----- Original Message ----- From: "Ronn!Blankenship" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Killer Bs Discussion" <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, September 25, 2005 12:02 AM Subject: Re: Evacuation
> > Had Federal authorities ordered an evacuation of N.O. and Katrina > weakened or the levees held, the same people who have been raking > the Bush administration over the coals for their slow response would > probably be doing the same thing for ordering a wasteful evacuation > which turned out to be unnecessary. > The problem as I see it, is that we need to quit thinking of highways as a transportation device that serves the commercial interests of cities and suburbs. The contra-flow idea is one that can be made to work, but is a tremendous drain on manpower and resources that also puts that some manpower at risk in a situation like the recent "KatRita" event. IMO, we are going to have to give serious consideration to a major expansion of our highway systems, not just on the Gulf Coast, but also in any populous place where one can imagine disasters that require evacuation. I-45 is a good example. It is 5 lanes each direction between Beltway 8 and downtown Houston. In downtown Houston it reduces to 3 lanes (EW) and north of downtown expands to 4 lanes and later 5 again, until it has served the suburbs and then you are down to 2 lanes each way again. The main problems with I-45 are in the downtown area and the area far north of town and beyond. The difficulty is that the highway is expected to drain between 1/2 to 1 million people and it cannot do that unless you posit unlimited fuel or expect people to sit in the baking sun breathing fumes from autos for long periods of time. You also have to consider that people are piling their cars full of things rather than more people. (Frex: My wife and I filled both our cars with STUFF and our cats. OTOH we were never ever in any traffic at all because we stayed to the back roads between Clear Lake and Downtown. I know this part of town fairly well<G>) Another problem I see is the reliance on the Houston metroarea highway system to evacuate the region. Hwy 36, Hwy 6 and Hwy 146 are examples of problematic roads for evacuation. Both roads have many intersections and are 2 lane roads (EW) at best, yet they are expected to handle loads far beyond their ability and officials *always* direct more people to use them than could be handled. This was a problem back in the 80s before Hurricane Allen (I'm pretty sure it was Allen) when my Mom took 16 hours to make a 2 hour drive, a drive I made via an alternate route in 2 hours (on a route that should have taken me 1 hour). It makes one suspect that the people in charge of the evacuation are simply looking at a map and directing traffic, having never actually driven these roads. Mathematical formulas that give expected highway loads fall apart in the face of gas shortages and people acting stupid after simple fender benders. None of these roads are being designed for disaster use, they are designed for *daily* use. One of the items I would suggest as a remedy, is a major expansion of I-10 all along the Gulf Coast to San Antonio. 5 lanes each way........all the way. This would not only help with evacuation, it would also help people get back home quickly, minimize the disruption to businesses and local tax structures, and lower the amount of Federal aid expended in areas that are minimally affected by disaster. xponent More To Come (Ominously) Maru rob _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
