May 20, 2013
There's a debate underway over money for roads in Leon County. The issue: whether a commitment made to get Blueprint 2000 passed is being upheld.
Blueprint 2000 is a penny sales tax for priority road projects. The issue is what the NAACP says was a campaign commitment. That group was promised Springhill Road improvements, making the road a gateway from the improvement.
At Car Crafters Collision Center on Springhill Road, Tonya Asbell says the traffic out front stays heavy all day. She'd like to see this road widened. With landmarks like a prison facility and dozens of junk-car shops, it's an industrial area some say needs a facelift.
Improvements could start at intersection of Springhill and Capital Circle. The idea is to give people a better way to get from the airport to downtown Tallahassee, plus, the NAACP still has a commitment from city and county officials, promising Springhill Road would be in the first tier of blueprint improvements.
Leon County Commissioner, Bob Rackleff, says the money ought to go where the traffic is. He says that means completely widening Capital Circle, but folks on Springhill Road like Tonya Asbell want their piece of the blueprint pie too, and the NAACP says Springhill Road improvements are not just a possibility, they're a promise.
There's now a sub-committee to study some of the proposed blueprint projects, including Springhill Road. That group includes Commissioner Bill Proctor, who's a big proponent of the project, plus Commissioner Bob Rackleff, who's not so sold on it, so it should be interesting.
The flip side is, there are plenty of other ways people come into the city, and some of those routes could use some work too.
