Oxendine on traffic: ‘I love east Atlanta’ but commuter concerns ‘equally valid’
You’ll recall that John Oxendine, the state insurance commissioner, has been taking some heat for suggesting that we look at building a new traffic pipeline through east Atlanta, parallel to the Downtown Connector.
Something from where Ga. 400 joins I-85 would give commuters in northwest metro Atlanta an easier shot at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, he said in a video on his campaign web site.
East Atlanta, of course, went nuts.
Oxendine isn’t backing off. In a communiqué issued this morning, the candidate says he wants to spark some conversations about how to deal with gridlock. He intends to set up “brain teams” to discuss the topic.
Not that Oxendine doesn’t love residents of the IP. “He hasn’t pledged to pave over any neighborhoods,” said Tim Echols, his campaign manager.
This from the press release release:
“I love east Atlanta, Morningside, Grant Park, Inman Park and that entire wonderful part of our great state,” said Oxendine. “But I know we must find a way to move Georgia forward towards “greener” roads, mass transit, light rail—every option must be on the table.”
Then again:
Oxendine said that all parts of the greater metro Atlanta area are important and that the views of taxpayers in Gwinnett, Hall, Forsyth, Barrow, Dawson, and north Fulton are equally valid.
September, of course, is the season for planting a new crop of fescue. But if you live in certain parts of Atlanta, you’d be excused for wondering whether it’s worth the investment.
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29 comments Add your comment
Over our dead bodies
September 4th, 2009
1:35 pm
I don’t know what Oxendine is smoking but, it sounds like it is definitely an illegal substance. If the residents in Gwinnett, Hall, Forsyth, Barrow, Dawson and North Fulton want a quicker route to the airport, then they tax themselves 1% and join MARTA instead of paving over MY neighborhood!
As soon as there is a Democratic nominee for Governor, Oxendine just guaranteed that money will pour in from these influential neighborhoods to defeat him and the other idiots just like him.
RUKidding
September 4th, 2009
2:05 pm
So dumber than, are you for or against. I guess if you don’t have a brain – you need to create brain teams.
Are they going to be led by the brains that you have on the team that attacked a 15 year old?
Georgia Voter
September 4th, 2009
2:18 pm
Reason # 7,356 to vote against the Ox: the person he chose as his campaign mgr shows the Ox lacks character.
Independent Thinker
September 4th, 2009
2:47 pm
The intown neighborhoods that Oxendine is suggesting should “be on the table” to pave over with asphalt are the very epitome of smart urban planning – wonderful communities with sidewalks, bike trails, parks, multi-use residential and retail, easy access to public transportation and residents living close to work, using their cars as little as possible. Boggles the mind that he would even mention such an insane, misguided and uninformed idea. Amazingly stupid. Amazingly. Welcome to the 1950s.
Lucas
September 4th, 2009
2:49 pm
None of “Greener roads, mass transit and rail” have anything in common with putting in a second highway parallel to the first. The guy sure is dumb as an ox.
stands for decibels
September 4th, 2009
3:33 pm
the views of taxpayers in Gwinnett, Hall, Forsyth, Barrow, Dawson, and north Fulton are equally valid.
Glad to hear it.
As a resident of Gwinnett, I’m one taxpayer who would dearly love to have MARTA extend northward and think it’s nuts to spend another penny on new road construction until that happens.
Base
September 4th, 2009
3:59 pm
It just shows how big an idiot you have to be to run for Governor in Georgia.Look at sorry Sonny!
Kevin
September 4th, 2009
4:32 pm
What the hell is a greener road?
I get so sick and tired of people slapping the word “green” in front of everything. I get even more sick with people who believe it.
I don't THINK SO!!!
September 4th, 2009
4:33 pm
@ Independent Thinker – EXACTLY. I live in Poncey Highlands and have never been more than 10 miles away from work. Right now I am 4 miles from work and am planning to start biking that most days.
@ Over our dead bodies – I say we get organized NOW to stop this foolishness. Why don’t the folks in the sticks just start paying for Marta and help make that a viable alternative to so much driving?????????
