UNCC professor David Hartgen on battling gridlock in Greensboro:
The good news for residents of the Greensboro area, Hartgen says, is that it stands out for generally being in better shape than the rest of the state.
New sections of the Urban Loop will be opened this year, routing Interstate 40 around the city and linking the airport area more effectively with Interstate 85.
And unlike most others in North Carolina, the Greensboro-area Metropolitan Planning Organization has a solid, well-thought-out plan for combatting gridlock, Hartgen said.
“Greensboro gets good marks, although they have a too-high percentage of money set aside for public transit,” said Hartgen, who said he thinks cities need serviceable systems — but not elaborate ones — for those who have no other way of getting around.
Hartgen is particularly dismissive of regional transit proposals aimed at forging a commuter rail link between Greensboro and Winston-Salem.
“It’s just silly talk,” he said. “The feds simply aren’t going to fund it.”
Hartgen said the reality is that people drive cars most places, and alternative modes of travel rank a distant second for the majority of residents.
Which brings me to today’s N&R article on increased attendance at the North Carolina Zoo, presumably because Triad residents are staying local due to high gas prices. There’s no doubt the media has a fascination with gas prices and the intense suffering they’re causing. But, in fairness, it’s a zoo official, not the reporter, who’s speculating that gas prices are contributing to the higher numbers. Still, check out the front page headline:
N.C. Zoo roaring with business as gas prices soar
Gas prices high? Yes. Soaring? Not exactly.
