Big walnut interchange est. Cost is Now $110.5 - $144.3 million
See how the Interchange will affect your rush hour commute or nearby neighborhood.
no APPRECIABLe gains in los on I-71 during the AM peak hours
NO APPRECIABLE GAINS IN Los on I-71 DURING THE PM Peak
clearly stated no los gains am or pm what’s the point?
The problem is traffic volume not access and with no transportation alternatives.
Controlled growth coupled with plans for alternative transportion modes is what we should be demanding.
Now questions that area NEIGHBORHOODS Should have answered!
Questions & Answers
Q. Will building the interchange affect my taxes?
A. The plans call for local government participation on the construction costs of expanding lanes on feeder roads and then the maintenance costs associated with those roads from the increased traffic. Whether it’s Delaware County or the Townships revenues it comes from you, in the form of taxes. See the Project Phasing Plan above, where you see Local means a portion of construction and maintenance falls on you.
Q. How does the interchange affect the neighborhoods bordering Big Walnut, Lewis Center, and Africa Roads?
A. There are multiple effects on these neighborhoods:
- Traffic increases of over 120% on these Roads, see (Sec 2) much of which will be large vehicle traffic, with cascading effects of:
- Increased response times on emergency vehicles due to traffic increase.
- Increased traffic volumes around school crossings and school bus drop-offs and pickups. See (Sec 3.)
- Increased air and noise pollution. See (Sec 3.)
- The interchange plan has many neighborhoods who currently have entrances onto these roads being relegated to right turn or left turn only entrance and exits. See (Sec 4.)
Q. Should you be concerned about increased crime because of a nearby interchange?
A. A review of the Lexus/Nexus neighborhood crime statistics indicates that there is an increase in the number and frequency of crimes around interchanges. Which is consistent with existing studies on crime and interstate interchanges. See (Sec 5.)
Q. Do you have to worry about commercial developments in these residential neighborhoods? A. While these neighborhoods are heavily built up there is a surprising amount of vacant land that could be rezoned commercial. See (Sec 6.)
SEC: 2 - DELAWARE’S PLAN
- Delaware’s description of the plan connects Rt 42 in the far west of the county to an extended Home Road drawing traffic East towards the projected I-71 Big Walnut Interchange and beyond.
- The East-West Connector tracks southeast directly aiming towards the Intel and Amazon build-out just over Delaware County’s Southeast line.
- East-West Connector is now being tied into ODOT’s refocused RT23 Connect Plan. Click the News section at the top Of the page for more.
- Note in this description nothing is mentioned concerning the industrial, commercial, and semi-truck traffic that the development community sites in their press releases As seen below.
The 2019 BizJournal graphic and article that announced the Home Road extension project, now completed, had these quotes:
“beginning an infrastructure project that will eventually result in an east-west connector that opens the door for industrial traffic into southern Delaware County and, officials say, a commercial development boom.
“The extension will aid the commercial development of U.S. Route 23, today often crowded with semi-trailers that have to loop around I-270 to access the southern portion of the county.”
Qoutes from a press release by the law firm of Connelly and Cuckler who provided legal support for the project clearly states what’s expected from the connector.
“A $10 million extension of Home Road in southern Delaware County that will offer an east-west connector for industrial traffic broke ground on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019.”
“The extension was part of a collaborative public-private partnership that is critical to ensure ODOT approval of a new Big Walnut interchange on 71.”
the plan results in areas of UNPRECEDENTED traffic increases
- This study shows local road traffic increases up to and over 120%.
- This is before the plan connects Home Rd to Rt 42 and before the proposed build out of Evans Farms and beyond.
- The plan doesn’t solve it just shifts traffic from Sawmill, Powell, Rt315, and Rt23 into the Lewis Center, Big Walnut, and Africa Road neighborhoods.
- It’s not a plan for the future, it’s a sop for developers.
As taxpayers and investors in our residential neighborhoods we should be demanding a better plan with a better spend from our elected officials.