When are people going to realize that more roads and wider roads are NOT the answer????????
Georgia is SO backwards I am almost in tears. GEEZ.
Zeb
September 4th, 2009
4:38 pm
One can only marvel at the lack of intelligence and vision displayed by our backwards politicians. The rest of the world is busy working on efficient, non-polluting energy and transportation alternatives, but our GA political and corporate leadership pride themselves in finding dumb and dumber 20th century technology solutions to 21st century problems. Technology (like coal burning and nuclear power plants) that has already proven problematic and even downright dangerous and destructive; not to mention frighteningly expensive. Our GA pols should take a plane to Singapore or Spain to see truly modern transportation in action. Oxendine, Barnes and the others: If you can’t come up with anything better than more pavement, and the destruction of neighborhoods and communities to facilitate more pavement, you are sadly lacking in the qualities needed to govern in this century. You will be governing a declining kingdom. No amount of campaign donations from road builders, developers and contractors and Ga Power will make up for GA’s rapid slide into third world oblivion.
Billy Bob from cobb
September 4th, 2009
4:54 pm
I am all for building a road thru the flamers and shines. Nothing more stressful than getting caught in traffic jam because some welfare whooptie has broke down in the middle lane. Maybe we should just move the airport to the northeast and get it out of the blacks hands.
Dan I-485 Again?
September 4th, 2009
5:11 pm
You just lost my vote OX-MAN. You need to look at the H-plan before you want to pave over my old neighborhood in Virgina Highlands ( NOT THE HIGHLANDS) and Morningside. The H Plan would have two highways running North/South utilizing Hwy 27 to the west and creating a wider road (hwy441?) to the east. This would keep much of the truck traffic out of Atlanta and create an alternate route as well. I was 10 when GDOT went after Va. Highlands and I was the Gwinnett County Chairman for NATF when we beat the Northern Arc. I’d love to go 3 for 3.Bring it.
dgroy
September 4th, 2009
5:12 pm
Hey Ox, take a hike. You know, you’ll say anything to get elected.
Billy Bob from cobb
September 4th, 2009
5:31 pm
I bet you all voted for the dark prince. Ox is going to win and you guys can thank obama
Ward
September 4th, 2009
5:35 pm
Perhaps we should pave over the state capitol. Just sparking conversation, of course.
Joe
September 4th, 2009
6:52 pm
In 2008 when the insurance industry was cramming the new version of uninsured motorist coverage down our throats like it was some kind of good idea for everyone, I never heard anything from Oxendine stating that it may not be good for 2+ car families. What seemed to be kept quiet was that if you had multiple cars under one person’s name (which is how most 2+ car families have the insurance policies set up, under the head of household) the uninsured motorist coverage that you already had available for any accident was the sum of both policies in your own name. The new UE coverage only added the other drivers policy value so if they had no insurance, you got nothing for the additional money paid for the new UE coverage. If you had $100,000 uninsured motorist coverage on both your cars, you really had $200,000 coverage available if needed AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU!!! If you have 2+ cars with uninsured motorist coverage and the sum of both is satisfactory, WHY PAY MORE MONEY FOR UE COVERAGE THAT MAY NOT ADD ANY ADDITIONAL VALUE IN THE EVENT OF AN ACCIDENT? Call your insurance company and ask specific questions if this is not true. Not only did this little fact seem to be never stated, it was made very difficult to opt out of the new UE coverage. You had to submit an opt-out statement in writing. Why? Normally I can buy insurance and set all the limits over the phone but this coverage had to be opted out in writing. Since I never heard anything from our insurance commissioner Oxendine explaining this, he has turned me off to him permanently. This hair brained scheme to build a road through the neighborhoods so the people from outside the area can get through Atlanta quicker on their way to the airport is just icing on the cake. This guy is not who I want in any office where he can do real damage.
tgirl
September 4th, 2009
7:10 pm
Billy Bob from Cobb == You’re an idiot. It’s really interesting how true feelings about race come out now that we have our first non-white president. No matter how much people claim things have changed, people like you are there to remind all of us — nothing has changed for the backwards thinking conservatives in Georgia. I’m just waiting for you all to start advocating secession.
