What's happened to 8664?
That's a good question. Basically, we've withdrawn from the bridges discussion for the time being. The good news is the oversized project looks to be taking care of itself. More about that below.
As you know, with the help of a few spineless Metro Council members, Mayor Abramson supported handing the decision-making on the bridges issue over to an unelected authority. This group, conflicts and all, has made it clear that they don't care what you think - see public poll info below - and just want to "get 'er done". So, the timing for our less expensive, forward-thinking alternative needs to wait.
]]> In what appears to be an effort to discredit possible alternatives, the Bridges Authority did say at their August 19th meeting that they planned to discuss the scaled-down, toll-free St. Louis bridges project and 8664 at a future meeting. But in their last meeting they took the opportunity to arbitrarily rule out downsizing the ORBP and failed to mention 8664 at all. We've sent numerous emails to find out if/when we might be added to their agenda, but they have not responded. After reading this email, it's probably even less likely.Back to the good news. Louisville doesn't want to build two bridges. Whether you believe the "two bridges, one project" was a political compromise between KY and IN or a way for special interests to stop the East End Bridge, it doesn't matter. While the increasingly pathetic Courier-Journal has neglected to poll on the issue of bridges for more than a decade, cn|2 did a poll last month and the results are overwhelming and positive.
50.3% want only an East End Bridge
17.3% want only a Downtown Bridge
14.5% want both bridges
10.1% want neither
7.9% refused or don't know
So what does this all mean?
It means that Louisville's stale political and media structure got us into this mess. Five years ago, Mayor Abramson basically patted us on the head as to say "never you mind, I've got this all taken care of". Well enough of that.
We need to embrace new media outlets and hold our elected leaders accountable. No more back room deals and unwritten agreements with special interests. Whether you are a Republican, Democrat or Independent, Louisville's future depends on us to hold politicians accountable.
In conclusion, it's clear that Louisville wants to finally build the East End Bridge and move our regional economy forward. We can and will wrestle the decision making for this project away from the Bridges Authority and do the right thing. Removing I-64 from our waterfront will be a game changer, but its time has not yet come. We'll get there and we will make it happen.
Thanks for your continued support.
Ciao,
JC Stites
Co-Founder
PS Need a new 8664 decal? Shoot us an email with your mailing address.
PPS Louisville is great and getting better!
]]>Please take a minute to read today's Jerry's Kids. From today's LEO:
]]>"When asked if the Democrat's "plan B" remark indicates his support for the project is waning, Fischer campaign spokesman Chris Poynter responded via e-mail: "Greg supports the entire bridges project -- both bridges." The entire project entails building an East End bridge, a downtown bridge and re-configuring Spaghetti Junction.
In a recent poll by cn|2 Politics, however, more than 50 percent of Louisville voters said they support building only an East End bridge more than any other combination of the project. And some Fischer supporters believe the bridges project is becoming their candidate's glaring weakness."
Truck spill on I-65 South Ramp to I-71 ties up downtown traffic
"Traffic was blocked downtown after a tractor trailer lost 3,000 points of sheet metal on the ramp between I-65 South and I-71 North..."
From Saturday's paper:
I-64 ramp from I-65 cleared after accident
"A tractor-trailer that jackknifed on Interstate 65 Southbound, spilling sugar and diesel fuel on the road disrupted traffic at the exit to I-64..."
What if these trucks had been loaded with hazardous material?
With an East End Bridge, these accident would likely have been prevented. Approximately 32,000 trucks go through Spaghetti Junction everyday because they don't have any choice. Using an EE Bridge would be faster (1 mile shorter), would create less downtown congestion and would help to improve the region's air quality.
]]>Per the release:
"At last Thursday's Bridges Authority meeting, Authority Secretary Sandra Frazier of Tandem Public Relations announced that the Bridges Authority would be discussing the 8664 alternative and a bridge project in St. Louis that was scaled down to avoid tolls at their next meeting. Clearly there are new reasons for reconsidering the $4.1 Billion Ohio River Bridges Project.
"With last week's poll showing only 15% of Louisvillians support building two bridges, coupled with the overwhelmingly negative reaction to tolling Spaghetti Junction, it's clearly time to look for better options" said JC Stites, 8664 Co-Founder. According to Insight Communications' recent poll, while only 14.5% supports building both bridges, a combined total of 64.6% support building the East End Bridge."
This is exciting news for anyone who wants to see Louisville progress and find a more reasonable approach to solving our transportation needs. We have contacted the author of our Feasibility Study (Walter Kulash) and hope to have him here for the next meeting on October 7th.
Cynics have suggested that this politically-appointed board could have an ulterior motive, bringing up 8664 just to trash the idea. After all, the Authority's website says it "is not charged with changing the project's scope".
But we are going assume the best to go to the meeting with the full intention of presenting the case for a less expensive, more sustainable plan.
We would welcome your input. Email us at info@8664.org.
