Trinity River Tollway for Through Traffic: but at what cost?

Do you remember the promises made during the 2007 Trinity River Tollway Vote?  Politicians said it was already approved and paid for!



Photo taken in November of 2007 outside Beckly Courthouse voting locastion when two city council members were present and encouraging voters to vote "No."
(Right click to enlarge and/or print.)

Misleading campaign signs were a factor in the election. 
Which sign would you consider to be the most accurate?

The Trinity River Toll Road issue from 2007, after almost dying a natural death in spite of the close win in the 2007 election, has now been resurrected by Dallas Mayor Rawlings. Somehow the value of the 60+% of mixmaster traffic that is non-stop traffic through Dallas is pushing the cause.

This Tuesday evening, 5-8-12, there will be a NTTA (North Texas Tollway Authority) meeting at the Dallas Convention Center accepting public testimony regarding opinions on the value of this floodway toll road. The meeting starts at 7:00 PM, but from 5 - 7 PM, for two hours before that meeting, staff from the NTTA and exhibits will be available to answer all questions.  A map with free parking information is at http://www.trinityrivercorridor.com/pdfs/trinity-meeting-050812.pdf .

I will be there asking about estimated sound generated by the tollway and the current sound levels on the Trinity River.  How will the noise levels be affected by a tollway?  Has a sound map been created indicating the areas which will have significant noise increases?  Noise levels designated as unacceptable have already been documented in some NTTA maps but only in areas where there are current parks and residences.  There is no floodway area map with indications given of the sound increases anticipated in the currently unused areas, except for an occasional canoe.

The final question is: "Does Dallas want to sacrifice the last quiet place it has near downtown for the benefit of the large majority of current mixmaster traffic that is simply through traffic?"  Do suburban residents and truckers wanting to only drive through Dallas win, or can Dallas ultimately win?

If you are concerned about this floodway toll road, and want to join the movement against it, please google the three words: trinity river petition, and sign the simple one sentence petition against the floodway toll road.  This search will take you to http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/no-trinity-river-floodway-toll-road-in-dallas/ .  Please share this information with others you know of who may be concerned about protecting our city and the potential of our river to become a true world class park in the center of our city.

Do we need another election where choices are more clearly stated than in 2007?  Any second election demands that we have clarity in the meaning of each choice, as reflected in this modification of one sign from the 2007 election.

Please sign the petition and join with us on Tuesday at 7 PM at the Dallas Convention Center to give your opinion.  Your questions may be answered from 5-7, during the two hours just before the hearing.