Mobile Development Thread

[bayou15]

Hell dont look into the future . Thats the current problem we are having.

Does anyone else see the traffic on I-10 between Nawlins to P-Cola?


It's not just Mobile County, It's the whole West Florida Territory that clogged up.

6 lanes on I-10 right now would help the issue a little. Just think how bad the traffic would have been if Downtown Mobile would have got casinos. You can thank the Bible belt for that

[SouthSky]

Speaking of traffic...

The ALDOT site just added cams for the Mobile area. (There is no 65 or 165 cams as of yet)

This will also give you a live look at the skyline in some views for those people that are interested in that kind of stuff (me)

http://www.dot.state.al.us/internetdocs/apps/bureaus/design/its/publicits/CameraList.aspx

[pkp]

Originally Posted by The 251

man all he ever does is bash Baldwin County. Something productive happens there instead of in Mobile, and so he complains about it. I just dont understand.... We should all be supporting the entire region and the wonderful state we live in, not talking bad about it all the time

I wouldnt' care where it is - I wouldn't like it anyway. I am really not much of a fan of the race track that is proposed in Mobile county either. It has nothing to do with where it is, it's what it is. I've said it before, this is a web site dedicated to urban living - and a sprawling Bass Pro Shop development (and eveything surrounding the store) is the furthest thing from that. That is why I don't like it. I enjoy, dense, urban development. That means non-autocentric, pedestrian and transit friendly development. I am not a wacko that thinks cars should be banned or anything, but I just don't like sprawl. Again, when you log onto this site, the first line on the page says that this is the world's finest resource for skyscraper and urbanism enthusiasts. My love of urban living and general dislike of suburban living is why I joined this site in the first place.

[pkp]

Originally Posted by CottonCity251

The Africatown Bridge doesn't help relieve traffic now on I-10 until the tunnel is already bagged-up. Sending folks on a detour won't fix congestion in the Wallace tunnel. The way I see it is either build a bridge or invest the money in public transit.

Bingo - the true interstate traffic on I-10 does not cause the back ups. It's commuter traffic! Public transit could relieve that issue. The fact is, you can never, ever build enough travel lanes for a growing reason. If that were the case, Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, LA, etc... would never have gridlock on their interstates. The fact is, most cities are not forward looking enough to invest in public transit until the traffic situation becomes unbearable. I think the region could be ahead of its time if we went ahead and looked and investing in ferry service, and possibly some rail. I am glad to see the shuttle service operating between The Eastern Shore and downtown, but the problem is that the shuttle has to sit in traffic as well, and most people would probably just drive. It's a start though.

[Electrical Porpoise]

Originally Posted by pkp

I think the region could be ahead of its time if we went ahead and looked and investing in ferry service

Public transportation sounds great and all but as was discussed in the skybar demand will alwaystake over. People will always choose convenience first, therefore fixing the routes that those people will travel is the best option.

It would be cool if half a million people were walking everywhere and using a rail system, but it aint happening.

[pkp]

Originally Posted by Electrical Porpoise

Public transportation sounds great and all but as was discussed in the skybar demand will alwaystake over. People will always choose convenience first, therefore fixing the routesthat those people will travel is the best option.

It would be cool if half a million people were walking everywhere, but it aint happening.

That lifestyle didn't exist until after WWII. The Government has built the infrastructure to encourage people to live their lives in a car. If the interstates were not "fixed" and those commuters had to choose between a 10 min, $2 transit ride and a 1 hr, $10 car ride, which one would they pick? And which one would be better for our society, the economy, the environment, etc...? It's not really a choice when nearly all of the available transportation funding is going to road building and not mass transit - it seems to me like we are being made to drive everywhere. There's no way it can be sustained forever. We can be better than that.It just takes a little vision. And with energy prices they way they are, and will continue to be, it seems it would be the financially responsible thing to do as well. The argument could be made that our area is not populous enough to justify mass transit, but once you start talking about spending hundreds of millions of $ on bridges to take care of car traffic demand, I think its a discussion worth having. The ferry service that was discussed a couple of years ago was expected to run at a deficit of about $1MM a year. People raised hell about it. But it would take centuries for that to cost more than a high rise bridge over the Mobile River. There is no reason why we can't be a progressive area that supports looking for a long term solution. By the time this bridge is finished, it will be over capacity - you can count on it.

