Why is it that every time I read a C-J agitprop piece lancing the straw man that the formerly "great" newspaper has laboriously constructed from 8664's mostly thoughtful advocacy, I think of the all-too-extant proposal to build an automotive bridge for a "greenway" (?) right through the middle of the Loop Island Wetlands in New Albany?
And how we can't revise the plan to do the right thing because the money we don't have already is budgeted?
In turn, why does that remind me of Mrs. Schmidt's reasoning to the effect that a "greenway" must be entirely automotive because it's the only way that grandparents might be able to use it with their grandchildren -- as though walking and biking ends at the age of, say, 56?
Oops, I almost forgot. There's an 8664 event today. The following came to us from Tyler and JC. You can register to receive e-mail notices at 8664's website.
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What: 8664 Event
When: 5:40 pm Wednesday
Where: The Great Lawn, Waterfront Park
Join us this afternoon to celebrate Louisville's waterfront and support 8664. We're going to gather on the east side of the Great Lawn before the Waterfront Wednesday concert to show this community what the downtown portion of the Bridges Project will do to our waterfront. Please come help us form a line 75 feet north of I-64 showing how much more of our park will be covered by concrete.
Bring a $10 donation and receive an "Our way or the highway" t-shirt. Supplies are limited. Get there early to allow time for parking. Your best bet might be to park on Witherspoon or Preston.
Stay for the concert. The WFPK Waterfront Wednesday concert will start at 6 pm and go until dark. This will be the quietest concert on the waterfront until we replace I-64 with a parkway, so stick around and enjoy Louisville's waterfront.
Special Thanks
Thanks to all the people who have contributed
Thanks for keeping the faith.
Peace,
Tyler Allen and JC Stites
http://www.8664.org/
8664 Mission
To advocate for the revitalization of Louisville through the removal of Interstate 64 along the riverfront and the adoption of a transportation plan that will provide long-term benefits to the region's citizens, neighborhoods, environment and economy.
PS Another CJ web-only readers letter:
Traffic not so bad
I have been driving from Oldham County to Broadway on weekday mornings this summer. During construction on the Restore64 project, I have switched from taking I-64 to 9th Street to exiting I-65 at Jefferson St. I've noticed no difference; in fact I-65 may be the better route anyway. I can't help thinking that if the "through" traffic were required to "go around" via an East End Bridge (or the Snyder within Kentucky); the traffic from the Gene Snyder to Spaghetti Junction would be relieved substantially.
--LAURIE SPEZZANO Crestwood, Ky.
5 comments:
For those who might like to see pictures of what our Greenway could be, I invite you to look at my blog graciously linked by this host. I have far-exceeded my technological capabilities just getting those pictures in place, to get them here would have required a couple semesters at M.I.T.
Thanks, John -- that needed to b said, and displayed. I moved it to the top in the form of an update.
I get giddy when I think about what a tremendous civic asset a bike path along the river and over the bridge (K&I) to Louisville. Are you listening city council? There are people who would move to a place that would afford them the opportunity to easily bike into downtown L-ville. It's almost surreal to see the infrastructure that is already in place - the bridges, Loop Island Wetlands, unobstructed riverway, and watch as the local political sphere tried harder to harder to stay in their cars and away from people and all sensible ideas. Fear does seem to be the dominent motivator here. How sad is that?
I know for a fact that once the greenway is completed (and I like the New Harmony idea much better than our own current PAVED greenway) I fully plan on biking to work everytime the weather permits it.
All that stops me now is a "safe" place to cross silver creek with out almost being creamed by at least a half dozen cars.
Even if we were to keep the total amount of money earmorked for the greenway, and constructed it to be a PART of the rivers edge, think of the money that could in fact be used for park space, shelters, restrooms, picnic areas, even a massive playground for children.
A blending of "back to nature" in an urban setting, as well as a destination for all families could easily be achieved.
A part of the problem is that the project is being mostly funded with federal transportation dollars.
The politicians who decry oil company price gouging and our involvement in the Middle East in relation to oil are the very same bunch who perpetuate a transportation funding system that heavily favors gas guzzling automobile projects at the expense of fuel-sparing ones.
Per Thomas Friedman of the NY Times and many others, we pay for it all twice. Once at the pump, where dollars ultimately end up in the oily hands of those funding terrorists, insurgents, etc., and then again with our tax dollars via the military who are given the life threatening but ridiculous job of warding off the groups we fund.
Meanwhile, our tax dollars are used to create single occupancy vehicle projects that not only exacerbate our dependence on the above cycle but also preclude a significant portion of the population from getting to jobs, school, and other life improving activities.
If that's not enough, development groups like One Southern Indiana and Greater Louisville Incorporated then come around asking for even more tax dollars, at least a portion of which will be used to convince us that following that same path as quickly and blindly as possible is the only way to salvage our economic well-being.
The only person who represents us at the federal level who currently seems to understand all that (and who knows what's happened to Yarmuth) is Indiana Senator Richard Lugar.
Readers, particularly very pro-business Republicans, should check out the energy section of his web site, particularly the link to curing our oil addiction.
It's not at all disingenuous to suggest that the Bridges Project and automobile portions of the Greenway support terrorism.
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