Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:50:44 -0400
From: Pat Johnson
Subject: Subject: Toll Roads
Dear Ms. Ann Christian,
I understand why you feel the way you do about Toll Roads. But lets face it, the North Carolina Department of Transportation has screwed up royally over the past ten years or so and there is not any money in the highway trust fund to pay for the new projects that are needed i.e. the rest of the 540 outer loop.
You talk about unfair. NCDOT is to take 12 acres of my families land (63 acres) for this project. We have had our land (in Wake Co) on the market for over 7 year and have not been able to sell because NCDOT will not fund the balance of the project or even go so far as to schedule a completion date.
We petitioned for an advanced acquisition of the land and was turned down again because there was not enough money. I feel like my family has really been unfairly TAXED. If the State had not transferred funds from the highway fund to the general fund we would not be in this mess but we are. There are very few options left. Toll Roads are one of them. At least that would get some revenue in the highway fund again and the few of us that are holding the bag might be able to do something with our property after all these years. This is not just a local issue it is a State one.
Maybe you folks that are against the Toll Roads should contact Joe Hackney and other Representatives of the NC House & Senate and ask them to look how the NCDOT Funds their projects through out the state and the formula they use. You could also contact the Turnpike Authority @ http://www.ncturnpike.org or even talk with Ms Perdue like I did and see if it does any good. I hope you have better luck than I did.
It is no fun being between a Rock and A Hard Place. The Roads are needed and they have to be paid for some how. My family and others like us have done more than our fair share, how about the rest of you doing yours.
Patricia L. Johnson