Wheelhouse : Road Work
Posted on Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Once the project to widen Highway 412 gets under way - early next year, if current projections hold - things are going to change in Siloam Springs. Not all those changes will be for the better, at least not in the short term. The unfortunate reality is that when it comes to addressing problems related to traffic-flow, the actual "fix"is almost always the most painful part of the process. Even when the work involved is aimed at creating a better, safer situation for years to come - the case here - thinking long-term can be difficult for people dealing with orange barrels, churned pavement and longer travel times on a daily basis. It can be especially difficult for people worried about the impact a project like this will have on their livelihoods.
Ultimately, a disruptive event like this touches everyone in some way. Road construction projects are a little like weather events, in that they don't discriminate. The person driving a Hummer is likely to be just as inconvenienced as the person driving a Volkswagen - or piloting a scooter. People you pass on the sidewalk, chat with in line at the grocery store or nod "hello"to at the bank will be dealing with the same inconveniences you are.
More to the point, so will people in the cars behind you, beside of you and ahead of you as they also work to make their way from point A to point B.
Before moving here, living and working along the I-540 corridor, I had a lot of opportunity to think about - and write about - traffic-related issues. As someone who spent a good deal of time in his car, commuting from Lowell to Bentonville each day, I was able to draw on personal experience when looking for words to describe those situations.
Roadwork can certainly lead to headaches. But my take is that the very worst problems are created not by barrels, detours and the like, but by inconsiderate people - those who lose sight of the fact that the motorists around them, while they may be driving different cars, are in the same boat when it comes to dealing with traffic.
On the flip side, it's amazing how much difference a conscientious act can make. A little common courtesy among drivers can go a long way toward making less-than-ideal traffic conditions more livable.
It bears mentioning here that loyalty is another thing that can go a long way. Once the work on Highway 412 begins, people shouldn't let a little inconvenience keep them away from the businesses they're accustomed to frequenting. For the duration of this project - and for some time thereafter, as we adjust to the changes it makes to our city - it will be important for everyone to keep in mind that this is very much a shared experience. Siloam Springs, as a community, is in this together.
••• I've yet to hear whether there are plans in the works for establishment of a tax-free, back-to-school shopping holiday once the Legislature reconvenes next year, but the idea remains worthy of consideration. A great reminder of that: The story we ran Sunday on the local United Way's efforts to help underprivileged families purchase school supplies. As mentioned in the story, sending a child off to school is expensive. Led by the governor, lawmakers passed landmark legislation last session that halved the state's sales tax on groceries. Their main tax-cutting focus for 2009 - if the budget allows it - should be further chipping away at this unfair tax, which effects everyone, but is most burdensome for Arkansans who are struggling to make ends meet. Not far behind on the list of tax-related priorities should be setting aside a weekend, at the very least, when school supplies can be purchased tax-free. A number of neighboring states have done this, and its high time Arkansas followed suit.
John Dilmore is publisher of the Siloam Springs Herald-Leader. He can be reached at johnd @ nwanews. com.
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