April 25, 2000
Will the proposed Legacy Highway solve traffic problems? Or make them worse?
That's the heart of a dispute that's breaking out over Governor Leavitt's pet project.
Environment Specialist John Hollenhorst has more.
Legacy Highway is supposed to break the traffic bottleneck for Davis County commuters who often find the freeway clogged with traffic all the way through the rush hour.
But the question now is, do planners really know if Legacy Highway will be a relief valve, or just another clogged artery?
Frustrated commuters may hope an extra highway will be a magic pill, providing instant relief from traffic headaches.
But even Legacy Highway's most enthusiastic backers admit it will only keep commuters a little ahead of the curve, as population and traffic continue to increase.
CARLOS BRACERAS/UTAH DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION: "WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A REASONABLE LEVEL OF SERVICE, NOT MUCH BETTER THAN THEY HAVE TODAY-- BUT BETTER, FOR THE NEXT 20 YEARS."
But even that scenario may be optimistic, according to opponents fighting to keep Legacy Highway out of Davis County wetlands. Their argument: A variation of the old cliche, "If you build it they will come."
PROF. BOB ADLER/UNIVERSITY OF UTAH: "WHEN THERE ARE MORE HIGHWAY LANES, PEOPLE TEND TO DRIVE MORE. THEY TAKE MORE TRIPS, THEY TAKE LONGER TRIPS, AND SO THERE'S MORE TRAFFIC."
JOHN HOLLENHORST/EYEWITNESS NEWS: "UNTIL NOW, THE BATTLE HAS LARGELY FOCUSED ON WETLANDS AND THE HIGHWAY'S IMPACT ON BIRD POPULATIONS. BUT IF THE BATTLE EVER MOVES INTO THE COURTROOM, THE CENTRAL ISSUE COULD BECOME THIS MATTER OF TRAFFIC, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE HIGHWAY REALLY SOLVES ANYTHING."
The immediate issue: Critics say official traffic projections due for release Wednesday fail to account for new development the highway itself will stimulate, and the extra drivers it will put on the road.
PROF. BOB ADLER/UNIVERSITY OF UTAH: "AND SO YOU END UP BUILDING HIGHWAYS THAT GIVE YOU SHORT-TERM RELIEF, BUT LONG-TERM CONGESTION."
Planners say they have tried to assess traffic from future development, by consulting local communities to see what development their master plans will allow.
CARLOS BRACERAS/UTAH DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION: "THAT IS THE BEST METHOD WE KNOW OF PREDICTING THE FUTURE IS TO LOOK AT THE LOCAL PLANNING AND SEE WHAT THEY'VE PLANNED FOR, BECAUSE REALLY, THE PLANNING SETS THE MOLD FOR THE FUTURE."
But the other side says highways themselves set the mold for the future, by creating commercial pressures for development that could overpower today's master plans.
They say if Legacy gets the go-ahead based on faulty projections, and because of that, they would have grounds to go to court and block it.
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