My Thoughts On Rick Davis' Parks Plan

(wattersautoland.files.wordpress.com)

Yesterday, Mr. Rick Davis, who is running for mayor of Evansville, released his vision for our local parks. You can view the plan and some additional comments here...

http://city-countyobserver.com/2011/07/23/rick-davis-releases-plan-to-improve-evansville-parks/

First of all, I really like this plan. Even if nothing at all were to come from this plan, it would still be a step in the right direction as it will serve as a wake-up call to those in elected positions that it is time to get serious about our parks.

Like everything else not on the far west or east sides, our parks have gotten into an unacceptable and unimaginable state of ruin. This cannot be allowed to continue if we are going to have any desire at building our downtown back and putting the rest of our city under an urban renewal process.

I would like to dig into just a few quotes from the plan because I feel like there are just a few things missing from the plan that I would like to add.

http://city-countyobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/07/Rick_Davis_Plan_for_ImprovedParksRecreation.pdf

Sadly, for the health and well-being of our citizens, the City of Evansville recently was listed as the No. 1 most obese city in America. Evansville is rightly proud of many of its achievements and resources, but being ranked the No. 1 most obese city in America is not one of them.

Correct. Like the rest of the cities in the US and around the world, Evansville must convert from an auto friendly community to a walkable and livable community. To do this, we must look at our parks from a whole new perspective. We cannot look at our parks as designated areas on a defined plot of land. Rather, we must begin the process of connecting our entire town, our transportation mode, and our way of life with the parks system. They must be a bigger part of our life than just recreation.

For instance, instead of driving to Garvin, Wesselman, or Sunset Park for a few minutes of recreation and then leaving, you should be able to walk through park like settings on your way to your transportation source and on your way around town. Atlanta's new Beltline Project executes this theory perfectly...

http://www.beltline.org/
http://beltline.org/Portals/26/Images/materials/blp_map_packet_dld.pdf

Once complete, MARTA, high speed rail, and Atlanta's parks system will all be connected.

Under my plan, the Evansville Parks & Recreation Department would receive an infusion of at least $150,000 and an additional summer workforce of about 50 school-aged summer workers.

The Parks & Recreation Department maintains 65 parks and four other facilities on a $10.31 million budget in 2011. But the amount of acreage is simply too much for our overworked and hard-working full-time staff to maintain. An additional 50 high school and college-aged students would comprise a Community Service Corps under the umbrella of the Evansville Parks & Recreation Department. The students would be paid minimum wage for 40 hours per week and be charged with cleaning and improving the parks and cemeteries during a 10-week summer period.

The Community Service Corps would help give teen-agers their first job, teach them discipline and encourage community spirit.

This part of Mr. Davis' Parks Plan is the part that I desperately want to see changed and upgraded and I will tell you why.

Back when I attended the University of Kentucky, I too worked in the lawn care industry to make enough revenue for college. This is not easy work. One time, it ended up with me dehydrating and having to take an ambulance ride to the hospital. Granted I was working 2 other jobs with Fedex, giving Plasma, going to UK, and walking to polls for political candidates at the same time, but this is the type of job that can certainly cause negative health consequences.

Because of this level of hard work, it is my strong belief that these students should not be relegated to minimum wage pay. Last year, I talked about a program that the city of Louisville, the state of Kentucky, UPS, UPS Teamsters, Jefferson Community & Technical College, and the University of Louisville created for students needing money for college...

http://evansvillemovingforward.blogspot.com/2010/02/how-to-recruit-large-manufacturing.html

The program is called Earn & Learn and it works like this...

1. A student signs up to work the night shift at UPS.
2. UL & UPS assign this student a special dorm that is away from noise during the daylight hours.
3. The student receives free tuition and books.
4. The student gets a fair hourly rate to live on.
5. The tuition expense is split between UofL and UPS.

http://www.metro-college.com/default.aspx

Simply put, this program works. It is the byproduct of the Chamber of Commerce, the Teamsters, the state of Kentucky educational department, and the city of Louisville all coming together to work as one.

