CORR To Host GDOT Board Member Talk, Chick-fil-A Dinner

The Coalition for the Right Road is hosting a free dinner and discussion with Georgia Department of Transportation board member Jeff Lewis about the proposed 411 Connector.

CORR Video Series: Why GDOT Should Select Another Route

The Coalition for the Right Road has launched a 12-week video campaign calling for an alternative to GDOT’s chosen Route D-VE for the U.S. 411 Connector, which would connect it to Interstate 75 in Cartersville.

Coalition for the Right Road Hosts Speaker Jeff Lewis, State Transportation Board Member

Set for 6:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 17, the discussion and question-and-answer session on the proposed U.S. 411 Connector at The Church at Liberty Square in Cartersville is free and open to the public.

Letter: TSPLOST Support Misguided

A reader says any support for the transportation sales tax is a vote for GDOT’s continued financial incompetence and unaccountability.

In this letter to the editor, Tracy Rogers of Cartersville says the Georgia Department of Transportation's financial mismanagement would continue with TSPLOST funding if voters approve the regional, one-cent sales tax. To the editor, It was not surprising to read that the Rome Chamber of Commerce announced its support for the upcoming TSPLOST ballot initiative in July. If you remember, this is the same group of business leaders that have promoted a longer, more expensive route for the 411 Connector that will waste approximately $112 million in taxpayers’ money and appears headed to a lengthy, costly court battle.  Now the chamber has its sights set on charging Northwest Georgia taxpayers about $1.5 billion over a 10-year period to …

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Letter to the Editor: GDOT Lacks Concern for Environment, Taxpayers

A $3 million fine GDOT and its contractor must pay for the pollution of seven trout streams on two road projects is alarming, even more so than other environmental fines the agency has incurred, a Cassville resident says.

A Cassville resident says the Georgia Department of Transportation has little regard for the environment and taxpayers, citing mistakes in highway construction and the pollution of streams, both resulting fines for which taxpayers foot the bill. Dear Editor, In a recent interview, GDOT spokesperson David Spears said his agency was only trying to “do the right thing,” when asked about environmental fines costing taxpayers $35,000 (for erosion control mistakes on the U.S. 27 road project). If you thought that was bad, hold on to your wallets. The media has reported that GDOT and its contractor must pay nearly $3 million to settle allegations that they polluted seven trout streams on two road projects in northeast Georgia. The Environmental …

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GDOT and Its Environmental Slip-ups

An Acworth resident says he's tired of Georgia Department of Transportation spending tax dollars like pocket change.

In this letter to the editor, Richard Chalifoux points to Georgia Department of Transportation's environmental violations during a project on U.S. 27 and says it could happen with Route D-VE of the proposed U.S. 411 Connector. To the editor, The media recently reported that GDOT paid $32,500 in fines for environmental violations on the U.S. 27 road project. The Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) determined that GDOT failed to establish the necessary steps to stabilize soil and contain runoff (silt) from dumping into nearby streams. GDOT spokesperson David Spear estimated that nearly 100 GDOT projects in the past decade have violated EPD regulations – that means GDOT is averaging approximately 10 environmental slip-ups per year…

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D-VE: Poster Child of Fiscal Irresponsibility

A Cartersville resident says if Congressman Phil Gingrey hopes to reduce government spending, he should not support Georgia Department of Transportation's proposed route for the 411 Connector.

In this letter to the editor, Cartersville resident Lauren P. Rudd sends a message to the government and a congressman calling for less government spending—don't spend tax dollars on Georgia Department of Transportation's planned route for the proposed U.S. 411 Connector. Dear Editor, Congressman Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta) recently made a called for Washington/the current administration to reduce federal spending – like he has many times before. However, while Gingrey prides himself on being fiscally conservative, he supports a 411 Connector route (Route D-VE) that will waste millions of federal and state taxpayer dollars. If he truly wanted to reduce federal (and state) spending, he would tell GDOT to select and build a considerably …

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Letter to the Editor: Route D-VE a Waste of Money?

Cartersville resident Rebecca McGuire questions the need to spend proposed T-SPLOST monies on unvetted DOT projects.

To the Editor, Cartersville Patch   In the past several weeks the media has reported on the Northwest Georgia Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (T-SPLOST) project list and all the benefits it could bring to the region.  The list sounds promising on the surface.  However, the Georgia Department of Transportation's (GDOT) proposed Route D-VE for the U.S. 411 Connector, one of the T-SPLOST projects, could waste more than $100 million of taxpayer money.  This is one of more than 100 proposed T-SPLOST regional projects that will waste a colossal amount of taxpayer money -- that is, if GDOT does not select a cheaper, more efficient route.  I wonder how much tax money we are about to throw away on other T-SPLOST road projects …

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411 Battle on Environmental Issues Continues

The public relations firm representing the Coalition for the Right Road says a letter indicates a "significant" development in the fight over of the proposed U.S. 411 Connector.

The Coalition for the Right Road, led by the Rollins family, this week released a letter from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service it says is a significant development in the battle over Route DV-E of the proposed U.S. 411 Connector, which is now centered on environmental issues. The development comes months after GDOT said it was reviewing alternate routes and a year following the Federal Highway Administration request for further study. The letter — which is attached to this article along with a letter and accompanying email from Rollins attorney Henry Parkman — says "no federal funds may be authorized or federal permits issued until all effects to streams and Cherokee darters are adequately assessed." The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service …

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Delay in Connector a Negative for Cartersville

An Acworth resident says the city of Cartersville should support an alternate to Georgia Department of Transportation's chose route for the U.S. 411 Connector.

In this letter to the editor, Acworth resident Richard Chalifoux opines on the Georgia Department of Transportation's Route DV-E for the U.S. 411 Connector, which he says is likely to be blocked. The absence of any connector would further congest traffic in the city of Cartersville, having a negative impact, according to Chalifoux. To the editor, The Cartersville City Council recently released the 2011 National Citizen Survey for the City of Cartersville. According to the survey, most residents experienced a “good quality of life” and believed it was a “good place to live.” Unfortunately, the city — to nobody’s surprise — continued to remain “much below” national benchmarks with its dismal transportation system. To that end, “traffic flow …

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