Cry Me a River
Re: "Drivin' N' Cryin'" (by Tara Servatius, June 7): Where is the stress on the alternatives to rush hour and more cars on the road in Tara's cover story?
We're glad that you have highlighted the congestion coming down the pike, literally, but stressing carpooling, working from home, taking the corporate bus, etc. would be so very helpful to the community rather than just focusing on congestion.
Also, I'd like to have seen some interviews with Charlotte City Council people and City Manager to find out why they have not supported specific and firm policies. Also would like to have seen an interview with Chair of Mecklenburg County Air Quality Commission, Randy Perkins.
-- Nancy C. Bryant, Charlotte
Tara Servatius' June 7th article, "Drivin' N' Cryin'" was off-base on several issues regarding the City of Charlotte's recently adopted 25-year, $3.57 billion Transportation Action Plan (TAP). The TAP calls for implementing a wide range of congestion-reducing and quality of life improvements that, combined with Charlotte's growth management strategy, will provide better mobility, offer more transportation choices and utilize the transportation system more efficiently. A few obvious inaccuracies must be corrected:
Servatius wrote that the TAP "provides almost no detail as to what the city will actually be doing with the $3.5 billion." Actually, Servatius received, but failed to include in her article, a two-page line-by-line accounting, in five- and 10-year increments, of exactly how the $3.57 billion would be allocated.
The article also suggests the TAP does not use the term "congestion" enough. Regardless of the term used, more than 70 percent of the TAP is to be spent on motorist improvements -- 100 road widenings, 100 intersection improvements, traffic signalization upgrades, safety improvements, more timely street resurfacing and more street connections.
Servatius also mischaracterized our reactions to Atlanta's congestion-chasing concept. In fact, the Final Recommendation from the Metro Atlanta Quality Growth Task Force is very similar to the TAP's balanced transportation and land use approach. The task force, which was formed by the Chamber of Commerce, was chaired by Tom Bell, CEO of Cousins Properties, and included many well respected community and business leaders. The recommendations called for expanding choices, linking infrastructure spending decisions with land use decisions to support greater efficiencies, and implementing Atlanta's version of a Centers and Corridors land use strategy.
The TAP is comprehensive, balanced and provides a framework to address our transportation needs, accommodate our anticipated growth and protect our quality of life. To review the TAP and see the detailed listing of the funding recommendations, visit http://cdot.charmeck.org.
-- Dan Gallagher, AICP
CDOT -- Transportation Planning Section Manager, Charlotte
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Compliments to Tara Servatius for again writing a very informative article, this time on the Duke mess-up ("Is That Egg on Your Face?" June 14). Organization of information, syntax, flow and brevity -- an accomplished writer-journalist.
One minor suggestion: Avoid slangy expressions like "yeah" even though the work is for the Creative Loafing readership, possibly thought less-discerning and more "hip." Your writing is intelligent, solid investigative reporting composed with a natural talent to attract and hold a reader's interest. The vernacular tends to demean a little and seems a bit inappropriate to your high quality writing.
-- Jack O'Leery, Charlotte
Condos Attitude
I just wanted to say "Bugged Out" (by Karen Shugart, June 7) is very interesting. It's going to be interesting to see what happens, since the NODA area is prime real estate right now. The city used to have another housing complex like this called Hoskin Mill, which I believe was condemned and then rose from the ashes as Fox Ridge at the Historic Hoskin Mill and can be purchased for as low as $99,000. Funny thing is it's advertised on the next page after this article. I wonder what will become of the Johnston and Mecklenburg Mill? My guess would be it gets bought and turned into more upscale living minutes from downtown, while the old residents just get the run around.
--Eboney Foster, Charlotte
Department of Corrections
The governor of Georgia's name was spelled incorrectly in our cover story "Drivin' n' Cryin'" (June 7, 2006). The correct spelling is Sonny Perdue.
