It seems the North Carolina Department of Transportation can move swiftly after all.
It was only last Tuesday evening when I spoke with representatives from the DOT about the Chavasse Avenue project. They offered lots of reasons why the project was not going forward right away, but they never ever said the project was terminated. So, imagine the surprise when Frank Frazier reported to the Henderson City Council on Monday that this project was canceled. I think I want to see this in writing from the DOT. They sure changed their minds very quickly about terminating this project after stringing the city along since 2004. Communication and exchange of information on this project has been sketchy at best and fraught with backtracking and fumbling.
It reminds me of “Westover Terrace-Gate”. When I first came on the council, the citizens in this neighborhood wanted their street repaired where an embankment had given way and the street had collapsed. It was unsightly, dangerous, and posed a problem for home sales in the area. We were told repeatedly that the city did not own this street and that the neighbors would have to pay for the repairs. Research showed that the common wisdom was incorrect, and that the city was responsible. We took the money that was earmarked to pave Alexander Avenue and repaired that street. I learned from that experience that you cannot always believe what you are told, and you need to find out the answers before you ask the questions when dealing with the city.
So, after trying all summer to get answers from the city about the status of the Chavasse Avenue project, I finally e-mailed Department of Transportation Secretary Gene Conti and asked for answers. Terry Gibsom replied on September 3, 2009 that the project was not in this funding year but, depending on the start time for the High Speed Rail, that “we agree to consider it in next year’s spending plan as there would be some benefits for the project for 5-10 years.”
This was very encouraging because I had just received information from David Foster with the NCDOT Rail Division that the earliest construction time for the High Speed Rail would be 2013 with a three-to-five year build-out. Logic would tell you that Chavasse Avenue is going to be one of the last closures as they build an overpass at Alexander Avenue and work on Andrews Avenue. After all, people will have to cross the tracks while all this work is going on. This would make the project to widen Chavasse and put in a sidewalk even more essential. So, the city should stare down DOT and not blink when they say that this project is terminated. This is what we need in Henderson and the council should make it happen. But that is going to be a harder row to hoe now.
First, I would imagine that Jimmy Crawford is not going to be prone to earmark money to Henderson when the city did not follow through on this project. This is the area of Henderson that is represented by Mr. Crawford (West Henderson is not his district) and it makes it appear that he did not follow through with looking after his constituents who so desperately need a safe way for pedestrians to travel (especially since he personally and publicly took credit for this project in the media).
Second, I would imagine that the DOT is not going to be impressed with the city when a citizen has to e-mail them for information that should be supplied by the city. For instance, when the Division Engineer, Wally Bowman, conveys information to the city in a meeting on June 30, 200 with Assistant City Manager Frank Frasier and other city council members and representatives and that information is not given in a report to the council or in a press release to the public, why should they make an effort to keep the city in the loop in the future?
Third, if the city had been proactive, this would have been an ideal project for stimulus money. The DOT tried to argue me down that after the High Speed Rail closes Chavasse then maybe that sidewalk will not be needed. That is ridiculous. If they knew their own plans, they would know that Young Avenue is going to be extended down past the water tower to Alexander Avenue. A sidewalk along Chavasse would connect to the one on Dorsey, and that would provide safe pedestrian walkways. Alexander Avenue has sidewalks, so instead of walking down to Chavasse to cross, people would walk parallel to Chavasse on the opposite side of the railroad instead of to William Street, and then along the Young Avenue extension to connect to the new sidewalk.
I know the DOT officials do not live in Henderson, and maybe not enough city employees live here to see the real need. However, the elected council people live here and should know. The Public Safety Committee of the city council should have this project on the front burner and should not stop cooking it until it is done. To take the word that this project is “terminated” is an easy way to drop the ball and continue to allow the citizens in Henderson to have their safety compromised.
The name of this game is politics, and the city has a wonderful bargaining tool. The DOT wants the city to make concessions for the High Speed Rail. If the city makes those concessions, then the DOT should make this project happen!
Enough evasion and hemming and hawing. Get this done.