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Perhaps it was a concoction to generate regional support bc the support for US 264 wasn't there alone.
That's exactly what I was inferring. Upgrading US-264 was always the top priority for Greenville. The Quad East is just a package deal. I think Quad East was more Kinston's idea than it was Greenville's. As far as I know, Wilson hasn't mentioned anything about Quad East and Goldsboro already has I-795 and it's future extension to I-40 and there's a big chance that NCDOT will request that the Goldsboro Bypass be fully signed as I-42 during AASHTO's next meeting in November. AASHTO's deadline for accepting applications is September 16.
I agree with MrBojangles regarding Kinston being a leech. That being said, I disagree with the way the Pitt County Commissioners have been acting regarding US-264's upgrade. In a recent article, they were complaining that rural areas were completely left out when it comes to transportation projects. Years ago, I could agree, but I find it hard to believe that statement when eastern NC just gained 2 new future interstates and the future extension of an existing one. US-70 is coming along and NCDOT, as mentioned before, has put a US-264 upgrade between Greenville and the Wilson/Greene County line and a US-13 upgrade between Greenville and Bethel on their preliminary 2018-2027 STIP, which is something that hasn't been done before if I'm not mistaken. The commissioners might not want to bite the hand that feeds them.
Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely in support of US-264 becoming I-287 (my preference ), but the commissioners seem to be acting like it's an extreme emergency, which it isn't. Greenville is growing just fine and US-70 has way more safety issues on most of it's non-freeway sections, unlike US-264 which is already a 70mph freeway all the way to Raleigh and sees less traffic than US-70.
Sorry for going somewhat off-topic. I just wanted to put it out there.
I don't get the idea behind quad east. We have nothing in common with Wilson or Goldsboro. People here don't travel to Wilson or Goldsboro. People in Wilson and Goldsboro don't travel here (they go to the Triangle). It's just always been an odd idea to me.
Connecting Greenville, New Bern, Jacksonville, Kinston, Washington to the beaches and each other makes a lot more sense. A decent New Bern-Greenville connection should have been done years ago.
I don't get the idea behind quad east. We have nothing in common with Wilson or Goldsboro. People here don't travel to Wilson or Goldsboro. People in Wilson and Goldsboro don't travel here (they go to the Triangle). It's just always been an odd idea to me.
The Quad East is basically nothing more than a "I scratch your back, you scratch my back" kind of deal, IMO. Greenville supports upgrading US-70 to I-42, Kinston supports upgrading US-264.
The two fastest growing cities in eastern NC (Greenville and New Bern) are connected by the most rinky dink two-lane you've ever seen. Sad!
It is sad. I've always thought there should be a 4 lane highway running between Rocky Mount, Greenville, and New Bern. It would give people coming from the North a faster route to the Crystal Coast. Connecting 3 of the largest cities in Eastern NC sounds like a good idea.
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Quote:
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WNCT)- Greenville Police and city leaders continue to strategically determine locations for bright street lights in an effort to reduce crime and pedestrian accidents on certain roads.
Street lights have been upgraded over the past couple of years in crime hot spot zones. More than 200 were upgraded between 2012 and 2014 before LED lights were available.
In one high crime area, violent crimes went down 70% in the year and a half since LED lights were installed. Now, they’re prioritizing roads based on crime and pedestrian accident data.
“We’re focusing in on our crime maps, really sort of targeting all around the city and east, west, south, wherever the crime may be. So that’s how we’re doing our site selection,†said Greenville Police Chief Mark Holtzman.
There are 858 new LED requests. Chief Holtzman says moving forward, the first project will take place on the west side of Greenville and cover dozens of city blocks.
That's exactly what I was inferring. Upgrading US-264 was always the top priority for Greenville. The Quad East is just a package deal. I think Quad East was more Kinston's idea than it was Greenville's. As far as I know, Wilson hasn't mentioned anything about Quad East and Goldsboro already has I-795 and it's future extension to I-40 and there's a big chance that NCDOT will request that the Goldsboro Bypass be fully signed as I-42 during AASHTO's next meeting in November. AASHTO's deadline for accepting applications is September 16.