]]>While Louisville struggles to break free from an inbred political system that answers to special interests, other cities like St. Louis are moving forward with exciting plans to embrace a more livable and sustainable future.
]]>Read about it on LEO and NA Confidential.
]]>According to a newly released poll, only 14.5% of Louisvillians support building two bridges. Here's a look at the results:
Check out CN2's Mayoral Candidate videos to see how they responded to the poll.
Now with propaganda and more propaganda from their "independent" news department. According to the CJ, we should all be perfectly happy to pay a $6 toll per trip across the river. Read the comments for some flavor of what most readers think about the tolls, the paper and Mayor's efforts to push the Downtown Bridge.
]]>Hal Heiner:
"This afternoon the Louisville Southern Indiana Bridges Authority submitted a report to the regional planning agency with estimated tolls of $6 per trip. This would represent one of Louisville's largest tax increases and I will not support this rate. While we realize this is a preliminary number, I urge the authority to work diligently to reduce this rate. If $6 per trip is the only way the authority can build 2 bridges, then I believe we need to reduce the scope of the project by breaking it into more manageable phases with the east end bridge being the first phase of a multi phase project. While I believe I-65 and Spaghetti Junction will ultimately have to be addressed, I find a $6 trip financially irresponsible and a burden Louisvillians will not accept."
Greg Fischer:
"We need to build the bridges and to create the thousands of jobs that come with it - but a $3 toll is simply too much"
OK, now we're getting somewhere. The question is, what are we going to do about it?
Here's what we had to say about it:
]]>"It's time to divide this boondoggle of a project and build the east end bridge without tolls. We ask Greg Fischer and Hal Heiner to stand united for this important regional infrastructure project"
You can listen to the piece by clicking here. Click Listen Now and go to 22:10. You can also view the Photo Gallery Slideshow.
The piece concluded:
"But around the country, mayors and governors are eying urban highway teardowns as the road to development, not congestion."
Except in Louisville, KY where outgoing Mayor Jerry Abramson has been aligned for decades with a special interest group to stop the East End Bridge.
Louisville needs to change. Louisvillians are ready for change. It's time!
]]>"For more than a decade, a plan pushed by some [Louisville] residents and transportation advocates has sat on the fringes of the State Transportation Department's to-do list, in part because it would be a radical undoing: tearing down [I-64 on Louisville's riverfront]."
OK, so we made a few changes to the NYTimes article. It's just a matter of time though. We'll get there. Read the article.
]]>"I don't know about you, but I think I'd place my future infrastructure investment bets with a whiz like Buffett before laying them down with the 1990s thinking that produced our current interstate highway plan calling for two bridges and a rebuilt Spaghetti Junction."
Then Jonathan Meador with LEO followed suit with an excellent piece, Louisville Mag pooh-poohs Bridges. It ends...
"Regardless, now that Louisville Magazine has joined The New Albany News and Tribune, LEO Weekly and other local news organs in speaking out against/being critical of/not blindly following the ORBP, that leaves The Courier-Journal as the loudest (and sole) media drum-banger for this tone-deaf waste of Kentuckiana taxpayers' money, which would be sadder were it not wholly unsurprising."
... but you should just click the link and read the whole thing.
]]>"Last Thursday, the Ohio River Bridges Project Bi-State Authority heard impassioned pleas to finance and build the East End bridge first; downsize the demolition and expansion of Spaghetti Junction; not to toll existing bridges; not to toll any bridges; not to build a downtown bridge; and to scrap the project in favor of public transit."
The end of the article also provided a curious quote from Candidate Greg Fischer:
"There's a lot of people that are excited about something that may not occur."
We'll try to seek clarification on that comment.
]]>Wilbur Smith's November 2007 tolling study suggests that demand and resulting revenue from a tolled East End Bridge would be low if it were the only bridge tolled. That's not surprising considering an erroneous assumption that the Downtown Bridge and 23-lane Spaghetti Junction is completed.
Question #1: Did the previous study make this incorrect assumption?
According to the project's last published schedule (Jan. 2009), the EE Bridge should open 6 years before the Downtown Bridge. Therefore the projected demand for tolling the EE Bridge should be based on the assumption that there is no new Downtown Bridge or expanded Spaghetti Junction for at least the first six years? Additionally, this demand data should be itemized as "pre" and "post" Downtown Bridge completion.
Question #2: Will the Authority's new tolling study correct this issue?
There are also two other items which should be reflected in the new tolling study. Since the new Spaghetti Junction is scheduled to take 17 years to complete, the demand model should be calibrated for likely downtown construction delays.
Furthermore, since the last tolling study, KIPDA has removed the widening of I-64 through the Cochran Tunnel from the region's long range transportation plan. This will likely have a significant impact on regional traffic patterns. In fact, a study without constraining the width of I-64 to four lanes in that section would be clearly flawed.
Question #3: Will both of the above issues be incorporated into the new tolling study?
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We will be on the lookout for similar coverage on Greg Fischer's views. Mr. Fischer was the only candidate who said he supported tolls on existing bridges.
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