director Jim Aust that would include a series of two-lane roads connecting with existing roads.

“Aust told me he fixed the roads in his plan where they would have the lowest impact on homes and property,” Messer said. “The DOT doesn’t care about our heritage; they’re interested in building roads.”

Turner encouraged DSA board members to address their concerns to Sylva’s town board and ask Sylva board members to re-examine the issue.

DOT 14th Division Engineer Joel Setzer told the Herald last Thursday that plans are in the works for a feasibility study on N.C. 107.

“People want to know what it would take to fix 107,” Setzer said. “We want people to know what fixing 107 would mean, and right now I don’t know.”

The section of the Southern Loop from 107 to 23/74 is on the current DOT Transportation Improvement Plan with right of way acquisition to start in 2013.

Setzer said he and 14th Division DOT board member Conrad Burrell had always considered that segment of the road the most important. Setzer said he envisions a two-lane road on a four-lane right-of-way with full access control with no driveways.

“The Jackson County Smart Roads group says there would be sprawl,” Setzer said. “When I met with them I told them there would be full access control.”

Unlike the Smart Roads Coalition, Setzer is not sold on the plan proposed by Aust.

“That wouldn’t do anything for the (107-Business 23) intersection,” he said. “It also would dump quite a bit of traffic on Fairview Road in an area that is already congested.”

Setzer said a roundabout at the intersection, which he said is one of the busiest west of Asheville, would not work.

“The biggest problem is the crossover traffic coming down the hill (on Asheville Highway) and traffic trying to get into town (from 107),” he said. “If you didn’t have that, a roundabout might work.”

Setzer said Reuben Moore, DOT division operations engineer, had looked at the intersection and determined that the only option would be a “flyover bridge” carrying traffic from Asheville Highway onto 107.

“That would cause the road to be shut down for about a year,” Setzer said. “I don’t think that would work well.”

The latest available DOT traffic count at the intersection is from 2005 and shows an average of 40,000 vehicles a day. That compares to 4,000 for the roundabout at the main entrance to Western Carolina University and 11,000 for the roundabout at Ratcliffe Cove Road and Business 23 in Waynesville.

Ron Watson, Setzer’s predecessor as division engineer, told the Herald in 2003 that DOT guidelines showed a two-lane roundabout could handle 25,000-30,000 vehicles per day.

Moore said last Thursday that DOT was now “more sophisticated” in how it determines the traffic a roundabout can handle, and considers the count on a case-by-case basis depending on how much traffic uses each round entering an intersection. He said a roundabout has not been totally ruled out.

Moore said since there are two left turns, those vehicles would have to travel three-fourths of the way around the circle, which would reduce the capacity of a roundabout at that location. He said at best the traffic count would likely be at or near the upper limit for what a two-lane roundabout could handle.

Moore said the only two-lane roundabout he is aware of in North Carolina is near Salem College in Winston-Salem. Even it does not have two lanes all the way through the roundabout, he said.

When asked about the possibility of adding another lane coming into town from 107 to relieve congestion, Setzer said that might work now, but it would not be able to handle the projected increase in traffic.

DOT's Conrad Burrell and Joel Setzer ignore public; moving forward with plan to build Southern Loop against public outcry and towns' wishes

Burrell, Setzer plug plan for Southern Loop
Smoky Mountain News
November 28, 2007
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer

Members of Jackson County Smart Roads Alliance are sifting through
paperwork at the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division
14 office in Webster to find out how the Southern Loop road project
suddenly appeared on the state priority list.

The group filed a public records request earlier this month to see all
the documentation involving the Southern Loop, a four-lane bypass that
would run through Jackson County from U.S. 441 to U.S. 23-74 near
Scotts Creek.

But members are going to have trouble finding the sheet of paper that
many consider the smoking gun.

"There is nothing in here about how the project got on the TIP
(Transportation Improvement Program) list," Joel Setzer, division 14
chief engineer, said about the project's documentation. "I know how it
got on the TIP — at the request of me and Conrad Burrell, Division 14
representative on the state Board of Transportation."

Both men requested that the project be included in the TIP so that
funding could be allocated to begin planning stages, said Setzer.

"Time was passing without any plan to address growth in Jackson
County," he said.

Since the road's proposal, Smart Road members have been questioning why
the project was even proposed.

The Southern Loop has received much opposition by Jackson County
residents and county commissioners have gone on the record saying a
comprehensive transportation plan should be done that outlines
alternatives to the road.

Even though the Smart Roads group now knows who requested the project
be included on the TIP, it still wants more questions answered.

"The question still to be answered is why should it be built," said DJ
Gerkin, an attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center in
Asheville that is aiding the Smart Roads group.

"Either DOT decided its own reason, or were they persuaded by someone,"
he said.

"There are road projects all over Western North Carolina that are not
being funded. If DOT puts this on their own agenda, that also tells us
something," said Gerkin.

Burrell, Setzer plug plan for Southern Loop

From: http://www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/11_07/11_28_07/fr_burrell_setzer.html

11/28/07

Burrell, Setzer plug plan for Southern Loop

By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer

Members of Jackson County Smart Roads Alliance are sifting through paperwork at the North Carolina Department of Transportation Division 14 office in Webster to find out how the Southern Loop road project suddenly appeared on the state priority list.

The group filed a public records request earlier this month to see all the documentation involving the Southern Loop, a four-lane bypass that would run through Jackson County from U.S. 441 to U.S. 23-74 near Scotts Creek.

But members are going to have trouble finding the sheet of paper that many consider the smoking gun.

“There is nothing in here about how the project got on the TIP (Transportation Improvement Program) list,” Joel Setzer, division 14 chief engineer, said about the project’s documentation. “I know how it got on the TIP — at the request of me and Conrad Burrell, Division 14 representative on the state Board of Transportation.”

Both men requested that the project be included in the TIP so that funding could be allocated to begin planning stages, said Setzer.

“Time was passing without any plan to address growth in Jackson County,” he said.

Since the road’s proposal, Smart Road members have been questioning why the project was even proposed.

The Southern Loop has received much opposition by Jackson County residents and county commissioners have gone on the record saying a comprehensive transportation plan should be done that outlines alternatives to the road.

Even though the Smart Roads group now knows who requested the project be included on the TIP, it still wants more questions answered.

“The question still to be answered is why should it be built,” said DJ Gerkin, an attorney at the Southern Environmental Law Center in Asheville that is aiding the Smart Roads group.

“Either DOT decided its own reason, or were they persuaded by someone,” he said.

“There are road projects all over Western North Carolina that are not being funded. If DOT puts this on their own agenda, that also tells us something,” said Gerkin.