BCT Editorial – 7/18/06

This page was last updated on July 18, 2006.

Constructive criticism; Editorial; Beaver County Times; July 18, 2006.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject editorial.

“It’s time to quit studying; just build something

[RWC] Remember, this comment comes from the paper that wants us to believe it’s concerned about “runaway government spending.”

“We’re not even going to get into the question of why $25 million has been moldering in transportation coffers for years while the state frittered away additional millions on studies for bridges and roads to nowhere.

“Suffice it to say that somebody (Penn-DOT officials? County commissioners? State legislators? Most likely an assortment of all) dropped the ball.

“We’re only glad that state and county officials are finally going to do something constructive with this cash that’s been set aside to build a new Aliquippa-Ambridge Bridge and Beaner Hollow Road.

“While Beaner Hollow - one of only two routes to The Medical Center, Beaver - remains of vital importance and should be rebuilt, it’s good to know we’re finally going to see the long-awaited highway linking Route 65 to Cranberry Township.”

[RWC] Beaner Hollow is not “one of only two routes to The Medical Center.” It is one of only two roads bordering The Medical Center. There are three routes to The Medical Center, two of which use different portions of Dutch Ridge Road.

Regardless, why are the state and feds involved? Beaner Hollow Road is only 1.2 miles long and – as far as I can tell from Mapquest.com – resides completely or almost completely within Brighton Township. Why isn’t Brighton Township taking care of its own roads?

I’m not dumping on Brighton Twp. My home, Center Twp., has plenty of roads completely within the township that are nonetheless “state” roads, some of which are little more than paved cow paths. Center Grange Road is an example, though it’s not in the paved cow path category.

“The background: State and county officials have announced they’re hoping to take money that was earmarked for the bridge and Beaner Hollow and move it to Crows Run for the proposed Cranberry connection.”

[RWC] The Crows Run connector has the smell of yet another “build it and economic salvation will follow” project. If I recall correctly, that was the rallying cry for Toll Route 60.

“Beaver County Commissioner Charlie Camp, who also serves on the Southwest Pennsylvania Commission, said ‘millions’ have been wasted studying the two projects, and neither has a snowball’s chance of being completed anytime soon.

“‘Instead of wasting more money on studies for those projects, we want to put it toward doable projects that are ready to construct,’ he said.

“And for that we say, hooray. It’s about time we build something.”

[RWC] What did we not see in this editorial? Any mention of a cost-benefit analysis.

I attended a public meeting regarding the Aliquippa-Ambridge Bridge in 2002. After the presentation, I asked if I could see the cost-benefit analysis. The presenter looked at me like I had two heads and explained to me cost-benefit analyses were not part of the process for road and bridge projects. This seemed incredible to me, so I asked then Rep. Susan Laughlin (D-16) about a cost-benefit analysis. Four years later I’m still waiting.

The problem isn’t only with Democrats. Three years ago I asked Commissioner Camp (an alleged Republican) about a cost-benefit analysis for the Veterans Memorial Bridge (new Fallston bridge). His response was “It will cost the county nothing. It is our share of federal and state transportation dollars. I am seeing that finally the money we pay in gas tax gets spent here in Beaver County.” That’s some cost-benefit analysis, isn’t it?

There’s something else that wasn’t mentioned. Instead of building new roads we won’t maintain, why not use the tax dollars for maintenance of existing infrastructure? After all, isn’t that what Times editorials constantly tell us we should do?