[bruin]

I can imagine their response. "Next speaker?"

Did they say anything at all?

[Tyler_JC]

I can imagine the response was something like this.

Maybe for some people or

And possibly, for the already insane:

[NeoPeasant]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'I') can imagine the response was something like this.

Maybe for some people or

And possibly, for the already insane:

[pea-jay]

Good for you NeoPeasant.

Only once did I hear an organized group challenge a highway project based on peak oil. That was in Ireland. Unfortunately the link is dead for that story.

I work in the planning sector. Its sad to say but many decisions made by government in the "public planning process" were predetermined in private, long before the public was ever made aware of it. Public opinion, and in some cases even staff opinion is ignored in favor of the prefered alternative. In other cases, the opinions expressed by the public that get adopted are the window dressing or superfalous comments.

Somewhere in your area the powers that be have an idea to build something. Come hell or high water they will try and execute them.

[LateGreatPlanetEarth]

Timing in public forum is not there since PO is currently viewed as fringee. Better when crisis in nearer (2010 is a starting point).

[Madpaddy]

Patrick,

Is this the link about the road in Ireland.

http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=67623

That road will never be built.

Look What they did to Stonehenge


Here is Tara

[gg3]

Nor can I imagine the stupidity that does not recognize how quickly new highways fill up to capacity and beyond.

That spoiled guy's spoiled 16-year-old will end up sitting in stop-and-go either way.

Maintain what we have, obviously. Never let infrastructure decay if at all possible. But I can think of far more interesting things to do with all that concrete, such as building nuclear reactor domes and wind turbine foundations.

[gwmss15]

NO more free ways should be bulit
just maintain the old roads

and push all the money in to railway upgrades plus trams in every town and city so that things can move easier and use less enrgy

[pea-jay]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')s this the link about the road in Ireland.

[NeoPeasant]

The state of Utah Dept. of Transportation is battling the Sierra Club and others for permission to build a new urban Highway in Utah. The initial 14 mile segment will destroy much of the wetlands of the Great Salt Lake.

As part of their PR blitz, they have launched a blog called LEGACY PARKWAY HOTSHEET .
Their intention was to allow the locals to show their overwhelming, unqualified support. Things have not been going quite according to their plans, however. Most of the comments left on the site have been critical, with many environmental and anti urban sprawl themes. I have left several comments under the name"google_PEAK_OIL" with the purpose of introducing the peak oil problem into the discussion and pointing out the utter pointlessness of expanding highway capacity in light of our likely energy situation in the near future.

If you have any strong feelings on freeway expansion in light of peak oil, please stop by the blog and post a comment or two or simply read what has been written already.

Thanks, NeoPeasant

[skateari]

hehe, I was bored enough that I logged on and posted a comment on their latest entry. Said that oil is gonna peak and that highway will be worthless in 10 years. Wonder what they are gonna think of that. hmm

[Wildwell]

Good luck, we've long been rejecting Airport and Road expansion plans in this country on environmental grouds.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/beds ... 232121.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/4273207.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4275835.stm

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/essex/4236133.stm

[eric_b]

There's a joke where I live. Goes something like:There are two seasons
in Wisconsin; Winter and road construction. Not too far from the
truth. Because of the extreme climate, the average well used asphalt/
blacktop roadway doesn't last long. Certainly after a decade there's
going to be a considerable wear. After 20 years the road will be riddled
with cracks, potholes, frost heaves and other insults. Traveling over
it in most vehicles will be a kidney jarring experience. It will need
resurfacing. Concrete roadways hold up a little better, but they have
their day too.

It's a continuous process to keep the roads functional

Have you ever seen a roadway removed after being built? I imagine
it would take more energy to remove a road than to build it in the
first place. So much soil is removed, then covered with gravel, and
finally surfaced. And think about all the Earth that's been removed
just to create the foundation/basements of many residents.

How do you think things will rot and decay as we pass peak-oil?

Take a look at a large road or intersection in suburbia. A tremendous
river of asphalt and concrete. How much effort would it take to
tear out a road if one wanted to farm the land beneath it? What
kind of legacy are we leaving future generations?

[Russian_Cowboy]

I wonder why one can't build roads out of steel mesh. Same thing as sections of certain bridges that are not susceptible to icing that i have seen in the US, especially in New England, and Canada. This will make road construction about seven times more expensive per mile, but the roads will be virtually maintenance-free, ice-free, and oil-free. There is lots more iron ore underground than there is oil needed for asphalt. The only thing is it will have to be protected from looting plus the car tires will be worn out much quicker.

[Wildwell]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Russian_Cowboy', 'I') wonder why one can't build roads out of steel mesh. Same thing as sections of certain bridges that are not susceptible to icing that i have seen in the US, especially in New England, and Canada. This will make road construction about seven times more expensive per mile, but the roads will be virtually maintenance-free, ice-free, and oil-free. There is lots more iron ore underground than there is oil needed for asphalt. The only thing is it will have to be protected from looting plus the car tires will be worn out much quicker.

[smallpoxgirl]

I think there are two things that go into roadway deterioration: 1. climatic effects such as frost heave. 2. Constant traffic. If you take away the cars, and especially trucks, the roadways would last for a very long time. They could potentially be used for decades to centuries for foot, human powered, and draft animal traffic.

I think the other issue you raise re: reclaiming the land is much more serious. Reclaiming land from roadways is going to be a HUGE problem in our future. There was a study done a few years ago in Berkeley, CA that found that something like 40% of the land in the city was underneath pavement. That is a huge problem and will continue to be for the rest of our lives and I suspect many generations into the future.

[Ludi]

In many parts of the country the best soil is under pavement...

[ubercynicmeister]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Russian_Cowboy', 'I') wonder why one can't build roads out of steel.

[Russian_Cowboy]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ubercynicmeister', 'S')URE you can! It's called a railway and it's at least 6 times as efficient as a road....

[Wildwell]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Russian_Cowboy', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ubercynicmeister', 'S')URE you can! It's called a railway and it's at least 6 times as efficient as a road....