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Planners reject road-projects delay
By Jennifer Plunkett
The Macon Telegraph
Macon and Bibb County's transportation planners on Tuesday rejected a proposal by its citizens advisory committee to delay projects in the Road Improvement Program.
The policy committee for the Macon Area Transportation Study voted down the recommendation of MATS' citizen advisory committee to place a moratorium on 12 highly criticized projects in the Macon-Bibb County Road Improvement Program. The proposals would have allowed time for more public input on the projects' designs.
The rust-colored water results from a build-up of ferric carbonate deposits in old iron water pipes. In neighborhoods without cement lining in the iron pipes, the water can have a rusty color in times of heavy use - that's the reason for the relining project. But the project itself also can create the discoloration. | |
The list of projects to delay suggested by the citizen advisory committee included: the Downtown Connector, Douglas Avenue, Forest Hill Road, Houston Road, Ingleside Avenue, Intown intersections with College Street, Log Cabin Road, Park Street, Sardis Church Road and its I-75 interchange, Tucker Road, Vineville Avenue and Wesleyan Drive.
"We've already addressed this," said Larry Justice, chairman of both MATS - the road program's executive committee - and the Bibb County Commission. "All y'all are trying to do is delay the road program."
Member Bob Cleveland, who does not have voting power on MATS, said that it was counter-productive to consider the committee's recommendation and that the committee doesn't have the authority to develop such a proposal.
Justice allowed Cleveland to vote on the proposal and two other motions by Mayor Jim Marshall to call a special meeting with the citizen advisory committee to discuss members' concerns.
Cleveland's votes will be withdrawn at the next policy meeting, said Planning Director Don Tussing, after receiving calls about the miscast votes. His vote influenced MATS' decision not to immediately call a special meeting with the citizen advisory committee.
CAUTION-Macon members said delaying the projects to allow more public input would have helped restore trust in the direction of the road program and its leaders.
"This just goes to show you Larry Justice will stoop to any depths to get what he wants," said Tom Scholl, a CAUTION-Macon member.
Mayor Jim Marshall said it was inappropriate for MATS not to consider the proposal.
"I think the citizen advisory committee was established for a purpose, and they are well within their authority to make a recommendation," Marshall said. "To simply dismiss their recommendation without even talking to them is excessive."
MATS member and Transit Authority Chairwoman Lynn Cass voted with the mayor in supporting the proposal.
MATS members will invite the citizen advisory committee to the next meeting in May to discuss any concerns. MATS' 2015 Transportation Plan was used as the basis for selecting projects in the roads program. MATS - not the roads program - controls projects that use federal funds.
In other business, officials from the state Environmental Protection Division presented MATS members with Macon's air quality figures for 1997 and 1998. The EPD will monitor this area's air for one more year before deciding if Macon has failed to meet federal standards for air quality. Once the decision is made, the city and county must take several steps to improve the concentration of ozone pollution in the air, said Ron Methier, EPD air protection branch chief.
For the past two years, Macon and Bibb County have failed to keep its air pollution within acceptable EPD ranges.
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The Macon Telegraph and may not be republished without permission. Contact Us.