1499, Part two Sept. 05, 2007

Let it never be said that any task worth getting done will get done before it needs to. In fact, the more important it is to see that a job gets done, and quickly, the more likely it is that it can’t possibly be done by the time you want it for any number of reasons. I was aware of this before I wrote my column concerning State Route 1499, and the need for the installation of safety features, such as guardrails and a re-application of white striping along this road.

Nevertheless, I am remain as firmly convinced as I ever was that this road is deserving of some attention from the state.

I was contacted by Sara George, who is an Information Officer with the State Highway Department in Pikeville. She and three of her co-workers, Danl Hall, Darold Slone and Joe Stanley, came down to Mouthcard to meet with me, to listen to my concerns about the road in question, and even went on a ride along State Route 1499 to see it for themselves.

These good people were wholly sympathetic with me, but what I got from them was a “good news/bad news” routine. The good news is that the status of the road has been upgraded, and as a result, there is more money available for repairs on it. The bad news is…, well there are several bits of bad news. One, this road is only one of many, not only in our district, but across the state, that are lacking in the basics of safety. And two, the cost of everything, including that white striping, is going up, and, at the same time, the amount of money being allocated for such things, is going down.

On a positive note, I was told that the white striping that allows you to see the edge of the road on dark, foggy nights, would be re-applied in the coming year. Well, every little bit helps.

There is a formula, by the way, by which the State determines how badly a road is in need of safety upgrades. It involves the amount of traffic, and the number of accidents on the road in question. State Route 1499 was listed in several different priority spots on the schedule I was shown. This was because the road was viewed almost from mile marker to mile marker, with the area closer to Mouthcard having the highest priority, and those areas of the road closer to Hunt’s Branch lower on the list. Therefore I am uncertain if, once guardrail is placed, it would be placed on the road piecemeal, or if the whole of the road would be tended to.

Let me say that I appreciate the willingness of the local Highway Department people to meet with me. I was aware of the fact that these people do not control the purse strings. They must do what they can with the funds that they are given. So it was never these people with which I had a quarrel.

But the fact of the matter is that the people in this State who live along the back roads are traditionally ignored when it comes to the installation of items such as guardrails. It is as though our lives aren’t as important because of where we live. And this isn’t right. The drivers who must traverse roads such as State Route 1499 pay highway use taxes the same as those who live along better served routes. And we deserve the same treatment.

I understand that there is only so much money available. But if we had to pay for the four lane roads as they are built, we wouldn’t see many of them, either. Instead, these roads are paid for with bond issues, and that allows the State to build roads that they otherwise wouldn’t have the fund to build.

So why doesn’t the State recognize that many of its rural roads are badly in need of safety upgrades? Why doesn’t it embark on a program designed to have all Kentucky roads upgraded to a decent standard by such and such a date? And to pay for this upgrade, why doesn’t it set out to determine the cost, and then, if the cost isn’t greater than, say, the cost of the proposed Interstate 66, why not issue bonds, and, instead of this road that many say won’t be needed anyway, take steps to insure that all Kentuckians have safe roads on which to drive?

But, in the meantime, we live in the real world, and the only way we’ll ever get guardrails is by having a friendly State Senator or State Representative help us. So let me remind those who live along this road to remind the candidates in the upcoming election of our needs here, and also to remind these candidates that one hand washes the other, and that if they want your support in the upcoming election, you’ll need to see some support from them before the election.