[BlessedMobile]

I wonder just how we are going to convince travelers to take a longer northern route to bypass the tunnel or to MAKE truckers take the longer route...who are we kidding. The northern route is longer, more expensive to make and won't solve the problem...those aren't my opinions but the findings of ALDOT. The inclusion of this route is only an appeasement so locals can not keep whinning that it wasn't considered. I have read the report from ALDOT and they think going north is no solution. A new bridge on the southern end of town would be high enough for anything they do now or could in the future. The new turning basin by Pinto Island will solve the possible needs of Atlantic Marine or Choctaw Point. Bender is complaining, not because of ship height but because of disruptions from pouring the bridge pilings and dreams of working on oil rigs up the river at their second site when their current docks at the Navy Homeport can handle anything. I am very familiar with the Talmadge bridge in Savannah with a clearance of 185 and can tell you that there are never problems; surely our bridge at 195 or 215 can manage. Of the three routes south of town, the middle route is most likely as it crosses some of Bender and goes over to Harrison Brothers just south of Austal. The upper route is too close to downtown and the lower route cuts into the container terminal and TK offloading docks. Build the bridge NOW.

[Del]

Bingo - the true interstate traffic on I-10 does not cause the back ups. It's commuter traffic!

Amen. ALDOT wants to put up a bridge where it will seriously harm the maritime industry for the convenience of Baldwin commuters.

[Electrical Porpoise]

Originally Posted by pkp

The ferry service that was discussed a couple of years ago was expected to run at a deficit of about $1MM a year. People raised hell about it.

Where would the ferry dock on each side of the bay? By the time people drove to the ferry and rode across the bay that would add up to a lot of time. It would have to go pretty far south to run across the shallow part of the southern delta and I have no idea where they would build a place for it.

You are right, though. New ideas will be needed it just isn't easy to do.

[SouthSky]

Whoops... erased

[BlessedMobile]

Originally Posted by SouthSky

Speaking of traffic...

The ALDOT site just added cams for the Mobile area. (There is no 65 or 165 cams as of yet)

This will also give you a live look at the skyline in some views for those people that are interested in that kind of stuff (me)

http://www.dot.state.al.us/internetdocs/apps/bureaus/design/its/publicits/CameraList.aspx

This is great. I had wondered where the TV stations got there live tunnel shots. I too wish they would do something from I-65. Thanks for the link.

[SouthSky]

^There's something weird going on in Camera C-3 (i10 eastbound at Water St.)

[BlessedMobile]

Originally Posted by SouthSky

Whoops... erased

What trucker wouldn't want to bypass downtown Atlanta traffic...it's like asking them to drive 70 rather than 55. I'm not saying we can't put up signs but these are federal interstates where their taxes are spent as well as four wheeler taxes. I wouldn't be surprised if some of those Atlanta highways weren't state built and thus can screen out some traffic. Our bypass will be longer and slower...not exactly something truckers take too very well. Besides, I don't like the idea of dumping E-W traffic on my N-S I-65 where we locals will then get to fight with the traffic passing through from EVERYWHERE.

[BlessedMobile]

Originally Posted by SouthSky

^There's something weird going on in Camera C-3 (i10 eastbound at Water St.)

Hey SouthSky...were you watching C-3? That camera was looking over near Texas street at a bunch of kids messing around. Now that is Big Brother with ZOOM.

[Musicisright]

Nice skyline shot with C25


And I love this

[SouthSky]

Originally Posted by BlessedMobile

What trucker wouldn't want to bypass downtown Atlanta traffic...it's like asking them to drive 70 rather than 55. I'm not saying we can't put up signs but these are federal interstates where their taxes are spent as well as four wheeler taxes. I wouldn't be surprised if some of those Atlanta highways weren't state built and thus can screen out some traffic. Our bypass will be longer and slower...not exactly something truckers take too very well. Besides, I don't like the idea of dumping E-W traffic on my N-S I-65 where we locals will then get to fight with the traffic passing through from EVERYWHERE.

