Honestly, I’m a little bit tired of hearing about so many suburban residents complaining that noise barriers are needed for homes that were built prior to highway installation. Any moron should realize that if you move next to a highway, there’s going to be some noise. Do we really need to spend the tax money of ALL Ohioans just so that a handful of whiny residents can lower their backyard decibels?
Yes. Actually, we do need to all chip in for that. Because that is the way things work. I’ll help pay for their noise barriers even though I’ll never enjoy any sort of benefit from it.
Inversely, I expect those same people to help pay for the installation of rail transit in Central Ohio. Streetcars, Light Rail, Airport Shuttles, and beyond. Whether they personally ride them or not, their taxes will support them. The only difference is that everyone WILL benefit from the economic impact these systems will have on all of central Ohio. They will attract growth, jobs, and money into our local economy.
Oh, and I still think highway noise barriers are ugly. Perhaps we should install billboards on them to spice them up a bit.
i can see it now….
oh look, someone spilled a TON of yellow paint all over that noise barrier! skureeecchhhhhhhh. bang. and subsequent bangs and explosions. welcome to polaris.
Ahhh… horse-trading at its worst. Garnering political support for two unnecessary projects (serving different constituencies) is one of the reasons why budgets are always precariously imbalanced.
Rail transit is very important to the future of Columbus and Ohio.
Highway walls… eh… not so much.
Then don’t support the highway walls. Argue that the millions spent to mollify a handful of suburban property owners would be better spent on your brand of bacon.
I’ll get right on that strategy!
http://walker.columbusunderground.com/?p=242
