MTO: On the roads with Pinkston

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man stands in front of beautiful, graceful, white-columned home

Jamie Rector/The Macon Telegraph

On yellow ribbons and protests, Frank Pinkston says, "This is the American way of expressing themselves when something proposed is not in accordance with their desires." (In the photo, Lee Oliver stands for a portrait at the corner of Georgia Avenue and College Street with his home in the background. The yellow ribbons, which Lee's wife, Kitty, helped to put up, mark the trees in danger of removal in order to widen area streets.)

Return to 1st half of interview

Part II - On the roads with Frank Pinkston
DOT board member discusses city-county improvement project

QUESTION: What do you think of the protests that have sprung up over the road program?

ANSWER: I don't think it's up to me to say what I think of the protests. This is the American way of expressing themselves when something proposed is not in accordance with their desires. I think this is a way of bringing it to the attention of the people who are making decisions. As long as the protests are peaceful, as long as they're courteous, and as long as the comments and the mode are based on legitimate information, then I've got no problem with it.

QUESTION: Do you see the protesters as a small, vocal group that speaks for the majority of the people, or a small, vocal group that speaks for itself?

ANSWER: I'm sure they speak for themselves. I just don't have any opinion about that - how many people other than their own group that they're speaking for.

QUESTION: Protesters have claimed road officials failed to notify neighbors of projects and complained of discourteous treatment and even lies.

Frank Pinkston
ANSWER: I would hope that you're talking about people in the day-to-day operations and not particularly about me and the other members of the executive committee. We've had discussions about being sure that this type of thing doesn't happen. Mr. Van Ethridge, the local manager for the road program, is one of the nicest, kindest, courteous people I know of. He'd have a hard time saying no to anybody about anything they might want. I would hope that he and his staff are always doing stuff right. I can only say for myself that I think I have built a reputation over 30 years in this community of public service. I've been sensitive to the needs of people in this community over the years, and I don't know that I've been accused of lying about anything. I've always built a reputation of, "If you don't want to know what I think, then don't ask." I've always put it up-front with my comments and what I've said.

But I would hope this is not the case, because it's not the way to do business: to lie, to be callous to people and not to be sensitive to their needs. I'm opposed to that kind of action.

QUESTION: As vice chairman and upcoming chairman of the DOT board, do you see a danger of losing state and federal funds if projects such as Wesleyan Drive and Ingleside are modified in response to protests?

ANSWER: Well, I don't deal with those two projects specifically right now, because Kulash is in the process of making his report on those two projects. But let me just say this in general: The road program is designed to raise about $120 million local sales tax dollars. To that figure, the DOT has committed $60 million to match the local money. This is a way in which the DOT is used in every state to maximize local tax dollars.

Now, having said that ... when a road is developed that does not meet federal and state requirements (for safety, lanes and traffic capacity), then the state is not going to approve that particular package for matching funds.

QUESTION: Are waivers of DOT regulations possible? If so, how?

ANSWER: I think it depends on each individual project, and I think you're just going to have to play that by ear. For example, I think when we're talking about a four-lane road and a fifth lane as opposed to a turn lane, I don't think regulations can be waived or will be waived to bring DOT's measures in line with local measures to build a turn lane.

QUESTION: Twenty years from now, will people be glad the road improvement program occurred or will they still be complaining about an out-of-control asphalt juggernaut that ravished neighborhoods?

ANSWER: That question predisposes that the asphalt juggernaut is ravishing the neighborhood, which I disagree with. I wouldn't think the average fellow will walk down the street and say, "Oh, look here, my gosh! I'm so happy we had this program 20 years ago" (or) "Oh, my gosh, look at what they did to XYZ street." I think somewhere in between we're going to work it out. You can't progress in the community unless you have good educational systems, unless you have good transportation systems and unless you have good infrastructure. Now, you're not going to get industry - I'm talking about white-collar industry - without making improvements to the transportation system. You may not think so right now, but I think the road program will be beneficial over the long haul.

Return to 1st half of interview