Coosa Riverkeeper has been fighting a proposed privately developed toll
bridge over Lay Lake at Perkins Landing since late 2019. We’ve attended and spoken at multiple commission meetings in Talladega and Shelby County as well as working with grassroots organizers to fight this unnecessary bridge that will negatively impact Lay Lake and local residents. Yesterday, the developer provided Shelby County with their economic impact study on the proposed bridge based on unsubstantiated traffic data.
Read the Review of the Coosa River Traffic Data by a national expert that uses two models: based on census data and based on RPCGB Travel Demand Model
Summary of the Study
‘The proposed Coosa River Express (CRE) which includes a new toll bridge across the Coosa River is unlikely to attract anywhere near the traffic volume forecasted by Tim James Inc. Using two different methodologies, I estimate that the toll bridge will produce 280 to 600 vehicle trips per day with a $2 auto toll not 4,700 vehicles per day that was forecasted by the applicants. Such a low bridge traffic volume would produce far less revenue than what is needed to return investors’ money.”
Norman Marshall of Smart Mobility states, “No evidence has been presented to support the benefits claimed: “better, safer roads; less congestion; more predictable trip times; and a reduced need for taxes to pay for roads.”
The Vote
We hope we are nearing the end of this fight. Shelby County Commission is slated to vote on this issue at their meeting on Monday at 6 PM, we will keep an eye on the agenda to see if that changes. For now, Shelby County encourages the public to live stream to stay informed related to Commission proceedings and any action which it considers or takes.
We want to thank Shelby County Commission for their transparency and the many passionate residents, members, and allies who have joined us in this fight to protect Lay Lake and the quality of life in South Shelby County.
Our Position
