Jonah Vu writes about her traumatic experiences when the I-405 in San Diego decided to add additional “Express Lanes.” While her home remained, the transportation agency had to rent part of her backyard and “temporarily removed the wall separating my home from the busiest interstate in any U.S. city, flooding the neighborhood with traffic and construction noise for months. Perhaps the most devastating loss was the removal of three 50-foot trees in the backyard that had been planted long before my parents moved into the house.”
It was only then, Vu ‘’’quickly learned about the legal concept of “eminent domain.” Eminent domain is recognized by federal law, with the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution stating that private property cannot “be taken for public use, without just compensation. ”However, the scope of eminent domain widened over time. The term “public use” eventually came to mean “public purpose” and, eventually, “public benefit,” creating a pathway for governments to use eminent domain to further nearly any kind of economic development.’’’
Adding single-use car lanes on major roads and interstates, no matter what a DOT calls them-express or otherwise, “induces demand” as more lanes encourages even more driving.
Vu mentions “pollution levels near freeways are three to four times higher than neighborhoods farther away. The pollution from highways is proven to affect nearby communities, who are at increased risk of respiratory, cardiovascular and reproductive health problems.”
TSTB’s take? In the case for the Tampa Bay Next Project under FDOT, we ask who are the benefactors for the express lanes? FDOT and other tolling authorities have managed road projects that have been financially back by private offshore banks. While we heard the arguments these Lexus Lanes reduce congestion and environmental impacts, that is only under exceptionally fine instances-no crashes, low VMT or no incidents that impact interstate exits. This isn’t a benefit over carving through homes with new lanes.
Our economic engines in the Tampa; The Westshore Alliance, the Tampa Bay Partnership, Tampa’s Downtown Planning Partnership, the Chambers and so on, have always touted economic development and gains when they have championed more interstate and expressway work. They somehow still trust FDOT- the same ones that mowed down hundreds of trees in West Tampa for a wider I-275, mow through historic neighborhoods blocks for an even wider I-275, threatened our city and the county to take funding away if they oppose more interstate work while poorly collaborating with local TPO to still yield Hillsborough County as the most dangerous places to walk and bike in the nation.
And let’s not start with Environmental Impacts from emissions which will cost Tampa and Hillsborough County billions once critical sea level rise hits in mere decades.
The Trolly Stop Tampa Bay 
Leave a comment