Thanks for your item! I like it. I stayed until after 8 at this meeting. People who came to us to sign our petition were either angry or miserable at what they’d seen. In fairness, I think MoDot representatives were completely patient and well-mannered; actually, more polite than some residents I overheard giving them the devil. They’ve always been polite to me at MoDot.

As people left and the crowds thinned, we went outside to get signatures, and interestingly, almost all the late people, 7-8 pm, were in favor of the road. They seemed to want to wreak havoc if they can save 10 minutes sitting in the car. Many of them visibly sneered at us, or shouted at us. Interestingly, Woods Mill was nearly empty the whole time after 5, just like it always is.

I like our petition and grievance project because it brought all the stuffy Republicans, the young professionals, the senior citizens, the young families together for one cause. We have 259 condos, and I’d guess residents of perhaps 15 might be in favor of the road. We got 80 signatures. Not everyone came to the meeting.

Will you be able to publish that the meeting continues online? MoDot is continuing it with the same info, handouts, and comments/questions until May 22nd. We’ve learned all the comments have to be forwarded to the federal highway commission. So, we’ll be getting everyone to participate.

That Pat Smith makes me so mad, I got into an argument with her at the meeting. I don’t think she realizes the benefits of this project. You have to weigh the risks/problems with the benefits and there are clearly more benefits. It will relieve traffic from not only Woodsmill Road but also Creve Coeur Mill Road. This will also make traffic on Olive around the area flow much better during rush hour because of the bigger road. She says she has lived of of Woodsmill for 20 years. My family has her beat. My grandparents have lived in Judson Manor, just north of the Ivy Chapel, for 41 years. At times during rush hour, it can be nearly impossible to turn out of their subdivision. Another thing this project will do is it will open up land to development thus creating jobs. Much of this land is nothing except old fields that aren’t used anymore and weeds. Also, the people whose houses are very close to the new highway shouldn’t have to worry, because the law requires sound abatement if the noise is going to be loud enough, such as on the Highway 40 project.

I also forgot to put that the law requires all of the wetlands that are removed and every single tree that is removed to be replaced. It will also reduce pollution because cars won’t be sitting on Woodsmill Road, not moving with their engines on, because of the traffic back ups. It can also be a difference between life and death for someone, if an ambulance needs to get to St. Luke’s hospital from Olive, sitting in traffic or free-flowing on the new road. I can’t wait until this project is completed. It will only have benefits.

I think Pat Smith also forgot about the safety impacts on this project. According to MoDot, the accident rate on this stretch of road is twice the state average. Another problem is that Ladue and Woodsmill floods several times a year and has to be closed at times because of it. The new intersection will not have the flooding that the old one has had.

I also forgot to put that among the people who are for the project. I talked to the principal of Parkway Central High School, where the meeting was held, and when I told him about it, he said “amen to that,” meaning he is for it.

This project is a perfect example of government misuse of our taxpayer “stimulus” money… and it needs to be stopped.

Use of stimulus money for this project is nothing short of fraud.

It does not qualify for many, if any, of the requirements for use of stimulus money such as:

- Shovel ready project (Definitely NOT)
- In distressed areas (Ya sure, Chesterfield is distressed)
- Rebuilding of infrastructure (No)
- and the list goes on

The economy will be recover by itself before “stimulus” money is used for the first shovel of this project. And MoDot complains that they won’t have enough money to even maintain existing roads in the next few years - then why waste it on new projects if you can’t afford the existing ones.

Do not “misuse” my taxpayer “stimulus” money for this project!

Some people don’t realize that animals and plants in an ecosystem can’t just pack up and go somewhere else. The County plans to move the wetlands to an undisclosed location and move them back in two and a half years. I wonder who the animals’ relocation agent is? One does have to weigh all sides and once you have, you’ll realize why this project that has been “on the books” for forty years is still not a viable option. I feel bad for those people who live directly off of Woodsmill when traffic is bad. But why trade one inconvenience for two more bigger ones? The traffic studies show that all the traffic is going to be the same and worse in 20 years (County’s own study by Crawford, Bunte, Brammeier). We will all pay more taxes. The environmental studies they are using aren’t even for the right area and have all expired. FHWA and the county’s own draft Environmental Assessment show concerns. The main problem is that they’re going forward with the two projects without much thought. They wanted to get the money from ARRA and so they’ve got it. Meanwhile areas that really need it and roads that really need it will continue to get worse. They wanted to increase taxes for roads and bridges they can’t fix. We will see more instances like Weidman bridge. They can’t take care of what they’ve got already. If you can’t take care of your two cats, then why get two more?
I can wait in the turn lane a little longer if it means that someone else will have an opportunity for a better life. We have to stop being so selfish and impatient. Many people who cut through are going west on Olive. Watch them. Ask them. Show me one study where urban sprawl is a good thing. Show me how they can re-engineer the floodplain for development in Howard Bend that does not negatively impact Creve Coeur Lake and the surrounding creeks. The one development down there can’t either. You think the floods are bad now, just wait. Read, think and feel for others. Put yourself in someone’s shoes who can’t even catch the bus to go to work anymore. Put your child in an elementary school where traffic has increased so badly that no one can walk to school anymore. Grow a garden 50 yards from an elevated highway and try to enjoy the serenity of it. Smell the effect that the Page extension has had on Creve Coeur Park. See the animals that now live in litter and salt. Read. Think. See.