Thanks to Prop 400, ADOT has announced plans to add HOV lanes on the Loop 101 (Pima Freeway) between the Pima/Princess Exit and the Loop 202 (Red Mountain Freeway) interchange.
The project is slated to commence immediately, and projected to complete in the winter of 2008. ADOT will do their best to minimize total freeway closures, but when forced to do so, will do so on the weekends, routing traffic onto surface streets.
From my Realty Executives office at Loop 101 and Bell Rd, I’ll have a bird’s eye view of the construction around Princess Drive and the impact it has on traffic. Fortunately for me, my 3 mile commute doesn’t involve any freeway travel. Getting around the valley during the day, however, will be far less fun, as I’m sure everyone that fights the construction traffic on a daily basis will attest.
This project is sadly overdo. What’s worse, I believe that all of our new freeway construction in Maricopa County should require the inclusion of HOV lanes from the get-go. Loop 101 was filled to capacity, with stop-and-go traffic every working day (particularly when ASU is in session), the day it opened, just like every freeway that’s been opened in the valley. Yet we continue to build freeways without HOV lanes, and thus without any encouragement to carpool. If I could legislate the requirement for HOV lanes in Maricopa County, I would.
Yesterday, I happened to visit one of my clients at Boeing in Mesa. As we signed a few papers and chatted a bit, a gentleman with a bicycle was onlooking. As I was about to drive away, he commented on my car, and replied by commenting on his bicycle (a Specialized Allez…great starter bike for the new road biker). He mentioned that a month ago he committed to riding his bike to work and/or using the bus. Back when I worked at Intel, I rode my bike the 27 miles each way to Chandler once a week. It was great exercise and I was able to do my small part.
As construction commences, and you struggle to control your emotions while sitting in traffic, consider carpooling, or using the bus, or even riding your bike to work. One day in five by every commuter will reduce traffic by 20%.
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