Can we bring in a big company like UPS to work on our parks? Maybe, maybe not. Is our parks program going to be as large as UofL's Earn and Learn? Doubtful.

However, this system will be a vast improvement over the proposed minimum wage system for a number of reasons...

1. It will reallocate our local educational funds to students who actually want to work.
2. This program will allow the Chamber of Commerce/ business community, the Teamsters/ organized labor, and the EVSC/USI/UE/Ivy Tech education community to work together as one for the students and the parks.
3. Although small, this Parks Department initiative would send a strong message that we are serious about Earn & Learn and want to expand it should any business be open to relocating to Evansville.
4. This program will improve both our educational system and parks system at the same time.

Of course, opponents to this plan will argue that we shouldn't spend any tax dollars on our parks or an Earn & Learn program. First of all, anyone who believes that the parks do not need more investment isn't looking at the same parks that I am. Allowing our parks to rot to save a buck IS NOT an option. Also, we just spent $149 million on an EVSC bond. It's time we started supporting those students who want to work for their college degree especially given the fact that this program is pocket change compared to the bond.

Luckily, we don't have to spend that much more to implement this Earn & Learn program. If you look at the city budget, you will notice many departments have a teamsters scholarship attached to it...

http://www.evansvillegov.org/Index.aspx?page=2333

Who do these scholarships go to?

http://www.teamster.org/content/local-215-awards-65000-scholarships

The scholarships are awarded to sons and daughters of Local 215 members whose employer contributes to the fund.

It is my opinion that this program needs to be reformed immediately. Instead of giving these funds to students who aren't even on the city payroll themselves, why don't we give these funds to those students who are out there busting their butt so that we can have an improved parks system?

If those sons and daughters of Teamster employees want to retain their scholarships, they would be more than welcome to come out and give some service to our parks. If not, they should forfeit the money.

With this additional funding, we would be able to give 15 students over $4,000 for college and then tack on additional funding for the other 35 students, or we could give each student over $1,000 for college. All of this would be in addition to the proposed funding for their basic salary.

With this program, I am confident that we can bring the unions, the chamber, the city, and the educational community together to find sponsors and to find additional funding so that we can expand this program over time.

I propose re-visiting our Park Ranger program. Public safety is the No. 1 role of government and we should allow our highly trained Police Department officers to patrol our streets while also having a specialized Park Ranger or similar program to protect the City’s investment in our extensive parks system.

Absolutely. The best parks in the U.S are those with Park Rangers. With a quality Park Ranger program, we wouldn't just be providing additional safety, we would be providing more jobs, a higher quality park system, and a change of perception about where our parks belong on the priorities list. Adding Park Rangers back to the parks system is a must if we are going to integrate the parks into our daily life and commute.

I would encourage our neighborhood associations to "Adopt A Park" and work in conjunction with our Parks Department to help make improvements in parks located in or near their neighborhood boundaries.

Once more, this is both essential and affordable to implement. If we are ever going to expand our parks system with our greenway like Atlanta is doing with their Beltline Project, we MUST get the community involved. Otherwise, we simply will not have the funding to implement a full connector of parks that will turn Evansville into a walkable and livable community.

We also need to reach out to the business community. Last year, I talked to the Otters about bringing back the festival that opened up Bosse Field back in 1915. They said they liked the idea but I have not heard back unfortunately. If we are ever going to get our citizens involved in our parks, the business community has to be a part of the plan.

If implemented, both business and community can prosper with Mr. Davis' plan.

Social Networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, not to mention mass email services, make marketing our Parks & Recreation Department extremely cost effective. Linking the Parks Department to sites like these in the electronic world will allow us to market our programs with our local businesses, schools and universities more effectively. These initiatives will help improve our participation levels as well.

The City’s Parks & Recreation Department does not currently have a roster of every park in the city on its web site. We need to list and map every park so the public can have a better sense of pride and ownership in these parks, no matter how large or small they are.

