A cluster of historically controversial transportation measures face quick action in the legislature today or tomorrow, including:
* A ban on hand-held cell phone use for commercial truckers;
* Exemptions from highway weight limits in some circumstances for some trucks hauling concrete and other goods; and
* An order blocking state Department of Transportation plans to build raised center medians on parts of three roads where some residents or businesses have complained: Falls of Neuse Road in North Raleigh, U.S. 70 in Kinston, and U.S. 64 in Asheboro.
[Correction 1:15pm Wednesday: The original post said the legislative action items also included a cap on the state gas tax. That was an error, based on erroneous information published on the General Assembly's website. There is no proposal on the legislative calendar today regarding the gas tax.]
The changes were added Tuesday in the House Transportation Committee to Senate Bill 750, which was drafted originally as a limited measure to keep some highway bidding information private until project contracts were awarded.
Its new title is "Transportation Omnibus Act."
The highway median bans were sought by Republican Reps. Harold J. Brubaker of Asheboro, Stephen A. LaRoque of Kinston and Marilyn Avila of North Raleigh.
Avila came to the aid of North Raleigh residents who have fought city and DOT engineers for years over details of a project, now under way, to widen 1.3 miles of Falls of Neuse Road. At her request, the House Transportation Committee added a provision barring DOT from spending money or doing work to put a median on Falls of Neuse between Raven Ridge Road and Lowery Farm Lane "that in any way limits, reduces, blocks, or by any other means reducs the current level of ingress and egress to Falls of Neuse Road."
It's not clear whether this language would actually make a difference on the Falls of Neuse project -- which is being built by the City of Raleigh, not DOT, and not with DOT funds.
In committee discussion, Avila cited a tussle between DOT engineers and North Raleigh residents who argued unsuccessfully to kill the median and to have traffic signals added at two intersections on Falls of Neuse Road.
Earlier this year, a state licensing board investigated a DOT charge that David N. Cox of North Raleigh had illegally practiced engineering without being licensed to do so. The board threw out the charge after Cox refused to tell investigators who had written the group's report on traffic signals.
Bruce Siceloff reports on traffic and transportation. A News & Observer reporter, editor and blogger since 1976, he took over the
Comments
Traffic Engineers
Wed, 06/15/2011 - 15:37 — uncznflTraffic Engineers just don't make snap judgement decisions on projects. There are standards that are set and site info is used to establish what needs to be done to protect the public on the highways.
What the public wants and what has to be done to protect the public and reduce changes of accidents are not always the same.
The people elected in Raleigh have favors to pay back for campagin contributions. Whether it be Dem or Rep I have seen both sides. I worked for DOT for 12 yrs. DOT is where political favors are paid by both parties, which ever may be in power at the time.
So lets call a spade a spade it is not about the project is about the politics
Amazing
Wed, 06/15/2011 - 12:47 — lrollinsSounds like a good idea, Andy. Our DOT engineers aren't the brightest lights in the chandelier, and the NC Dept. of Education is a very sad joke. Don't we rank about dead last in the nation despite all the money the dimocrats poured down that rat hole?
lrollins...how about first
Wed, 06/15/2011 - 14:27 — hurricanesfan66lrollins...how about first if you cannot be civil and call people by their right names, you avoid public discourse. Calling names is a quick way to judge the intellect of someone.
Second, aren't the Republicans all about less government, less restrictions? But it sure is fine when the restrictions/laws help them out, eh? So the STATE legislature thinks it needs to create a law to forbid 3 individual DOT/City of Raleigh projects? How are you ok with that?
AMAZING!
Wed, 06/15/2011 - 12:25 — andy_asumtneerNot only is the GOP controlled assembly apparently education specialists, but they are also professional engineers. I guess DOT employees should hand their work over to the GOP now as they seem more than qualified to do it.
engineers
Wed, 06/15/2011 - 13:07 — newenglandAre you saying the DOT engineers are the only ones capable of analyzing traffic? Don't forget this debacle, where the NC DOT earned itself a very public dope-slap.
http://www.newsobserver.com/2011/02/15/990454/dot-engineer-gets-national-scorn.html
But besides the median issue, what's the deal with the hand-held phone ban only applying to truckers, and not all drivers?
Non-sequitor
Wed, 06/15/2011 - 23:10 — Bob_SconceClearly, the GA is NOT qualified.
The engineers should be listened to because they are neutral and don't have personal stakes in what happens on Falls of Neuse.
It's a classic case of "rent seeking" -- The change benefits a small group of politically connected homeowners, while making the road itself slower for the much larger group of people who will travel that route.
Yea, cause the only people
Wed, 06/15/2011 - 12:55 — whitlow71Yea, cause the only people smart enough to figure out where a stop light should go are liberal voting state engineers.