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I understand that Gary Harmon uses a very sarcastic and sometimes caustic approach to his weekly column. Sometimes I find it entertaining and occasionally justified. However, in the Aug. 13 issue, he reached new lows with his dissertation on the “porkway”.
His closing comment saying that the east end of the “porkway” will direct traffic to Delta, “which is another way of saying a road to nowhere” is demeaning, stupid and completely uncalled for.
As president of a company my wife and I founded nearly 40 years ago in western Colorado, with locations in both Grand Junction and Delta, I have always been offended by this Friday night football rivalry mentality.
Our company is an active member of Chambers of Commerce in Mesa, Delta and Montrose Counties. Not only are we members, but strong supporters of economic development organizations in all three. That is because we firmly believe that wherever we do business is home and that none of us stand alone.
Times in western Colorado have been very prosperous during the last decade and I fully appreciate that the Grand Junction area has grown dramatically. But, we have not gotten so big that we can afford to be taking mean-spirited swipes at our neighbors. I think an apology to both communities is in order.
THOMAS H. HUERKAMP
Orchard City
20 Responses to “Harmon’s ‘porkway’ comment uncalled for”
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 3:48 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Mr. Huercamp, the term ‘porkway’ does not indicate a road to nowhere. Just an excessive waste of taxpayer dollars pent on a futile effort to move traffic around the perimeter of the city instead of through downtown.
Had the city been serious, it would have been 2 lanes each direction, a lot less on making it “pretty” and a lot more on making it functional.
As it now stands, to get onto this porkway, one needs to successfully negotiate through unregulated nightmares on the West end to get on, or travel old, narrow two lane county backroads, 29Rd North, or D Rd East of the intersection with 29 Rd on the East end.
The city made no forward plans to widen the system later.
They made no special provisions for the amount of traffic entering or exiting at what laughingly passes for an ‘interchange’ at 5th Street, the primary route to and from Highway 50.
But, if an apology is what is needed, then I’m sorry that the city of grand junction is so poorly equipped with knowledgeable people in the traffic control and road design and construction departments, as well as the other myriad bureaucrats that helped make the monstrous waste of taxpayer dollars possible.
Did that apology help?
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 4:43 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Willis,
Mr. Huerkamp did not say the word porkway meant anything. Gary Harmon wrote it. The man is right,Mr. Harmon should apologize. It wasn’t cute.
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 4:50 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
So, WLJ, how would you have done it? Insulting everybody involved with the project comes about by what expert knowledge you have, of peoples competency and traffic engineering? The nineteenth century layout of this town up against the river and now up aginst I 70 is not very conducive to traffic movement. Tell us your prescription, but more than that, tell us how much it would cost and which neighborhoods would have to be sacrificed to buy the land for new highways? And you do know, don’t you, that the project won’t be complete until much more widening is complete in some areas and a new bridge over the railroad on 29 Rd. and a new interchange with I 70 is constructed? Why isn’t it completed? Lack of money. You also know, since you have obviously (?) driven the parkway that most of it is two lane in each direction, dont you? As usual, you are the expert in these matters, both in terms of evaluating the city employees involved, traffic engineering and , above all, in finance management. Tell us the way it should have been handled, how much it should have cost and where whatever you propose would be routed. Step right up, Mr. Expert. We’re waiting with bated breath. And for a change without diversion from the question on the table and without further insults–of anyone.
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 4:53 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Dear dukie boy.
I am well aware of the written word of the letter writer.
I am also aware that the East end dumps traffic onto narrow backwoods two lane roads, in short, it goes to nowhere.
To get to Delta from the East end of the porkway, one needs to go somewhere else to begin their journey. 3 miles East on D road, heavy traffic, no way to get past people making left turns and blocking traffic for long distances.
Or South, over the bridge to a most screwy intersection ever devised at the intersection of 29 Road and Highway 50.
The better route to attempt would be to get off at 5th, but, that’s another traffic nightmare at various times of the day.
The porkway is a road to nowhere.
Have you had this comprehension problem long Duke?
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 4:56 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
mr. borgen,
” You also know, since you have obviously (?) driven the parkway that most of it is two lane in each direction, dont you? ”
One lane each way from 29 road to 5th street.
Two each way in a few places to the West from there.
And yes johnnie, I could design a much more efficient system.
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 5:04 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
I comprehend enough to see that you are clueless. Whether or not you agree with Mr. Harmons’ expert testimony is not the point. It was rude of Harmon to say it. Mr. Harmons’ attempt was to capitalize on Sen. Ted Stevens recent press. It was a bad joke.
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 5:18 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
But Duke, it goes to nowhere on the East end.
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 5:19 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
WLJ, but what would you do with your expertise? And you know that the areas you mention can’t/won’t be widened as traffic increaes and requires it? Is money an issue or not with what has been done thus far? As usual, all words, no detalls. And obviously, no expertise.You might be credible if you gave ANY details of what you would do and what has been done wrong that is not related to lack of money.
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 8:35 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
WLJ - So, now you are a traffic engineer? Quite an accomplishment for someone who, by his own admission, did not get much past clapping the erasers. What next, genetic engineering? Maybe custodial engineer, more likely.
Sheesh, what a Maroon!
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 8:58 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Apparently the 24/7 troll in this space who always finds a victim for insults cannot support his nasty criticism of the Riverside Parkway. Can it be that he doesn’t know diddly about what he’s talking about? Nah, couldn’t happen. His criticism and knowledge of the subject at hand are always spot-on. Pitiful loser!
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 9:16 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
Willis,
If you are coming from Delta, Montrose, Crawford, Hotchkiss, Somerset, Delta, Paonia, Olathe, or Pea Green, you turn off highway 50 at 29 road jog north to D road and viola you are on the brand new Riverside parkway. From which point you can conveniently access downtown, the Lowes/Sams Club area, or the mall. And by the way 29 road has very light traffic. You may have a point about the 29 road highway 50 intersection going east, going west I don’t see a problem.
