Thankfully, the bypass is not a ‘done deal’

To the editor:
    We want to thank Kathy McCarty and the Star-Herald for the front-page article (Star Herald, October 8, 2008) “Council asks ACE for hearing.” The Presque Isle bypass is a matter of extreme importance to all taxpayers, not just the community of Presque Isle.  We are also grateful to councilor Ron McPherson for his willingness to disagree with city manager Tom Stevens on the matter of the city council requesting a public hearing with the Army Corps. It is essential that citizens be informed of, and allowed full access to, the planning and decision-making process for this project.
    Ms. McCarty’s coverage of the City Council’s Oct. 6 meeting provides a clear and accurate report of where the planning for the bypass currently stands, and should remind readers of two things.
    First, the bypass project remains in the planning stage. It is by no means complete. Part of the planning process includes ongoing citizen input. Contrary to what some city managers and certain special-interest groups around Aroostook would have the public believe, suggestions and recommendations from the public are essential to the final decisions made by MDOT, the Federal Highway Commission and the Army Corps of Engineers.
    The Army Corps is actively seeking input until Oct. 23, 2008. Requests for a public hearing in Presque Isle and comments, suggestions and recommendations can be sent by email to jay.l.clement@usace.army.mil, or by mail to Jay Clement, USACE, 675 Western Ave. #3, Manchester, Maine 04351.
    Second, again contrary to what some sources have implied, two options remain as choices for the final decision: no-build and upgrade Route 1. It is important to remember that none of the build options actually addresses the real source of the traffic problems on Main Street, namely the trucks traveling east to west.
    Furthermore, everyone should recognize that the MDOT impact studies reveal no long-term advantages to the general population, and only short-term benefits to a few in the initial construction phase. The monetary costs and the farmland and personal losses this project will cause do not represent true forward-looking solutions to Aroostook County’s transportation needs. In these times of dire economic straits, soaring fuel costs, and environmental degradation, we need to be looking for ways to transport goods that reduce costs, use less or different fuels, and that minimize adverse environmental impacts.