Northside Drive
(Wesleyan Drive to Rivoli Drive)
The section of Northside Drive from Wesleyan Drive to Rivoli Drive is a very low-traveled road. The road has maintained a level of service of "A" for many years, which indicates traffic flow is the best. Since this section is two lane and it dead ends into two lane Rivoli Drive, another low traffic count road, we can assume the high rating is due to low traffic. Hence, this project was limited to a resurfacing only, which makes perfect sense.
However, perfect sense did not prevail. The Road program decided to widen this section of Northside Drive, despite the lack of need for widening and despite the fact this project was represented to the voters as a simple repavement. Trees are being cut and land is being leveled for extensive widening.
The MATS 1015 Transportation Plan describes the project as a "two lane," "resurfacing" and "sidewalks on north side." Here the road is mysteriously classified as "urban." Total estimated cost is $1,294,000.
In the Transportation Improvements Program, 1996-1998, this project is also described as above, except it states the project will be completely funded with local funds.
In the Transportation Improvements Program, 1998-2000, the project is described "Resurfacing Northside Drive and add sidewalks on Northside Dr. from Wesleyan Dr. to Rivoli Dr." It mentions a 1996 traffic count of 11,219 in 1996 and projects 13,000 for 2015. The cost is reduced to $1,216,000 with federal sources paying $944,000 and local sources paying $272,000.
In the Transportation Improvements Program, 1998-2000, the project is again described "Resurfacing Northside Drive and add sidewalks on Northside Dr. from Wesleyan Dr. to Rivoli Dr." Another 1996 traffic count is cited with a count reduced to 10,120 showing a 10% decrease in the same year. The projection for 2015 remained the same at 13,000. The total cost through 2001 is cited as $311,000, but strangely this only reflects right of way and utility expenses. Construction on this project has already begun.
In the Transportation Improvements Program, 2000-2002 (dated June, 1999), the project is still described "Resurfacing Northside Drive and add sidewalks on Northside Dr. from Wesleyan Dr. to Rivoli Dr." The funding is now all local and lists the project cost as well as the construction cost at $930,000. A 1998 traffic count shows 10,651. The projected count for 2015 remained the same at 13,000.
The traffic counts represented in the above documents are highly suspicious, and the never changing 13000 projected count for 2015 seems pulled out of the air. In the document entitled Traffic Counts, Macon-Bibb County the counts listed above are in a column entitled Northside Drive W of Forest Hill Road. That encompasses a lot of road which is outside this project. The numbers used in the above reports may not have been taken from the section of road which is within the project. A report which analyzed this section of road in detail (MATS Congestion Management System, 1997 Report), in fact, lists a traffic count of 10,600 on Northside Drive between Forest Hill and Wesleyan Drive which is west of Forest Hill and not yet in the area of this project. Additionally, for the section of road within this project, this very detailed analysis shows a traffic count of only 3,300 cars on a road with a capacity of 9,900 cars per day, which is much more in line with the experience of the residents. Before the Road Program spent a dime this section of Rivoli Drive is described in this report as having a level of service of "A" (V/C ratio of .34) which it describes as "The highest quality of service that a particular facility can provide." The Road Program is spending $1.2 million dollars to improve such a road!!!! Think of this when they complain they can't build a needed project because they have no more money.