Sincerely, Retarded Monkey
Posted August 19th, 2008 at 10:28 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
John B.
In my estimation, the Riverside Parkway will do what it was intended to do: route significant traffic away from the 1st and Grand intersection. My suggestion is with regard to the road signs. I don’t think they are that clear as to where the exits lead to, nor do they provide enough advance notice prior to the exits themselves. I say that as a long-time resident who is very familiar with Grand Junction. I did notice a certain amount of traffic moving abruptly across two lanes to make an exit. Some of this will be taken care of when residents become used to the Parkway, but out-of-towners and residents who don’t drive there that frequently might have problems. Do you agree or disagree? Any other thoughts on the issue of signs?
Posted August 20th, 2008 at 6:33 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
FutureQuest, those were my first impressions,too. The Parkway is far from perfect but the options for trying to do what it is meant to do were few. The core of the city is built up so that any real high volume highway would entail buying up huge amounts of property with the possibility of some condemnations and neighborhoods would likely be destroyed. I grew up in the L.A. area nd I know what the freeways did to long standing neighborhoods. I think the Parkway should have started back near I 70 and there been a bigger effort to divert truck traffic headed down US 50 to the Parkway but, as always, the money available didn’t allow it. We’re always going to be in a battle to accomplish the infrastructure needs we have to get the necessary money to do it in the best way for the long term. Sort of pennywise and pound foolish.
Posted August 20th, 2008 at 7:04 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
DaBookie - You’re entirely correct in your assessment of Willis on the subject of the parkway (and most other things).
His statement that, “And yes johnnie, I could design a much more efficient system” is meaningless as we all know he’s a stallion when it comes to talk, but a gelding when it comes to action.
Posted August 20th, 2008 at 7:17 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
John B.
Thanks. I agree with your comments. In addition to the neighborhood and existing roadway issues, to say nothing of the financial considerations, Grand Junction also has to contend with that pesky river and those railroad tracks in a project of this nature. Personally, I think the city did a good job with the Parkway considering all those constraints. It seems to me, though, that better road signs identifying where the exits lead to, as well as posting those signs well in advance of the actual exits, would be helpful. I’m thinking of signs similar to what the Interstates usually have. Do you think better signs would help, or perhaps they aren’t really that important of an issue?
Posted August 20th, 2008 at 8:43 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
FutureQuest, I think they are an important issue. Whether the big, overhead Interstate signs are the way to go, I don’t know. They also are costly. The city is now asking that there be a permanent de-Brucing, but only as it relates to the revenue and spending caps. It’s badly needed. We are already de-Bruced in that way,but only to help pay off the Parkway, hopefully early. The Public Safety $.25 sales tax increase could end as soon as the Parkway bonds are paid.That will only happen if the public also votes for the permanent de-Bruce, still allowing for votes on tax increases and indebtedness. Even if this happens , the city will have almost 350 million dollars worth of public works projects backed up at the time the Parkway is paid off. That’s a long way off signs needed now but you can see that the public’s demand for improvements in our infrastructure far outweigh their desire to pay for them. I have occasions to meet with Jim Shanks, the Parkway manager and, at the insistent urging from my wife, I had planned to give my observations–and now yours– about signs to him. After all, the city is awash with money accoring to some commenters. Should be no problem at all!
Posted August 20th, 2008 at 11:29 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
John B.
I was using this forum as a way of testing my personal observations about the need for better signs on the Riverside Parkway prior to perhaps writing a polite letter about them to the City. I appreciate your respectful comments (there is a lot of vitriol at this site) and opinions. As a matter of clarification, I was not thinking of those big, overhead interstate signs – I was thinking of very simple, side-of-the-road signs, but ones that would better identify where the exit was taking you and also erected well before the exit to notify drivers so they could smoothly get into the proper lanes. Unless something new arises, I’m going to drop this subject for now. Thanks for the responses.
Posted August 20th, 2008 at 3:28 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
So, you old boys think the bestest and brightest just designed the perfect bypass for grand junction?
So, why the questions on signage?
Why does the porkway lead people to what is basically a place to escape from instead of a place to be?
Is the route really the ‘best’ route that could have been chosen?
Are there alternates to the methods of entry and exit that would have improved the flow of traffic instead of hindering the flow?
Is this really the ONLY ‘beltway’ in the world with traffic lights to STOP traffic instead of keeping it moving?
Posted August 20th, 2008 at 5:30 pm Login to Send PM Report this comment
WLJ, you asked the questions so you must have the answers. Nobody said it was the perfect bypass. The signage seems to be inadequate for those not familiar with the area. What’s the big deal? The Parkway is meant to bypass downtown for people coming from the norh and south. This is a problem? Is it the best route? Probably not but the alternative may have cost much more and ruin neighborhoods by separating them. Better methods of entering and leaving? Maybe, but the people who designed it looked at all options and the cost of them and what you see is what you get. Stplghts? Once again, stoplight free interchanges cost much more. Once again, Oh Great Sage, tell us how it should have been—for the same money, or even less.
Posted August 21st, 2008 at 11:33 am Login to Send PM Report this comment
Well borgie, why are we paying these people top dollar?
The city wanted it at ‘their’ price, the contractors said it couldn’t be done at that price.
The city said’ uh huh, we is brilyunt and we kan doit.
Now, we have it ‘completed’ except for a whole bunch of minor changes necessary, including a coherent signage plan, and it is ….
Where is it on the cost issue?
Is it under budget? At budget?
Or a whole lot closer to what the contractors said it would be?
How long will it be before there are ‘utility’ cuts and patches made to the traffic lanes?
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