I have no problem with new names and signs to help people better navigate, but Murphy is showing how out of touch he has become to say thousands of new jobs are going to be created.
On Monday, October 17, 2005, Senator Rick Santorum and Representatives Tim Murphy and Melissa Hart will announce the redesignation of the Parkway West from downtown Pittsburgh to the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Beaver County. The redesignation was included in the recently passed SAFETEA-LU bill which helps fund federal highway projects.
The transportation corridor stretches from the City of Pittsburgh at the mouth of the Fort Pitt Tunnel to the intersection of Route 60 North and Interstate 80 in Mercer County as Interstate Route 376.
"The new Interstate designation will help draw more businesses to Pittsburgh and create thousands of new jobs," Congressman Tim Murphy said. "When looking to relocate or open a new business, a region's transportation system is a key factor. Access to an Interstate Highway system makes Southwestern Pennsylvania more attractive as it improves the flow of goods in and out of the region, makes travel easier for employees and visitors, and encourages new development."
2 comments:
This is becoming a fairly common trick of the trade among urban rejuvenists. Take for example the I-86 adventure across the Southern Tier of New York. At every opportunity, they attempt to state that by simply changing a new for a road, it will magically bring jobs to the area. All it will do (at least in the case of I-86) is increase traffic on the road, as folks traveling across New York State to Mass and points north choose I-86 to 88 as opposed to spending 10 dollars to travel the Thruway. Maybe in a case where it will increase traffic, it may help spur some ancillary business, travel stops and whatnot, however in terms of Pittsburgh, changing the official designation of a road will have no effect. the Parkway West is already a major thoroughfare, and folks coming in to town already see it on the maps as such. In fact, I doubt people will even take notice of the change. I can tell you as a recent immigrant to Pittsburgh that I have already started referring to the roads not as 22/30 (except past the interchange with 60, but as Parkway East/West/North.
We need to come up with some non-fluf ways to create jobs, and a new road name won't do that.
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