Today I received the latest news from the Superhighway Stalinists:
From: “McDonald, Robert”
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 10:02:01 -0500
Subject: Public Hearing on Amendment to the Regional Transportation Plan 2030
Thread-Topic: Public Hearing on Amendment to the Regional Transportation
Plan 2030
Thread-Index: AcoR79s4wePv09scSmC8tqhChFSkWQ==
Accept-Language: en-US
acceptlanguage: en-USA public hearing on an amendment to the Regional Transportation Plan 2030: Madison Metropolitan Area and Dane County has been scheduled for Wednesday, September 2, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. before the Madison Area Transportation Planning Board (TPB) at the Madison Water Utility, 119 E. Olin Avenue, Conference Room A-B. The amendment adds major roadway and pedestrian-bicycle improvements to the Verona Road/West Beltline interchange area.
The project reconstructs Verona Road from Raymond Road to north of Nakoma Road and the Madison Beltline from Whitney Way to Seminole Highway. The Verona Road/Beltline Interchange will be completely reconstructed with additional capacity that extends through the Summit Intersection to the South. The Summit Intersection will also be reconstructed and includes a new east-west road under Verona road just north of Raymond road. Real estate acquisition is expected to begin in 2011 and construction in 2012 to 2014. Total cost for real estate, utilities, construction and engineering is estimated between $75.4 to 79.4 million.
All written comments should be submitted to the Madison Area TPB by September 2, the date of the public hearing. Depending upon comments received, the Madison Area TPB may take action on the plan amendment at the September 2 meeting.
The Madison Area TPB serves as the designated policy body responsible for cooperative, comprehensive, regional transportation planning and decision making for the Madison Metropolitan Planning Area and is responsible for the preparation of the long-range transportation plan for the region. The adopted Regional Transportation Plan is recognized as the official plan for this area for federal and state transportation funding purposes.
For more information about the Madison Area TPB and the Regional Transportation Plan, please visit the website at http://www.madisonareampo.org or contact the MPO office at 266-4336.
Robert R. McDonald, AICP
Transportation Planning Manager
Madison Area Transportation Planning Board
121 S. Pinckney Street, Suite 400
Madison, WI 53703Phone: 608-266-4518
Fax: 608-261-9967
Email: rmcdonald@cityofmadison.com
Ok, so this will be a fun one to deconstruct…..
*First, note the loaded language: “The amendment adds major roadway and pedestrian-bicycle improvements to the Verona Road/West Beltline interchange area….” Um, improvements? By whose standard is a massive highway expansion, more pollution, more sprawl and degradation of the urban environment an “improvement?” Who, exactly, gave Robert McDonald authority to make such a politically loaded statement?
*Next, note the definitive language regarding the project:
- “…reconstructs…“
- “…will be completely reconstructed with additional capacity…”
- “The Summit Intersection will also be reconstructed…”
- “Real estate acquisition is expected…”
They don’t even go through the usual charade of presenting this as a proposal. According to the language of this document, written in definitive, no-exceptions-allowed language and ‘expectations’ (whose expectations? A passive-tense uttering God’s?) we have no choice but to accept the highwayman’s 65 mph pavement & rebar gulag.
*Who initiated this? I thought the mayor had nixed this idea. Someone needs to take responsibility for even bringing this idea up.
*Um, nearly $100m for one short stretch of highway? And our local politicians complain of declining revenues? Mayor Pave is already planning draconian budget cuts for every department in the city; except, apparently the highway department’s.
*”Real estate acquisition…” read: Eminent domain, destruction of housing and businesses which, in turn means, less property on the tax roles and thus even less revenue for local governments.
*”…[A]additional capacity…” means even larger expanses of concrete for bicyclists and pedestrians to overcome, and yet a further degradation of transit access to the area.
Make sure to go to the MPO website and look for the make up of policy board. Looking at the names of the folks on there, I’d say we are in for a huge rubber stamping of this monstrosity. With the exception of Al Matano, I’ve never known one of them to actually stand up to the highwaymen on anything.
Given the strident language of this announcement, one is left to wonder, is this a meeting announcement requesting public input, or a political harangue delivered by pavement obsessed bureaucrats?
In any case, these are the people in appointed by, and in the employ of our elected leaders, Mayor Pave and Konkrete Kathy. If you don’t like these plans, email those responsible at mayor@cityofmadison.com and falk@co.dane.wi.us; cc: rmcdonald@cityofmadison.com.