A press release from 8664.org:
Louisville, KY – On August 25, 2008, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet agreed to complete the 8664 traffic study it began in February of this year. KYTC had signed a $49,922.25 contract with engineering consultant Wilbur Smith Associates on February 7th, 2008 to complete the 8664 traffic study. The entire project was to take five weeks to complete, but Transportation Secretary Joe Prather abruptly stopped the study eight days before its completion date. The consultant has invoiced KYTC $46,267.94 for completing 93% of the study.
According to the Courier-Journal’s August 26th article, “Ky. to finish studying alternative bridge plan,” KYTC agreed to complete the study they began in February. But as of this morning, the engineering consultant still has not received approval from KYTC to release the study.
KYTC said the incomplete traffic study was initiated by the state highway engineer’s office to assess the traffic implications of the 8664 alternative to the Ohio River Bridges Project. The two individuals responsible for studying this alternative – which could reduce the Bridges Project price tag by $2 Billion -- were forced to resign by Secretary Prather the week before 8664 brought the cancellation of the 8664 traffic study to light.
Governor Beshear has not responded to an 8664 letter asking that he make the traffic study available to the public immediately. “Something’s wrong when it takes four weeks to complete 93% of a study, but it’s taken five weeks to write a letter to authorize finishing it,” said 8664 co-founder Tyler Allen.
In light of the Cabinet’s inaction, 8664 has asked the office of the Attorney General to pursue the 8664 open records request. 8664 Co-Founder JC Stites stated, “KYTC spent $46,000 of our taxes on something and we want it shared with the public. Secretary Prather’s Cabinet said they would make it available, but they haven’t.”
About 8664.org
8664.org is a grassroots organization advocating for a better, faster and cheaper alternative to the $4.1 Ohio River Bridges Project. 8664.org would build only the East End Bridge, but would also remove I-64 from Louisville’s waterfront. 8664.org was recently recognized in the Congress for the New Urbanism’s (CNU.org) top ten list of national teardown prospects titled Freeways without Futures.
Is there no end to corruption at the expense of the public?
ReplyDeleteAs amazingly unbeleivable as it is, apparently the political machine still operates under the mis-impression that the rest of us still live in caves and are unable to form a complete sentence!
Revoultion anyone??