I agree with MrBojangles regarding Kinston being a leech. That being said, I disagree with the way the Pitt County Commissioners have been acting regarding US-264's upgrade. In a recent article, they were complaining that rural areas were completely left out when it comes to transportation projects. Years ago, I could agree, but I find it hard to believe that statement when eastern NC just gained 2 new future interstates and the future extension of an existing one. US-70 is coming along and NCDOT, as mentioned before, has put a US-264 upgrade between Greenville and the Wilson/Greene County line and a US-13 upgrade between Greenville and Bethel on their preliminary 2018-2027 STIP, which is something that hasn't been done before if I'm not mistaken. The commissioners might not want to bite the hand that feeds them.
Don't get me wrong, I'm definitely in support of US-264 becoming I-287 (my preference ), but the commissioners seem to be acting like it's an extreme emergency, which it isn't. Greenville is growing just fine and US-70 has way more safety issues on most of it's non-freeway sections, unlike US-264 which is already a 70mph freeway all the way to Raleigh and sees less traffic than US-70.
Sorry for going somewhat off-topic. I just wanted to put it out there.
I understand what you're saying, but I also understand the frustration of Greenville and Pitt County officials. The largest and most prosperous city in the East doesn't have a interstate, mean while they're sending an interstate through BFE to the north of us and Kinston to the south..... Sure Greenville is growing well, but not having interstate access probably prevents it from doing even better.
With regard to Greenville connecting to New Bern, I imagine they'll point to the bypass and I-42 as being the connection you're seeking though it isn't the most direct route.
I understand what you're saying, but I also understand the frustration of Greenville and Pitt County officials. The largest and most prosperous city in the East doesn't have a interstate, mean while they're sending an interstate through BFE to the north of us and Kinston to the south..... Sure Greenville is growing well, but not having interstate access probably prevents it from doing even better.
The best solution, IMO, is for Greenville and Pitt County to push for NCDOT to request a "Future I-x87" designation for US-264 from Zebulon to Stantonsburg Road in Greenville. It may be possible to do, even though I-87 doesn't yet reach Zebulon since only the Knightdale Bypass currently meets interstate standards. I didn't think it was possible at first, but then I remembered I-269 near Memphis, TN. I-69 doesn't exist in TN yet and TN-385 used to be signed "Future I-269" even before I-69 got signed along I-55 and MS-304. I-269 is now fully signed along TN-385 after getting AASHTO and FHWA approval last year.
Another example is I-369 in Texas, which is planned to run along US-59 from Future I-69 in Tenaha to I-30 in Texarkana. I-369 is fully signed in Texarkana, even though it doesn't connect to it's parent.
If NCDOT could convince AASHTO and FHWA to agree to a "Future I-x87" designation for US-264, then it could be fully signed as an I-x87 to I-795 in Wilson once US-264 is upgraded to the Wilson/Greene County line, giving Greenville short-term interstate access to I-95 while preserving the long-term goal of having an interstate to Raleigh and cross-country via connections to I-87 in Zebulon and I-40 in Raleigh.
I think the idea that 264 being an Interstate only affects Greenville/Pitt Co couldn't be further from the truth.
Wilson would get a 2nd interstate. There's 46K in Wilson Co.
Washington and Beaufort County (which are seeing nothing from the other interstate designations) would be that much closer to an Interstate. There'se 48K in Beaufort Co.
Pitt County is approaching 200K.
So that is about 300K people affected by the Interstate designation (throw in Hyde Co too).
And as I said before Wake County would have an interest because of I-540 NOT being finished.
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), but the commissioners seem to be acting like it's an extreme emergency, which it isn't. Greenville is growing just fine and US-70 has way more safety issues on most of it's non-freeway sections, unlike US-264 which is already a 70mph freeway all the way to Raleigh and sees less traffic than US-70.
