Monday, February 14, 2011

And what a wonderful review it could be.

Better than chocolate, no doubt. Maybe now they'll be forced to talk about how the many projections still being used to justify ORBP were wrong. Maybe now we can at least start talking about increasing public mobility instead of how best to appease narrow, chamber of commerce interests. I fully expect the usual suspects to try to rush and limit the scope but a full, transparent review is warranted, if for no other reason than to combat the ruthless propaganda foisted on the region by 1Si and GLI. Watch for River Fields to take its usual to-hell-with-downtown position as well.

Still, it's an opening, and one that should be used to the public's advantage. It's also one heck of an issue to be addressed very specifically in the upcoming New Albany mayoral election.

Feds, states order bridges review, hope to finish in one year, by Marcus Green (Courier-Journal)

In a move that could further delay the Ohio River Bridges Project by years, the federal government is ordering a sweeping review of proposed changes to the project.

The Federal Highway Administration announced Monday in a preview of Tuesday’s Federal Register that a supplemental Environmental Impact Statement will be needed.


Thanks to the 'Ville Voice and Say No To Bridge Tolls for the tip.

1 comment:

John Gonder said...

That sounds outstanding to me.

At a meeting at the Ali Center back in November or December, discussion of the Record of Decision pointed out that to reopen this sacred writ may cost $225-250 million. Unsaid in that discussion is whether it is better to continue down a path of obsolescence, or is it better to swallow the immediate loss and forgo the extra 2 billion and change needed to build the downtown bridge.

And would it actually be a total cost of $225-250 million, or would some of the cost be applied to a downsized bridge plan, making it a much more sensible punt situation?