Related Articles - Page 36
Accents on the Interstate, Lipstick on a Pig
If accent lighting on the interstate isn't the perfect definition of lipstick on a pig, I don't know what is. That said I'm not opposed to it. In fact, I think dressing the Marquette Interchange for the prom was a positive step forward. There is, however, only one thing I wish would have happened differently.
Apr 8th, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
Committee Not Happy With Zoo Interchange Plan
The Wisconsin DOT presented the most recent plans for the reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange. The project team argued that because of the age of the interchange, number of accidents, and predicted congestion that the interchange needs to be rebuilt and widened. They presented multiple options, all of which included the relocation of at least 13 residential homes, one business and would cut the parking lot at State Fair in half. It was pointed out that the under the plans now being considered there will be no impact to the Honey Creek Business Park. The design includes additional lanes and new frontage roads, referred to as Texas U-Turns, that essentially double the footprint of the highway. Alderman Bob Bauman expressed that the Wisconsin DOT seems to always push for freeway expansion saying that “no one ever talks about the no build option” and that “this a stealth widening of the Milwaukee freeway system”. In response to a series of questions and comments regarding transit options, Ms. Brown, from the Wisconsin DOT, responded that “transit is not considered as part of the construction of the interchange”. Alderman Murphy expressed the committee’s belief that the Wisconsin DOT has ignored multi-modal options at the expense of the City of Milwaukee saying that “the way they (Wisconsin DOT) set up this planning they specifically excluded it”. Wisconsin DOT staff repeatedly pointed to SEWRPC’s planning as their guiding direction and Ms. Brown reiterated “that (rail) is not an option given the schedule and time frame”. Near the end of the meeting Alderman Bauman summed up the committee’s message to the Wisconsin DOT saying “carry back the message you don’t have any happy campers”.
Jan 30th, 2009 by Dave Reid
WisDOT Open House on Future Parking Lots, Parks, or ?
WisDOT is taking the steps to prepare to issue an RFP for airspace leases underneath the Marquette Interchange and Interstate 794. They're looking for public input on what should be included, and this is our chance to really say we want something better underneath the freeway that separates the Third Ward and the Milwaukee Intermodal Station from the rest of downtown.
Jan 9th, 2009 by Jeramey Jannene
One Way to Replace The Hoan Bridge and Build a Better Milwaukee
The replacement of the Hoan Bridge and its associated freeway ramps with a grade level route offers many opportunities but will also require the rerouting of a portion of the 40,000 motorists that travel over the Hoan Bridge each day.
Sep 2nd, 2008 by Dave Reid
Seven Reasons To Replace The Hoan Bridge
Both the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and The Business Journal of Milwaukee have covered the Wisconsin Department of Transportation's announcement that they're examining options for the future of the Hoan Bridge as the day nears when it will need costly repairs. We thought it was time to weigh in.
Sep 2nd, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
Milwaukee Pollutes Less Than Madison
The Milwaukee metro area produces less carbon per person than Madison
May 30th, 2008 by Jeramey Jannene
No Interchange Until Developer Is Lined Up
Heading East on I94 Originally uploaded by compujeramey The project I love to hate, the Pabst Farms development, won’t be the recipient of a new interchange with Interstate 94 anytime soon. The state won’t be building a new interchange until there is a new developer lined up. This is a positive sign of some restraint on interstate spending by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation. A department who appears to have no problem building a massive, remodeled interchange on the edge of downtown, planning to rebuild the Zoo Interchange in a few years, and then diverting traffic away from those new interchanges at the drop of a hat by building a new interchange on the edge of the Milwaukee-metro area. Wisconsin continues to build out this massive network of highways by simply expanding the number of lanes and expanding the size of interchanges. The Pabst Farms interchange is yet another sign of a state that doesn’t have a strategy to deal with transit except for throwing more money into the wind, while state’s like Colorado build out efficient, modern mass transit networks and Illinois looks to continue to expand the Metra system and improve the L. For now it looks like the battle will continue. Urban visionaries will continue to campaign for the destruction of urban freeways (see Norquist and the Park East Freeway), while suburbanites campaign for the development of new interchanges on the edge of the metro area. This back and forth is going to continue until the state of Wisconsin is able to come up with some kind of people-moving strategy that doesn’t involve continually building massive concrete structures that eventually fall under disuse.
Nov 12th, 2007 by Jeramey Jannene
KRM Line Left Out of Budget Compromise
Metra 403 Originally uploaded by jimfrazier The budget compromise was just approved by both sides of Wisconsin State Legislature, and will certainly be approved by Governor Jim Doyle later this week. In what ways did it affect Milwaukee? Money for the the KRM line, connecting Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee with a high-frequency rail line, was left out of the budget. This money would have been raised through a $15 car rental fee/tax increase and bonds. The director of the authority had this to say about it being left out of the budget… Ostby wouldn’t say the project would be dead if money were not included in the budget, but admitted some serious thinking would have to be done. “Honestly, I’ve just been so focused on getting it into the budget, that it’d just be time to regroup and rethink some things,” he said. “I suppose there is the potential for a referendum yet.” – Read more There was an increase in the amount of money available via bonds for railroad development though in other areas of the state. Oshkosh Northwestern reports… Plans for a passenger train between Milwaukee and Madison inched closer to reality. The budget increases bonding authority for the train’s development by $32 million, raising total bonding authority to $80 million. The state plans to seek federal funds to cover 80 percent of the project’s cost, with state bonds covering the remaining 20 percent, up to a total project cost of $400 million. No federal programs provide such funding, however, according to the state Legislative Fiscal Bureau. Read more The budget bill, however, actually reads… Under current law, DOT administers a Rail Passenger Route Development Program to, in part, fund capital costs related to Amtrak service extension routes or other rail service routes between Milwaukee and Madison and between Milwaukee and Green Bay. This bill expands the program to include routes between Chicago and Milwaukee and between Madison and La Crosse. The bill also increases general obligation bonding authority for the program from $50,000,000 to $82,000,000. Under current law, DOT may contract up to $44,500,000 in public debt for the acquisition and improvement of rail property. This bill increases the limit to $66,500,000. So that money could ultimately be used elsewhere. I’m happy that a compromise could be reached, however, it’s sad to see the KRM line get beat into the ground.
Oct 23rd, 2007 by Jeramey Jannene
New Home for Lord?
Lord has been looking at the old Lou Fritzel building with owner Peter J. Kondos.
Mar 7th, 2005 by Michael Horne
Why Businesses Are Attacking The State’s Freeway Plan
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation's latest freeway project could "virtually suffocate downtown Milwaukee," a letter from the Downtown Business Improvement District complains.
Sep 12th, 2001 by Bruce Murphy
Is the Plankinton Exit Worth $60 Million?
Some months ago the state Department of Transportation announced a plan for rebuilding the mammoth Marquette Interchange that did not include any exits or entrances at Plankinton Avenue
Jul 18th, 2001 by Bruce Murphy
