Recently in Courier-Journal Category

From yesterday:

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.

The Courier-Journal Editorial Board is at it again. They will do anything to thwart the region's most important infrastructure project -- the East End Bridge. Read the lies for yourself.

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.

In Sunday's editorial they said this:

"Moreover, after some initial confusion about his position, Mr. Fischer has unequivocally endorsed the record of decision on the Ohio River Bridges Project, which calls for simultaneously proceeding on construction of two bridges -- one in the eastern part of the county, one downtown -- and on a reconfiguration of Spaghetti Junction."

They continue to make this claim, but it is NOT TRUE. The ROD doesn't specify the order of construction and in fact the current ORBP schedule has the East End Bridge completed one year before construction on the downtown bridge begins. 

Additionally, every editorial that mentions the bridges should come with the following disclaimer:

"Opinion Editor Keith Runyon lives near the path of the East End Bridge and is married to the Director of River Fields, the organization responsible for delaying the bridge for the last three decades."

Lastly, C-J, try to spell the name of our city correctly. It's not "Louisvillle". 

From today's USA Today article:

"The resurgence of downtowns has turned available pieces of land into hot commodities. At the same time, the drumbeat for more parks in smog-choked cities is getting louder.

"It's essentially like creating oceanfront property," says Linda Owen, president of the Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation in Dallas. "It's an economic engine."

(C) Gannett Co. Inc., owner of the Courier-Journal

If you'd like to participate in an online poll, click the link below:

Do you support the current direction and cost of the Ohio River Bridges Project?

Note: Polling on this issue is not supported or endorsed by the Editorial Board of the Courier-Journal. They stopped polling on the issue in 1996. I wonder why...

CJ's 1992 poll: 46% support the East End Bridge

CJ's 1993 poll: 57% support the East End Bridge

CJ's 1996 poll: 66% support the East End Bridge

As we mentioned in post a few weeks ago, there are a number of anti-tolling groups (here and here) forming to oppose tolling the ORBP. Not surprising considering 2/3rds of the cost of the Bridges Project -- expanding Spaghetti Junction to 23 lanes and building a downtown bridge -- doesn't have wide support.

From the Courier's article:

Architect Steve Wiser argues that charging tolls to cross the Ohio River will harm Louisville and "separate our states."

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"We've already paid for those bridges years and years ago. The citizens should have a right to use bridges we've already paid for without a new tax," Reilly said in an interview.

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Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson, an outspoken advocate of tolls...

In related misguided government news, Metro Government's audit was released today and you can read all about it on TheVilleVoice.

The Courier-Journal's recent Building Bridges editorial was another attempt by the editorial board to try to scare politicians into supporting the $4.1 Billion Ohio River Bridges Project. But it's not going to work because people are tired of it. After praising their beloved Mayor Abramson for saying that he sees "light at the end of the bridges", they had the audacity to say:

"the community should insist that candidates who aspire to city and state leadership fully embrace the bridges project"

If you don't agree, take a minute to let them know why they are wrong. They have been doing this for years, but their tactics are running a little thin (like the paper, come to think of it). They went on to misrepresent the project:

"It shouldn't be necessary to repeat this for mayoral candidates, but here goes: The record of decision for the project is a done deal, arrived at after years of study and discussion and agreed to by a broad consensus of the political and business leadership in two states. It calls for both bridges to be pursued at the same time, and for good reason."

According to the ORBP website, the East End Bridge is to be completed before construction on the downtown bridge even begins. They imply that both bridges must be built at the same time, but that's factually incorrect and very intentional misleading.

The Federal Highway Administration has asked that River Fields' lawsuit be moved from Washington DC to a Kentucky court.

We're not sure what we think about this one. River Fields' reputation as obstructionists to the East End Bridge is well known, but on the other hand, the organization's political influence cannot be underestimated. We will observe with great interest.

From the CJ's article:

"The lawsuit says that adding a single bridge downtown and redesigning Spaghetti Junction, where interstates 64, 65 and 71 meet near downtown, would address the region's existing and long-term traffic needs on both sides of the river."

"Politics, power and obstruction: Has Louisville's most prominent preservation group lost its vision?"

Steven Shaw did a heck of a job covering a very difficult story. Read it!

A Courier-Journal reporter contacted me last Friday for a quote about his story on the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's (KYTC) plans to possibly drop the $250 Million tunnel from the East End Bridge approach of the Bridges Project. Knowing space is always limited, I emailed this short quote:

"Not knowing the contents of KYTC's correspondence, I will only say that if we can save $250 Million and complete the East End Bridge sooner without a tunnel, we are all for it.

 

It is interesting to note that the historic designation of Drumanard began against the will of its owner in 1988, the year after the Gene Snyder was completed."