Cedar Point, N.C.
March 14, 2023
TO THE EDITOR:
Open letter to the County Commissioners and the Department of Transportation:
Another bridge to Bogue Banks is not the answer to Carteret County's beach access problem. Why funnel more traffic onto a two-lane road that is already saturated on weekends from spring to fall and create unimaginable clogs on holiday weekends?
Imagine the chaos on a small strip of land when a Cat 4 hurricane is approaching and everyone is waiting until the last minute to get off the island. Ask any resident who has had to wait in line, sometimes never making it off, having to ride out the storm there on the island.
Imagine the EMS and Law Enforcement officers trying to get to accidents which inevitably happen in dense traffic situations when tempers flare and impatience rules.
Four lane?! Ridiculous!! There again, why? When vacationers finally get to their destination, do they stay put? No, they have to go to this place or that place to spend their money. Only serious beach people who come to enjoy the beach will stay off the roads, yet the great majority of visitors want to see the area - on and off the island.
Wouldn't it be more practical (and safer) to establish places in Morehead City, Cape Carteret/Cedar Point, and run a shuttle service on a regular schedule to and from the beaches?
And in the area where a bridge is being proposed, build a nice motel/accommodation and provide a pedestrian/bike ferry to and from the island - then have a shuttle bus system to operate on a regular schedule along Hwy 58 between Atlantic Beach Fort and Emerald Isle with stops at the aquarium, as well as accommodations along the way.
It could be done, has been done in other places, and would give a breather for the folks who live and work full time on the island. I've talked with some people who have a hard time getting to their jobs on weekends. A well-run shuttle/ferry - bus service is needed and, I think, would be welcome in this area.
Whether run by DOT or local, I beg you to consider this before trying to make a further mess of the intersection at Hwy 58 and 24, Hibbs Rd and 24, let alone the Morehead access - and ruin what little of 'paradise' is still left.
Four lane the banks? The very idea is laughable given the width of that little strip of land! Who would give up their 'piece of paradise' without a fight?
Just sayin'. . . .
J.G. STEWART
(7) comments
Good luck on trying to get political decision makers and anyone who is under them listen to the public opinions. All they see is a way to make more money by tourism rather than how it affects the local taxpayers. You do bring up some good ideas but during tourist season, towns like Morehead, Beaufort , etc can get overwhelmed with traffic as well. I know that nobody wants to lose their little bit of paradise or have to give up land to developers but your words just like everyone else's will fall on deaf ears. Here's an idea for decision makers, why waste money on catering to the tourism industry and fix the out of control drug problem that is plaguing this county and across the state. The Bogue Banks towns are not the only beaches in North Carolina. Stop wasting taxpayers money.
It’s not about getting more people on the island. It’s about getting people on and off island quicker, safer and with less congestion.
It’s about getting emergency services on and off the island faster.
It’s about getting service workers on and off the island faster.
It’s about quality of life for LOCALS in general.
Its about the lack of interest of the people in Casa Carteret County.More spam to come.
hahahahahahaahahah
The issue at hand is poor planning. State, county and town leaders wanted growth whether it be permanent or transient, now it is here, the infrastructure cannot handle it. There is evidence of poor planning throughout the county and at least a few of them center around bridges. Shuttles are a far outdated idea to handle the influx. People want the convenience of having their cars with them. Even off season, going to or leaving Bogue Banks you are faced with delays. Another serious area of concern is the port where traffic is affected by trains and tractor trailers. In that case, the challenges are even more difficult due to train tracks running through the center of town. Our towns are not ready for the growth coming towards us at lightning speed. The wind farm, plans to expand the port, the influx of people, it's all very well and increases our revenues but state, county and town leaders should have been planning for all of this when the corridor was in it's very early stages. Now we are being forced to backtrack. There is a need for a third bridge to be built on the island and it is more for the residents then for the seasonal vacationers. State, county, and town leaders have really failed us because they have not properly planned for growth, and that goes back generations, not just with the current leaders. On top of traffic issues, we're facing a serious lack of affordable housing options plus many other problems. Addressing all of these issues will take years to remedy (if ever). I fear Carteret County will always be playing catch up for generations to come.
The issue is not poor planning. We are well past that point. The issue now is how do we mitigate the outcome of that poor planning? Anyone who thinks a bridge won’t help lesson the problems of congestion on both ends of the county is simply not wanting to see it. Comparing the imagined problems of the intersections of Hibbs Rd with 24 or 70 with the very real traffic congestion in AB, MHC, CC, CP, PKS and EI is beyond comprehension. I say to the American people and the people of Carteret County “read, listen, and think!”. Thank you.
Talk about falling behind,our local paper CCTimes has fridays news on sunday.We are a retarded county.
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