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Award
shines light on underground success The Arizona Republic Can
rubberized roads put a hush on NIMBYs?
Those who will live
near the future extensions of South Mountain Freeway won't like it all that
much, but they'll have at least one advantage over other Valley residents who've
awakened to find new superhighways next door.Fred Garcia, an environmental planner with the Arizona Department of Transportation, said last week the new road - wherever it goes - will have rubberized pavement from the get-go. That'll cut tire noise by 75 percent, he said. Elsewhere in the Valley, neighbors had to endure high-decibel noise for years before ADOT got around to the costly job of retrofitting roadways with the quieter asphalt. Of course, no one wants to live next to a freeway to begin with. And when ADOT designates its final route (target date: late next year), we can expect a great deal of wailing from those most affected. Civilization comes with a cost, however. Highways, power lines and dumps - they all have to be somewhere, and they can't all be in the other guy's back yard. The most we can hope for is for decisionmakers to be fair, and to do what's best for the public in general. Not just for the NIMBYs with the most lung power. |