Any other suggestions? As you say this should have been done 20 years ago. Whats going to happen in another 20 years?
I believe in planning for the next 20-50 years. My frustration is that many of our roads near the beach are "locked in". Development has happened too close to roads. Shoulders are minimal or nonexistant in areas on Scenic 30A and adjacent roads. Essentially we have "neighborhood" roads where we expect more and more people to use. We have advertised too heavily and built too much to have "neighborhood roads". We're still making decisions that are shortsighted and/or motivated by greed/who you know. (Bike path on north side of 30A at 395 ring a bell?)
For all the talk of new urbanism and genius design, apparently all those guys are blind to what happens around them. Blind to the millions of potential visitors and cars. Sidewalk Cafes I love but who is the genius who thought they could put them on 30A? Because the Walton BCC loves golf carts they lower speed limits to 35 on a 20 mile highway? Was that planned? No. Simply approved.
The coming Tsunami though is the tens of thousands of homes and apartments that are coming over the next 20 years between 30A and I-10. We can plan for those roads but 30A is where a large portion of those people are going to recreate and work. Our current issues will look quaint. A connector road will do nothing but set the precedent for many more.
In days gone by Walton County planning and governing was way, way behind the curve. The curve could not be seen. Some say we are still blind to it.