Folks,

I used the information from Tom Mathews' posting about highway induced
traffic problems to comment on the highway construction plans in Des Moines
in a letter to the Des Moines Register. Unfortunately, for whatever reason
(perhaps too long or not considered timely) the Register did not run it.
So, I pass the letter on to you for your consideration and comments. I
really do believe that rapidly growing cities in Iowa such as Des Moines,
Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Ames, and, for that matter, Waverly, Carroll, and
Pella have a tremendous opportunity to grow in ways that would avoid the
problems seen in other urban areas. However, we currently not only tolerate
the current system, but we engineer it and subsidize it.

I hope you find this of interest.

Eric G. Hurley
829 Douglas Ave #3
Ames IA 50010-6221
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February 10, 2000


Dear Editor:

With the rebuilding of I-235 and the addition and expansion of several
other roads in the Des Moines area, there will indeed be some "dramatic
changes to the city" (Road Revision, January 16). If Des Moines' experience
is the same as other cities there will be more traffic, more gridlock, more
sprawl, more loss of farmland, and more pollution.

A recent study titled "Analysis of Metropolitan Highway Capacity and the
Growth in Vehicle Miles of Travel" (Robert Noland, University of London
Center for Transport Studies, and William A. Cowart, ICF Consulting,
Fairfax, VA.) showed that cities which have similarly "improved" their
transportation system by building and expanding highways actually induced
more gridlock. Indianapolis experienced a 20%-50% highway induced increase
in traffic, Louisville a 34% to 77% increase. The national average was 15%-45%.

New roads create the opportunity and pressure for development further and
further away from their employment. Housing development occurs in the sort
of expansive, land wasting development common on the west side. People, at
first anyway, find it easy to travel further to get their services.

Simply put, a new urban highway closes down your neighborhood grocery and
hardware store and makes it feasible to travel to the new Lowe's and
Walmart Superstores that are starting to ring the city. In an odd twist,
inner city people now have to travel out to suburban malls and superstores
to make their purchases. As people drive more miles to get services,
traffic increases. With that there is more gridlock and more pollution.

Current cost-benefit analysis fails to take adequate account of the changes
in development and traffic pressure caused by these urban highways. Thus
local decision makers are mislead into making poor transportation planning
decisions.

The Des Moines metro area has a tremendous opportunity right now to plan
their transit system before the problems become too frustrating and
inefficient, starting with I-235. Perhaps I-235 needs to be eliminated
rather than expanded. Cities like San Francisco, Portland, OR, and
Milwaukee have found that by removing urban freeways and reconnecting the
neighborhoods that were split and blighted, they are revitalizing their
communities. Des Moines could reconnect the medical facilities on the north
side to the downtown again. Parts of the corridor could become linear parks
with commuter bike paths to downtown. This could dramatically improve the
desirability of the near northeast side and other neighborhoods.

Less radically, Des Moines should consider a scaled back rebuilding of
I-235 aimed at improving the roadbed and exits to increase traffic flow and
safety and to make the road more aesthetically pleasing. No new lanes
should be added, except, perhaps a special high speed bus lane to
facilitate mass transit or a commuter bike path. Major through streets like
Euclid and University can be improved with the addition of turn lanes and
computerized traffic lights to improve traffic flow and carry more traffic.
A more limited rebuild would also reduce the tremendous economic cost of
having the road closed for so long as currently planned.

For more distant transit, Des Moines should expand and improve its bus
system, increasing its hours, ease of use, adding special priority bus
lanes, and using technology to provide buses with priority at traffic
lights. Rail and light rail should be seriously considered to move people
from the suburbs to the downtown. Bike routes should be planned and
constructed to facilitate safe, high speed commuting.

To make this work planning and zoning of the entire metropolitan area would
have to be coordinated with the transit system. Housing development should
be encouraged near transit lines. New neighborhoods should contain many of
the common daily retail services such as a grocery and coffee shop to
reduce the need to drive so far for services.

Contrary to what we have expected, new urban highways are making many
cities less desirable places to live. Des Moines is on the same path. Des
Moines needs to plan now so that in 30 years average commutes haven't
increased to 60 minutes or more and air pollution is choking us. Our
quality of life and economic vitality is at stake.

Sincerely,




Eric G. Hurley

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