Email Conversation: Robbie Perkins on the Urban Loop

Today’s News & Record reports that transportation planners got an earful yesterday from residents impacted by the western Urban Loop.  The article prompted me to send Councilman Robbie Perkins the following email,

“Is the City of Greensboro and Guilford County dealing with folks that simply did not pay attention when the planning for the loop, previously known as Painter Boulevard was taking place?  Or, do you think these folks were duped?  What ever happened to the P. Boulevard name?  Did the road end up being larger in scale than it was supposed to be?  Is there an estimate of the number of folks this road has negatively affected?  Thanks for any insight you may offer.”

His response is below.

“I am concerned that the people living close to the Urban Loop be treated fairly.  State and Federal regulations govern what NCDOT can do with regard to noise walls, landscaping, and compensation for damage due to road construction.  The State is in the process of reevaluating all citizen concerns and should have a report by the end of September.  The City of Greensboro has agreed to supplement the State’s landscaping program along the loop and will look at its options after the State’s plan is finished.

I do believe that the road project has been an interstate highway since its inception and the noise associated with fast moving traffic on large roads is considerable.  While all of the homes along the highway are bearing a burden of the increased noise, I am particularly concerned about the homes built before the 1996 date of notice of the road project.  As I indicated in my comments at the MPO meeting, the City is not the lead organization in building the Urban Loop, but we have an obligation to our citizens to make sure their concerns are heard by the appropriate agency, and that they are given answers to their questions.”

So what happened to the name Painter Boulevard?