Recently in Press Release Category

Here is today's Bridges Authority to look at 8664 Press Release (PDF). 

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.

On April 19th, we emailed a Transportation Questionnaire to all the Mayoral Candidates. Last weekend we received the final responses, so we've compiled the results. We'd like to thank the candidates and their campaigns for taking the time and responding to our questions about Louisville's transportation future.

Here's today's Press Release which began...

Mayoral candidates oppose the ORBP by a 2-to-1 margin

Strong agreement on the East End Bridge, opposition to tolls on existing bridges and reversible lanes on the 2^nd Street Bridge.

Here's a link directly to the results in table form.

And here are the unedited individual questionnaire responses:
Tyler Allen (D)
Greg Fischer (D)
Jackie Green (I)
Hal Heiner (R) - refused
Jim King (D)
Lisa Moxley (D)
Jonathon Robertson (R)
David Tandy (D)
Chris Thieneman (R)
Shannon White (D)

Louisville is at a crossroads. The ORBP represents previous generation's inability to overcome powerful special interests. Now is the time for 8664, the right vision for future generations.  

Credits: Bob Hill, Gill Holland, Paul Coomes, Earl Jones and more.

Today, we issued a Press Release and released  polling data indicating strong support for the East End Bridge within Louisville Metro. Now is a critical time for the citizens and elected leaders of this city to make a smart and informed decision.

Consider the following:

The East End Bridge is supported by more than a 2 to 1 margin over a Downtown Bridge.
FrederickPolls, 500 Jefferson County Voters, January 2008

The East End Bridge will divert more than 30,000 cars per day from the Kennedy Bridge by 2025.
Ohio River Bridges Project, Environmental Impact Statement, 2003

Louisville's traffic congestion declined by 39% in 2008.
INRIX National Traffic Scorecard, January 2009

The Bridges Project will widen I-64 through Cherokee Park.
KYTC Kennedy Interchange Area Study, November 2008

The "8664" alternative provides 99% of the "system-wide performance" of the Bridges Project.
KYTC Kennedy Interchange Area Study, November 2008

Help make it happen and TAKE ACTION today! Help us by Donating Online.

Today's article Study critical of 8664 proposal lacks a lot of things. Journalistic integrity among them. The study released yesterday by KYTC is unquestionably flawed. KYTC widened I-64 and I-71 into downtown. That's not in our plan. KYTC denies it's even in their plan. 

Only the very last paragraph of the article speaks to this:

"But there are no plans to widen that stretch of interstate, according to Kentucky Transportation Cabinet chief of staff Mike Hancock. "That is not back on the table," he said."

They can't have it both ways. They can't say it's not going to happen, but then include it in the 8664 study. Check that. They can have it both ways in the Courier if Marcus Green covers it.

Join us for this FREE event:

8664 Forum
Muhammad Ali Center, 144 North 6th Street
Wednesday, December 10th, 2008
5:30 Reception
6 - 8 pm Presentation and Q&A

Featured speakers include:

 Please RSVP TODAY!

We'd like to recognize our growing list of FORUM SPONSORS:

Contract terminated days before completion

Louisville, KY - In response to 8664's Open Records Request in mid July, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet ("KYTC") release documents 
(ORBP_8664_Traffic_Review.pdf) revealing a contract with transportation consulting firm Wilbur Smith Associates to develop, review and present findings from a traffic study of the 8664 Plan. The agreement signed on February 13th, 2008, established a "not to exceed" cost of $49,922.25 and a completion date of March 18th.

On March 10th, KYTC Engineer Scott Thomson abruptly cancelled the study in an email stating, "We have received word to stop immediately any further work."

98% of budget cut came from East End Bridge

On Tuesday the Beshear administration released a state highway construction plan that dramatically shifts the funding priority away from the East End Bridge.

According to the Ohio River Bridges Project ("ORBP") Financing Plan released in January of this year, the East End Bridge was to receive 62% of Kentucky's 2008 through 2010 funds. By contrast, the Governor's Road Plan for the same period slashes funding for the East End Bridge to only 27%.

In real dollars, the shift is even more stark and troubling. Due to budget constraints, the Governor's Road Plan reduced the States commitment to the ORBP by $236 Million, compared to January's approved ORBP Financing Plan. Of the $236 Million reduction, $231 Million or 98% was taken away from the East End Bridge.

On April 4th, Jim Welch, Jr. the past president of River Fields and current Chairman of Downtown Development Corporation ("DDC") and board member of the Build the Bridges Coalition responded to our letter to the editor.

Mr. Welch accused us of "creating conspiracy theories and other diversionary tactics." Presumably, he is referring to our assertion that Mayor Abramson is promoting the Downtown Bridge and 23-lane Spaghetti Junction because he personally does not support an East End Bridge. For the record, we are not the only conspiracy theorists. Last November, in reference to "two bridges, one project," Indiana's Governor Mitch Daniels told the Tribune that "The 'one project' idea - I think for some people - it was a tactic to delay the whole project."

Rather than making accusations of us, it would be more productive for Mr. Welch to address our assertion. Why is someone who has opposed the East End Bridge for decades serving on the Build the Bridges Coalition? Why do the current and past Chairs of DDC have ties to River Fields? Why would our Mayor say 8664 was already studied when it wasn't? If 8664 is "flawed", why won't the Mayor allow us to pay for KIPDA to run the traffic model?

We respect Mr. Welch and his commitment to this community, but we believe the strategy of pushing for a Downtown Bridge and 23-lane Spaghetti Junction to delay the East End Bridge is dishonest and destructive.

It is unfortunate that accusations are flying, but so be it. We need to get this right.

JC Stites

Tyler Allen