Interstate 70/71 Construction Downtown - News & Discussion

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Interstate 70/71 Construction Downtown - News & Discussion

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Started 1 year ago by Walker
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Displaced Columbusite

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Question...what about projections of future use? Have they released numbers on this? One would think prudent planning would encompass adequate measures of influx. Is it possible they are using outdated numbers that may be inflated at this point, because they believe those numbers will be there in 20-30 years from now.

Obviously, we want them to plan accordingly and that means not just the numbers from now, but what they will be in the future. I am only on the devil's advocate front here, but I think future generations would be even more irate than the current citizenry if ODOT rebuilt the freeway and did not plan for future growth.

Posted 1 year ago #
johnwirtz
Evanston, IL
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Displaced Columbusite wrote >>
Question...what about projections of future use? Have they released numbers on this? One would think prudent planning would encompass adequate measures of influx. Is it possible they are using outdated numbers that may be inflated at this point, because they believe those numbers will be there in 20-30 years from now.
Obviously, we want them to plan accordingly and that means not just the numbers from now, but what they will be in the future. I am only on the devil's advocate front here, but I think future generations would be even more irate than the current citizenry if ODOT rebuilt the freeway and did not plan for future growth.

That is how things are typically done, which makes ODOT's figures even stranger. Why not show the existing and the 2030 forecasts?

Posted 1 year ago #
johnwirtz
Evanston, IL
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Columbusite wrote >>
It's in the the first image in my previous post. See the SW location where the level of service is in red and ranks "F". The 174,900 just got rounded up. For some reason you can click on the images and get large ones on my blog, but there's some html issue that won't let you here.

I'm saying that I don't trust the 174,900 figure. Looking at this image that you provided, the 2001 number was 153,760 and the 2003 number was 156,300. I don't think it is possible to have an AADT spike of 20,000 vehicles in one year that then declines the following year.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Columbus council asserts role in I-70/71 project
Monday, July 26, 2010 10:42 PM
BY ROBERT VITALE
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

With an end-of-July deadline looming to let the massive highway project clear another hurdle toward a 2011 start, council members used their newfound leverage tonight to grab the last word on I-70/71 plans away from the mayor's Department of Public Service.

They approved legislation calling for ODOT to return next spring with final designs for council review. And in that time, the agency has agreed to work with the council and near-Downtown neighborhoods on issues such as highway bridges and the streets that will carry traffic to and from the interstate.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2010/07/26/columbus-council-I70-I71-project.html?sid=101

Posted 1 year ago #
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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ODOT clarified that the figure is a more recent number of ADT from when 670 was under construction and all of that traffic was routed onto the split, by who else but ODOT. When were they going to tell us that little tidbit? They tried falling back on that and that they want to reduce weaving conflicts, but with a lower number of vehicles comes a lower number of crashes. ODOT only ever predicts higher amounts of traffic; notice how they did not factor in the sharp drop in driving in the last couple of years and adjust their data accordingly.

Posted 1 year ago #
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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Despite ODOT admitting directly to city council that they used data from when 670 was closed and rerouted on the split, they went right on ahead and passed it and I can't say anyone was surprised. But if the city council president didn't feel it was important enough to show up for that, then I guess I shouldn't be surprised that most here share that sentiment.

Posted 1 year ago #
Columbusite
Minneapolis
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So here is the lead spokesperson for ODOT clearly utilizing outdated data from 1999-2002 in this interview with Outlook.

Scott Varner, Deputy Director and lead spokesperson for ODOT, sat down to talk with outlook:columbus about the project, and ODOTÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s new mission to Ã¢â‚¬Å“heal scarsÃ¢â‚¬Â left by the interstates in the Columbus neighborhoods.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“The 70/71 corridor carries 175,000 vehicles per day. With an accident rate 10 times the state average for similar sections of interstate, contributing to 1200 crashes every year on average,Ã¢â‚¬Â explains Scott.

http://outlookcolumbus.com/2010/07/odot-seeks-to-heal-scars-left-behind-july-2010/

The 175,000 vehicles per day is from this 2002 document and even then this number was false. Why? Because a downtown stretch of I-670 was also closed from 3/30/02 through the rest of the year. This number includes a large amount of vehicles rerouted off of I-670 that overburdened the split. But let's not mention that totally irrelevant info.

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/projects/7071/Study/PublishingImages/MapsandCharts/los.pdf

The 1200 crashes a year, or an average of 3 crashes a day, is an even older figure from 1999-2001.

http://www.dot.state.oh.us/projects/7071/Study/PublishingImages/MapsandCharts/Crash_Data.pdf

An ODOT rep was quoted in the Dispatch in 2009 citing an average of two crashes a day each year, not three.

http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/01/23/THEMERGE.ART_ART_01-23-09_A1_JBCLAC5.html?sid=101

This also coincides with the 800 crashes a year cited in the city of Columbus' Public Service Department page from 2010.

http://pubserv.ci.columbus.oh.us/transportation/Document_Library/PROJECTS/I-70_and_I-71_Corridor.pdf

We haven't spent a dime on split reconstruction and here we have a 33% drop or a 1/3 drop in the number of crashes on the split. Who knows how recent that number is, but regardless it's significantly lower. Did I also mention that according to Business First; "Several properties will lose parking spaces."

http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2010/05/31/focus6.html?page=2

Is this important now?

Posted 1 year ago #
gk
columbus, ohio
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MORPC has proposed reclassifying the streets surrounding the 70/71 split which would make them eligible for federal funding for various improvements, including bikeways, landscaping, etc.

http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2010/aug/18/changing-street-classifications-get-federal-dollar-ar-197685/

Posted 1 year ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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So, what is the consequence of reclassifying these streets? Why not reclassify the whole dag-on city?