Chaz
September 4th, 2009
7:15 pm
We already have a highway on the east side of town, It’s called I-285.
That’s worked out really well.
Agent007
September 4th, 2009
7:54 pm
Any candidate who keeps us hooked on foreign oil and keeps our air dirty by building more roads instead of modern transit, which developing countries like China are beating us on, doesn’t deserve the respect of Georgians.
Dan I-485 Again?
September 5th, 2009
10:21 am
Billy Bob does not speak for all white folk. He’s just another ‘neck trying to start trouble
Fishawk
September 5th, 2009
11:10 am
Thanks for your enlightened comment Billy Bob. Your racist commentary adds an element of redneck brilliance to the debate.
Larry Felton Johnson
September 6th, 2009
8:32 am
I can’t believe that any serious candidate for governor would slap East Atlanta and the other intown neighborhoods in the face like this prior to an election, unless his plan is to run on a platform of demonizing Atlanta in the Eugene Talmadge mode.
I wouldn’t have voted for Oxendine anyhow, but at this point I’m actively disgusted with him.
Will Jones - Atlanta
September 6th, 2009
1:09 pm
PI recently posted a link to a YouTube video of Oxendine’s doing exactly that: demonizing Atlanta. Thanks for the history lesson. Oxendine must be removed from public office this time around for he is no American or man.
Lucas
September 6th, 2009
1:29 pm
Don’t worry – Billy Bob is probably not a real person. No one that simple knows how to work a computer.
But yeah – Oxendine will say pretty much anything. He says he’s a “Reagan Conservative” – but the idea of a huge imminent domain land grab seems starkly inconsistent with Reagan’s famous notion that “government is the problem.” It’s hypocritical doublespeak, exactly the same as putting “green” in front of “road.”
The only candidate with smart ideas about congestion is Barnes. More lanes won’t work: ask anybody who drives in this town – they expand a road, and in six months it’s choked up again. He wants to run light rail on top of 75/85. No imminent domain. No new land purchases. Since it’s a road, you can finance it with the gas tax. It benefits drivers who don’t take the rail because it pulls single-occupant vehicles off the road.
Handel’s got my vote in the Republican primary.
Will Jones - Atlanta
September 6th, 2009
2:21 pm
Both Handel and Barnes have demonstrated an absence of integrity, and are therefore, like “Sirens and Lights” Oxendine, unfit for public office.
ITP Lover
September 6th, 2009
2:40 pm
Please vote for the OX! If this is just a taste of what’s to come, I want the whole enchilada!
JohnD
September 8th, 2009
9:26 am
If you pave over intown Atlanta where are you going to find the tax revenues to build 4-lane roads to nowhere in South Georgia?
Morningside Republican
September 8th, 2009
2:50 pm
I’m probably the most conservative thinker in all of Morningside and even I agree that Oxendine is beyond help. What can he possibly be thinking? Lets look at the giant improvements in terms of tax base, property tax, home values and any other measurements in Kirkwood, Edgewood, Grant Park, Morningside, East Atlanta, VA-Hi, Poncey-Hi. This is simply a man trying to say whatever he needs to say to appeal to those who simply drive through the city…OX? More like a jackass.
Sean
September 9th, 2009
10:02 am
Isnt the real reason for the road thru VA highlands / East Atlanta just to get North Fulton and Gwinnett to the airport? Why not just build an airport at Dobbins airforce base or expand Athens airport? Have bigger roads get to either AND have a train line linking downtown to either. That price tag has to be cheeper than building a road thru town.
Also traffic gets backed up on the connector for many reasons, but if the on ramp to I-20 east was changed to support cars traveling at more than 20mph the back up on the connector will be greatly reduced.
What about adding MARTA lines to the burbs? Road thru Atlanta or not, traveling to and from North Fulton still requires you to travel on GA 400 accross the river. MARTA rail takes less space than another 6 lane highway. Of course you would not want to buldoze Sandy Springs.
Here are 3 examples of ways to ease traffic flows on the connector. These are the solutions we should be looking for.