Commercial Lease near I-26 in North Charleston, SC

This is to express my sonrtg disapproval of the proposal to extend I-526 from the James Island Expressway to US 17 South in Charleston County because the proposed extension would not solve traffic problems but would lead to other problems. New super highways induce development which brings with it additional traffic and congestion . The local Council of Government maps show that I-526 moves congestion around rather than providing long term solutions, and those same maps show that the proposed extension will fail soon after it is built. In addition, there are other roads (e.g., Folly Road and Savannah Highway) that would still have failing levels of service with the completion of the I-526 extension. Extending I-526 will not speed up evacuation of James and Johns islands during storms because there has been no increase in traffic capacity on roads leading away from I-526. It is important to note that the proposed extension would reduce travel time by only two minutes for the average commuter.Extension of I-526 would cause extensive damage to wetlands and very likely to James Island County Park and increase air, water, noise and light pollution in the vicinity of the proposed extension.. Extending I-526 is a poor use of public money. It is a huge project that will cost taxpayers at least 489 million dollars . It is unconscionable to spend so much money for predictably bad results. Are there better alternatives? The answer is YES. For example, the New Way to Work Alternative would provide long-lasting traffic relief that would reduce the time spent in traffic, thereby reducing fuel consumption and the amount of pollutants released into the air and water. The New Way to Work Alternative is also better because it would avoid the destruction of wetlands and parkland that the extension of I-526 would require.The islands need a network of streets and roads that move traffic where it needs to go, not another super highway that encourages congestion. Adding traffic lights at critical points and selective widening of roadways would improve the flow of traffic on busy thoroughfares and through congested intersections. Such improvements could be made with much less expenditure of money than the cost of extending I-526.I sonrtgly urge the Department of Transportation to drop plans for the I-526 extension (i. e., choose the NO BUILD OPTION) and to pursue less costly and more environmentally friendly approaches to solving the problems of traffic congestion on Johns and James islands. Specifically I recommend that the New Way to Work Alternative be given a fair and proper evaluation.William D. Anderson, Jr.655 Clearview DriveCharleston, South Carolina 29412-4508