Progress versus inconvenience

Try driving down the 45/46 Bypass between 17th and Third Streets just about any time of day other than 3 a.m. Chances are you'll get nowhere fast. Since IU students have returned to campus, cars clog this main artery, inching along at a snail's pace. Bicyclists and pedestrians take their lives into their own hands. This road desperately needs to be expanded, and if the project causes inconvenience while the construction is taking place, that is the price of progress.\nAnyone who uses this road on a regular basis will welcome the $16.9 million expansion currently being developed by the Indiana Department of Transportation. The current plans include an expansion to four travel lanes, a center turn lane from Walnut Street to Fee Lane and a landscaped median from Fee Lane to Third Street. But perhaps the most welcome aspect to students will be a wide sidewalk/bike path on each side of the street. The paths will provide a safe way to walk or ride along the street, and the extra lanes for motorized traffic will reduce congestion.\nINDOT has consulted with Bloomington and IU officials since the beginning. While the city is happy with the proposed plan, IU officials are not. They said they believe the removal of a large amount of trees will affect the aesthetics of the north part of campus. They assert that sidewalks on both sides of the street are unnecessary and are lobbying to eliminate one in order to lessen the number of trees removed.\nResidents who live along the Bypass voiced concerns of their own at a Sept. 6 city meeting. Some worried about a drop in property value. Others were more concerned about added noise and the loss of trees as a barrier from the street. Still others claimed the expansion will only lead to more automobile traffic along the road while discouraging alternative modes of transportation.\nWhile these are valid concerns, this project is necessary and will benefit the entire community of Bloomington. No one wants to see more construction headaches on campus, but it is time these improvements be made. \nProgress sometimes inconveniences people, but in this case, the rewards will far outweigh the inconvenience. Better public roads will encourage employers to move to the city, and the availability of bike and pedestrian lanes will encourage an alternative to automotive travel.