Posted 1 year ago #
deraj1013
Merion Village
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From the Dispatch...

New leadership unlikely to halt I-70/71 project

By Robert Vitale

Although their Democratic allies at the Ohio Department of Transportation are on their way out, Columbus officials say they are hopeful that the successors will stick with plans for rebuilding the I-70/71 split.

Read more

Posted 1 year ago #
chucky

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Columbus city officials are living in Lollipop land. They have no clue how much the budget for ODOT is going to be slashed.

This project is dead.

The last section of widening 71 in Morrow county is the #1 priority after bridges.

deraj1013 wrote >>
From the Dispatch...
New leadership unlikely to halt I-70/71 project
By Robert Vitale
Although their Democratic allies at the Ohio Department of Transportation are on their way out, Columbus officials say they are hopeful that the successors will stick with plans for rebuilding the I-70/71 split.
Read more

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Looks like City Council is pushing forward with the split fix:

From Here: http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/columbus-city-council-meeting-highlights-jan-24-2010

SUPPORTING PHASE 1 OF THE I-70/71 CORRIDOR RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT: The city of Columbus is working with the Ohio Department of Transportation to create a safer I-70/71 corridor. The current downtown highway system opened in the 1970Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s and traffic volume has exceeded the design capacity by more than 50,000 vehicles a day resulting in crashes, congestion and delays. Public Service Committee Chair Hearcel F. Craig is sponsoring ordinance 1838-2010, which authorizes the expenditure of approximately $2.5 million from the Build America Bonds Fund for Phase 1 of the project. Phase 1 will include roadway improvements to the I-670/71 Interchange and involve the realignment of Interstate Route 670 eastbound so through traffic stays to the left, traffic to Interstate 71 exits to the right, and work on Interstate 71 from over Jack Gibbs to Long Street. The project will also include 20 mainline, ramp and overhead bridges as well as enhanced crossings on Spring Street and Long Street, lying within the city of Columbus. This is the first phase of the reconstruction project costing $1.6 billion and expected to be completed in 2017.

Posted 1 year ago #
Antonio

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Appears Columbus city council has no clue the state of Ohio has NO MONEY for this and the plans have changed.

Walker wrote >>
Looks like City Council is pushing forward with the split fix:
From Here: http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/columbus-city-council-meeting-highlights-jan-24-2010
SUPPORTING PHASE 1 OF THE I-70/71 CORRIDOR RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT: The city of Columbus is working with the Ohio Department of Transportation to create a safer I-70/71 corridor. The current downtown highway system opened in the 1970Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s and traffic volume has exceeded the design capacity by more than 50,000 vehicles a day resulting in crashes, congestion and delays. Public Service Committee Chair Hearcel F. Craig is sponsoring ordinance 1838-2010, which authorizes the expenditure of approximately $2.5 million from the Build America Bonds Fund for Phase 1 of the project. Phase 1 will include roadway improvements to the I-670/71 Interchange and involve the realignment of Interstate Route 670 eastbound so through traffic stays to the left, traffic to Interstate 71 exits to the right, and work on Interstate 71 from over Jack Gibbs to Long Street. The project will also include 20 mainline, ramp and overhead bridges as well as enhanced crossings on Spring Street and Long Street, lying within the city of Columbus. This is the first phase of the reconstruction project costing $1.6 billion and expected to be completed in 2017.

Posted 1 year ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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Antonio wrote >>
Appears Columbus city council has no clue

Typical...

Posted 1 year ago #
cyclist II
Short North & Peach District
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Lakee911 wrote >>

Antonio wrote >>
Appears Columbus city council has no clue

Typical...

Typical Antonio or typical City Council?

Posted 1 year ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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cyclist II wrote >>

Lakee911 wrote >>

Antonio wrote >>
Appears Columbus city council has no clue

Typical...

Typical Antonio or typical City Council?

The latter ... guber'ment

Given the state of the economy and according the the project manager, there are no plans to delay or shelve the first three phases of this project.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Path cleared for Africentric rebuild
Saturday, January 29, 2011
BY BILL BUSH
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

After almost a decade of delays, the $29.5 million reconstruction of the Columbus Africentric Early College schools is back on track.

Starting in January 2012, the building that houses the two affiliated schools will be demolished and replaced with a new 139,460-square-foot facility that will house up to 1,000 kindergartners through 12th-graders. The Africentric schools are at Livingston and Grant avenues, on the border of Downtown and German Village.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/01/29/path-cleared-for-africentric-rebuild.html?sid=101

Posted 1 year ago #
Lakee911
Clintonville (South)
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Why can't they just stay in the swing space?

Posted 1 year ago #
Analogue Kid
5th by West-Northwest
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Lakee911 wrote >>

cyclist II wrote >>

Lakee911 wrote >>

Antonio wrote >>
Appears Columbus city council has no clue

Typical...

Typical Antonio or typical City Council?

The latter ... guber'ment
Given the state of the economy and according the the project manager, there are no plans to delay or shelve the first three phases of this project.

The budget for ODOT doesn't come out of the GRF so while they may delay things a bit, this project is by no means dead.

Posted 1 year ago #
Walker
The KLD / Downtown
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Lakee911 wrote >>
Why can't they just stay in the swing space?

Probably not optimal for that school. It's a big one, so I imagine they might have to divide the school into multiple swing spaces during construction.

Posted 1 year ago #