Sec 3: Neighborhood Impact
DCE’s Plan Phases 1 thru 4
$98,000,000.00
- Increased traffic congestion
- Increased cost of highway maintenance and construction for your Township and the County
- Potential for INCREASED TAXES to cover increased township and County expenses
- Increase crime
- Decreased convenience for years from interchange and local route construction
Upgrading surrounding roads to adequate capacity are in Phase 3 (Big Walnut) and Phase 4 (Lewis Center). However on DCE’s website they state “while no decision has been made yet regarding upgrades to Big Walnut Road, Delaware County routinely partners with townships to assist with funding township road work and has no desire to place a financial burden on either Orange or Genoa Township regarding maintenance of local road infrastructure around the interchange.” If that sounds reassuring that no cost will fall to your Township then so be it. But if you are a wee bit suspect ask your local township trustees how the County has addressed the costs of road construction and maintenance of Township roads on past projects. Phase 1 and 2 are scheduled for completion in 2028. Phase 3 and Phase 4 will start after that. So it will be well over a decade of construction before the project delivers a slightly lower Level of Service than if it were not built.
how close are the Elementary schools And are there risks?
Walnut Creek and Freedom Trail elementary schools are right next to exit/entry ramps, I-71, and/or backed-up access roads that will see excessive pollution from a dramatic increase in traffic and traffic congestion.
There is a health risk from increased traffic-related air pollution
- A Quote from a National Centre for Biotechnology Information Study sites the health dangers of traffic air pollution. “Specifically, long-term exposure to traffic-related air pollution has been associated with an increased risk of developing asthma and increased incidence rate of acute asthma exacerbations…”
- Children spend an average of 1200 hours a year at school.
- American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology states In their most recent survey: “approximately 8.3% of children in the United States had asthma. Boys were slightly more likely to have asthma than girls at a rate of 9.2% and 7.4%, respectively.
Addition school safety concerns
- There is the threat that increased traffic and road speeds pose to children at school crossings and school bus stops.
- There are increase predator dangers from the proximity of the interchange and the proposed Park And Ride.
urban institute study 11/2022
Parents and Grandparents of Walnut Creek and Freedom Trail Elementary students should be concerned. Neighborhoods off the arterial feeder roads: Lewis Center, Big Walnut, Africa, Jaycox, and Worthington Roads should be concerned.
more traffic = more noise - do noise walls help?
As the above Graph shows, Noise Walls work well if your house is within 100 feet of the wall, less well from 100 to 200 feet, barely help from 200 to 300 feet and not at all beyond 300 feet. https://thenewswheel.com/highway-noise-barriers-dont-work-very-well-why-are-they-still-being-built/
Note: Noise Wall’s biggest benefit is providing a visual barrier not a noise barrier.
Sec 4: Restricted and Dangerous intersections
The intersections circled in blue will not have traffic lights and they will have turning restriction. The red circled intersection is a major school crossing for Walnut Creek Elementary. Note they failed to identify Walnut Creek while showing Freedom Trail Elementary.
studies show interstate interchanges increase robbery rates
- This conclusion should not surprise since most of residential crimes are ones of opportunity. The presence of an interchanges simply increases opportunity.
- This extends to a radius of approximately 3 miles from the interchange.
Sec 6: COMMERCIAL development
You might think there is no room for commercial development because residential neighborhoods blanket the area.
These maps of property records show there exists a real opportunity for development next to the proposed interchange.
a quick recap of what to expect from the INTERCHANGE PROJECT
No gain on I-71 commutes and questionable other benefits but you do have a list of negative impacts
- Dramatic increase in East-West traffic on Lewis Center and Big Walnut Roads including greatly increased tractor trailer and commercial traffic. This by Delaware County’s own projections
- Increase in local taxes to support the portion of the cost that fall to the townships
- Significant safety issues impact two close-by elementary schools, Walnut Creek and Freedom Trail
- An increase in crime coming to the area. The proposal contains a Park and Ride lot on Alum Creek State Parkland which heightens the likelihood.
- Increased response times for emergency vehicles and first responders needing to travel through the highly congested area.
- Environmental impacts on air quality, noise and air pollution from increased traffic, especially from vehicles braking and accelerating on the interchange ramps.
- Increase in Light pollution due to interchange lighting
- Real potential for Commercial development
- Alum Creek Dam is fifty years old and has a “high hazard” status. Should failure occur, this interchange location will severely hamper a quick evacuation of the neighborhoods and schools downstream. https://data.news-press.com/dam/ohio/delaware-county/alum-creek-upground-reservoir-no-2/oh03129/
- Part of the project would be built on Alum Creek State parkland. Local staff at the park have voiced concern over the difficulty park goers already experience trying to get in and out of the beach and other parkland areas due to the recent increase in the speed limit from 45 to 55 mph on Lewis Center Road.
voice your opposition