Small Town/Suburbia Opposing Huge Road 'Improvements'
The good people of Jackson and Cedarburg are up in arms over plans by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to change life there forever with bypasses, big medians and blown-out four lane expansions along State Highway 60.
Opponents are making the same arguments that have fallen routinely on deaf DOT ears - - regardless of party or administration - - in and along the southeastern Wisconsin freeway corridors, so I doubt very much if the Walker administration will cave to the grassroots even though Walker got something like 189% of the vote there.
The real driver of these kinds of wasteful projects is the state highway lobby, and it usually gets its way, even if wetlands or private property or peace of mind is in the way, or if land goes off the tax rolls, or if traffic is induced to move faster on wider pavement bypassing long-standing businesses or community definition.
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| WisDOT Says This Must Be Stopped! |
Good luck to the folks up there in Ozaukee and Washington Counties: you might find allies in the Big City willing to lend a hand.
4 comments:
To my friends in Ozaukee and Waukesha Counties, in a recent conference here in Milwaukee about megacities, the administrator of the Federal Railroad Association (freight and passenger), Joe Szabo said, "Two railroad tracks can carry as many people as 16 lanes of highway."
Let's talk about moving people, more economically while preserving our gorgeous Wisconsin towns and landscapes.
Bill, Only if they are forced. I expect train tickets will be the next thing that the Obama administration forces us to buy.
I think the proposed changes to Highway 60 are intended to accomodate heavy truck traffic and reduce overall accidents. As I understand them, the proposed changes in Grafton would absolutely destroy Grafton's small town atmosphere -- its very identity. But these are very preliminary plans, says the DOT.
Add another chapter to 'You wanted Fitzwalkerstan, you got it!' These guys elected the WisGOPs who will funnel $137 million this year into the Transportation fund from the General Fund- literally choosing highways over schools and other services.
I don't have a lot of sympathy when the people they supported end up screwing them over, because the 262 folks never hold the GOP accountable for what they're doing to their towns and home values.
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