US 1 Expansion
Next Important meeting for Citizens Against the Widening to attend:
*** FDOT Public Hearing, October 18, 2001, 5:00pm - 8:00 pm, Rockledge City Hall, 1600 Huntington Lane, Rockledge, Florida.
Brevard County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) Meeting, September 13, 2001 and November 8, 2001 at 9:00am at the Viera Government Center Building C, 2nd floor, Space Coast Meeting Room.
Petitions opposing the proposed widening to 6-lanes are now available at Mrs. Mango's, Rockledge Gardens, Jimmie's Restaurant, Ashley's Restaurant, Appleseed Health Food Store, Cocoa Feed and Seed, Ranch House, Friendly's Restaurant, Marlin Motel and the Jumping Flea Market.
If you would like to purchase a YELLOW NO-6-1 Sign to place in front of your business or house, here's how!
Call Bob at Cocoa Sign Company 636-4300, or just stop by Cocoa Sign Company at 408 Florida Avenue in Cocoa Village next to the Cocoa Post Office and pick one up. The two sided yellow with black text sign is $5.00 without the metal stand, add one dollar if you would like to purchase the stand too.
If you would like to join the NO-6-1 e-group, email NO-6-1-owner@yahoogroups.com and request to be added to the group.
US 1 Expansion/Impacts/Scenic
Highway
The Florida Department of Transportation is proposing to widen US1 from 4 to 6-lanes for an 8.8 mile stretch of road from Barnes Blvd in Rockledge to Cidco Rd in Cocoa.
Two Counties and 15 Cities worked to make US 1 a designated Scenic Highway from Titusville to the Wabassau Causeway in Indian River County. The designation was awarded spring of 2000.
View the Florida Department of Transportation, FDOT's Scenic Highways manual at: http://www.dot.state.fl.us/emo/pubs/pdeman/pt2ch29
From NOW until November is when the decisions are being made to expand US 1, so NOW is the time to raise community opposition to the proposed widening which would severely impact quality of life, increase safety concerns on an already dangerous road, increase air and noise pollution and change the face of our community.
The official U.S. 1 widening project web site by Sverdrup is at us1improvement.com.
"The
proposed improvement involves the 6-laning of US 1 and other multi-modal
considerations for the segment of US 1 from Barnes Boulevard to Cidco Road, In
addition to the 6-lanes, intersection improvements and pedestrian and bicycle
facilities are being considered."
Can improvements in safety, traffic flow and storm water management for Rockledge and Cocoa be accomplished without the impact of a 6-lane highway? Can instead bicycle trails, better traffic light synchronization and reduced speeds provide safer modes of travel? Let's use what we have more wisely before we create more problems.
How you can help:
Write or call the members of the MPO, see Contact Information
Contact the Florida Department of Transportation, Harold Webb, Project Manager, 1-800-780-7102, ext. 5554, email: harold.webb@dot.state.fl.us, address: FDOT, 719 S. Woodland Blvd., Deland, FL 32720.
Contact the Engineer, Daniel Kristoff, Senior Transportation Manager, Sverdrop Civil Inc., 904-399-8300, fax: 904-399-1902, email: daniel.kristoff@jacobs.com, address: 4811 Beach Blvd., Suite 201, Jacksonville, FL 32207-4867.
Write an editorial to Florida Today and copy it to your State Representative and Senator, Governor, members of the Brevard Metropolitan Planning Organization, and members of the Rockledge City Council. or call and speak to the members.
Sign the petition
Attend the meetings
The complete set of plans from FDOT is available at Rockledge City Hall, contact Don Griffin at 690-3978.
What are the impacts of widening a road?
Building more highways is the number one cause of sprawl.
Widening highways brings more traffic, more concerns for public safety, and creates more air and noise pollution.
A recent study shows that children living within 800' of a road with 20,000 vehicles per day were six times more likely to get cancer.
Widening highways consumes undeveloped open space for large storm water retention area.
Established businesses suffer economic loss.
Community's loose the scenic, natural and intrinsic resources that once made an area or scenic corridor unique.
Are you ready for increased traffic, pollution, noise and unsafe roads?
Are you ready to say good-bye to our community?
So much proposes to be lost and so little gained.
Widening Highways is like loosening your belt 12 notches to let your belly fill out more. Widening Roads does not solve the problem, but instead allows traffic and pollution to worsen, while communities loose the intrinsic characteristics that once made them so inviting and special.