An Expressway to Wal-Mart

Whitt Clement's point about the disconnect between local land-use decisions and roads (see Jim Bacon's post below) is underscored in Newport News, where local officials want to put a traffic light on a four-mile limited-access expressway built between the city and Norfolk. See this Daily Press story. The road was built to relieve traffic but the traffic light would serve a proposed Wal-Mart.

"Putting a Wal-Mart there certainly doesn't fall into my definition of limited access," Del. Phil Hamilton, R-Newport News, told the paper. "That's part of where citizens are getting frustrated. The city built a road to move traffic and now they're talking about a development that is only going to intensify traffic."

Clement's point that localities give "insufficient consideration" to how much roads cost when they make land-use decisions could be countered that the state gives insufficient funds to localities to cover their obligations - the biggest being public education. I doubt Newport News officials enjoy making bad traffic - they're just trying to pay their bills.