Apparently you got to the post button before I edited:

I (for some reason) thought that you had specifically only mentioned truckers in your post. This is why I edited.

An adequate solution would be a bypass (210?) around Mobile from 10 to the northern terminus of 165 which should aide out-of-towners with transit around and out of the city without putting too much stress on 'our' 65.

[sandebr00]

I, too, wish that Mobile and Baldwin County would invest more heavily in mass-transportation. With gas prices continuing to rise, I agree with PKP that it's necessary for Mobile's continuing growth that we have affordable alternatives for people. The key, however, is to have a system that is viable (meaning that it is worthwhile for people to use it), affordable, and financially sustainable and independent. For instance, having just moved back from ATL, I know that there was tension between local officials who wanted to raise MARTA's fares to make it financially independent, and those who wanted to lower fares to make it affordable for more citizens, and, thus, to get more people to take public transporation. The ultimate problem with MARTA is that it is not convenient for people to take it. It simply doesn't have stops in the rights places. So, while I, too, favor mass transporation, I believe that local officials should not implement anything until much thought and research has gone into it. If we do it, we need to do it right.

Additionally, even with mass transporation, there is still a need for a new bridge, or at least a new route to get around the bottleneck that is the tunnel. Mass transporation may get more locals off the road, but I-10 is heavily traveled by commercial vehicles and others, and mass transportation will have no effect on these cars and trucks. Simply put, the creation of mass transportation, without more, will not solve the traffic problem entirely. We need greater mass transportation AND a new route around I-10, which I believe should be the I-165 alternative, as that route appears to be the most favored by local businesses and preservationists.

As far as ALDOT not believing that the northern route is a viable option, is this the same ALDOT that has totally screwed up the new highway 98 bypass? I, personally, have little faith in these state bureaucrats to make the right decision for Mobile, much less to build it without incident, and believe that the decision as to where the bridge should be built should be left to local elected officials, who are more in-tune with the wishes of the local people and who are more interested in ensuring that the location of the new bridge will be in the best interests of Mobile.

[sandebr00]

On a different note, did anyone see the article in the today's Press Register about the tanker deal? The title of the article says it all -- "New Bills Steer Tanker to Boeing." Of course, neither the House nor the Senate has passed any of these bills, nor has president signed any of the bills, so it's not the law at this time. But, it's disconcerting to see the efforts of Boeing supporters to make it impossible for EADS to win the new competition. I did hear on the news today that Sec. of Defense Robert Gates will oversee the air force tanker decision, which I think is good news for Mobile and EADS. He seems to be pragmatic (understanding that there would be adverse consequences if the deal is just given to Boeing), and wants do what is best for the US military. If EADS's plane really is better, I think he will go to bat for EADS.

http://www.al.com/news/press-register/index.ssf?/base/news/121455815441380.xml&coll=3

[CottonCity251]

Originally Posted by Electrical Porpoise

Where would the ferry dock on each side of the bay? By the time people drove to the ferry and rode across the bay that would add up to a lot of time. It would have to go pretty far south to run across the shallow part of the southern delta and I have no idea where they would build a place for it.

You are right, though. New ideas will be needed it just isn't easy to do.

The main terminal would be at the proposed Maritime Museum with docks in Daphne, Fairhope, Fowl River area, and Gulf Shores, if I remember correctly. I think more and more people are less concerned with the amount of time it may take compared the amount you may save in these critical financial times with the economy and all. Baylinc has been overwhelmingly successful and one can get from the Eastern Shore to downtown quicker than a bus. The thing is you can't bet it for about $5...I know I can't get halfway across the Bayway or the Causeway in my car for $5, plus you don't have to worry about paying to park. A report came out yesterday that projects gas prices around $7 in two years...that would put us right around $5 by year's end.

[phoenixboi08]

I have an idea...but I really can't explain it. So I think I'm going to TRY to draw it... I hope this works.....