Alston Ave: We can wait

Just to continue the theme of Alston Ave. Day on the Durham political blogosphere -- Gary, Kevin, and Barry have already weighed in -- I only have a little to add to what they've already said.

Alston Ave. is not in good shape, but NCDOT's remedy is the last thing we need.  The excellent Durham city Transportation Manager, Mark Ahrendsen, has noticed this as well, and given NCDOT's refusal to make modifications to their plans, he has advised the city to walk away and direct the funds elsewhere.  Right on, except that as Ray Gronberg points out in his article (now gone down the memory hole thanks to the Herald's idiot web policy), Mayor Bell is objecting to his plan to divert the funds out of Northeast-Central Durham.

The Mayor has a point -- one of the biggest problems that blighted urban areas have faced lies in "disinvestment," or the combination of the public and private sector neglecting to put any sort of investment into those areas.  As a result, the infrastructure and economy suffer heavily.  However, in the case of east Durham, it bears mentioning that bad investment has been as much of a problem as lack of investment.  I don't know how many millions have been spent in east Durham on urban renewal, NC-147, the rerouting of Fayetteville St., the overwidening of Elizabeth St., and other similarly counter-productive problems, but it's likely quite substantial (although still less, I imagine, than has been spent on infrastructure in newer, suburban areas).  With Alston Ave., it's time to draw a line -- no more bad projects.

But then, whither Alston Ave.?  Is Durham perpetually going to be stuck with the choice of a suburbanized arterial on one hand and the overloaded, neglected three-lane corridor there now?  I think not.  There are several changes blowing in the wind, which combined, I think point towards a definite advantage in waiting this one out.  Firstly, I think the most recent shakeout at NC-DOT will result in yet another slow lurch towards more reasonable standards, and, just maybe, more responsiveness to communities and context.  Secondly, for every quarter increase in the cost of gas, making arguments for pedestrian, bicycle, and transit-friendly design becomes an easier sell.

But perhaps most importantly, there's the change I noted last week, that county governments are no longer forbidden from entering the road building process.  Alston Ave. is exactly the kind of road that, in another state, would be owned and maintained by the county.  It's an important regional connector, but not critical to the infrastructure of the state.  As political pressure keeps gas taxes down, and the economic divide between the urban and rural areas continues to spread, there's going to be natural pressure for the state to turn over some of its control and responsibilities to counties.  Now, counties don't yet have a good way to pay for these improvements, but I don't think that's far off either.  (I could see a local option gas tax dedicated to transportation getting passed as early as 2009.) 

There's a good chance, then, from multiple directions, in getting either a more responsive NCDOT, or better yet, an NCDOT that's removed from the process, in the not too distant future.  In the meantime, it's far better to keep the only supermarket in northeast-central Durham and live with the limited Alston Ave. we have now, than to blaze a path of scorched earth through the very heart of the neighborhood, for fear of losing transportation funds. 

A change is coming.  We can wait for it.