I am thrilled beyond thrilled at the idea of making our parks more marketable. Lack of marketing is the main problem our parks face. If we do not make our parks personal, how can we expect to integrate them into our daily life? The answer is we cannot. While our parks, trails, and recreational facilities have great assets that will naturally attract some visitors, the truth of the matter is that you have to reach out to the community yourself if you truly expect your parks system to be a success. Otherwise, they will not feel like they have anything invested in the parks themselves and will not participate. We have to make our parks system personal!

Lastly, one thing that I did not see in Mr. Davis' plan is a list of park priorities. This is the most important thing to me. I want to make sure parks such as Garvin and Kleymeyer get their due first before parks such as the 4-H Center, Burdette, and Wesselman which are in much, much better shape because they have received the most attention over the years.

Garvin Park was the crown jewel of our parks system back in the day. It's about time that notion came back. We have a historic ballpark, a district with the opportunity to replicate the early 1900s and reconnect to downtown, and a park (Kleymeyer) that has the capacity to be the home of the future softball fields project. Fix Garvin and Kleymeyer, then move onto the other parks!

Overall, I felt like Mr. Davis did an EXCELLENT job with this plan (which is yet another reason why I am endorsing him). I'm glad that he took it upon himself to come out and demand that we change our attitude towards our parks system. For too many years, our parks have been left to sit in ruin. It's about time that changed. If we are ever going to convert to a walkable/livable community, if we are ever going to join the green movement, and if we are ever going to make our parks system personal, we MUST begin the lengthy but necessary process of rebuilding them.

Thank you Rick Davis!

(city-countyobserver.com)

Why Are There No Covered Bridges In Evansville?

(flickr.com user Corey Ann)

One of the greatest works of architecture in the state of Indiana as well as the rest of the Midwest is the covered bridge design.

Back in 1937, Indiana had 202 covered bridges. Today, only are still standing. You can locate these 90 covered bridges on this website...

http://www.countyhistory.com/coveredbridge/start.html

To me, the covered bridge design is both timeless as well as practical. While it is great to build modern steel bridges for main roads such as interstates, building covered bridges makes more sense for smaller roads and trails.

Where could we build a covered bridge in Evansville?

1. On The Greenway: Next month, we will get a brand new pedestrian bridge next to Lamasco Park. Unfortunately, it will not be a covered bridge. Why don't we make our next bridge on the Greenway a covered bridge?

2. Wesselman Park: Wesselman Park has a great nature image. Why don't we build a covered bridge between Wesselman Park and the Wesselman Park Golf Course?

3. Between Kleymeyer & Garvin Park: Back in 2002, city hall came up with a master plan that called for connecting Kleymeyer Park and Garvin Park. A bridge connecting these two parks cannot come quick enough. Why not build a covered bridge over Pigeon Creek?

4. Over the Lloyd Expressway between Wesselman Park & the State Hospital: Currently, there are plans to construct a pedestrian bridge over the Lloyd Expressway. Why don't we build a massive covered bridge over the Lloyd Expressway? This would be a great image for the area.

Although a covered bridge can be as large as a two lane highway or as small as a pedestrian path, I think we should first concentrate on building a covered bridge the size of a pedestrian path and then slowly expanding to our goal of building a covered bridge the size of a two lane highway.

What would be some advantages of building a covered bridge?

1. It would bring people to the area.

2. Each bridge can be unique.

3. You can design the side of the bridge to pay tribute to the people, events, and land that it surrounds.

4. Covered bridges keep road repairs to a minimum.

5. Covered bridges can be constructed to allow great viewing areas for pedestrians.

Lately, it seems like we waste millions upon millions of dollars on our bridges and don't get anything special in return. It's time that we got away from cookie cutter bridge designs and started exploring unique designs such as a covered bridge.

Will Evansville ever embrace covered bridges? I honestly do not know. But one thing I do know, it's time to pay tribute to Indiana's covered bridge history!

(flickr.com user crayolamom)

Evansville Needs More Road Diets

(tadiillinois.files.wordpress.com)

A few years back (2007 to be exact), I lived in Seattle. One of the greatest road designs the city of Seattle has implemented has been their "road diets."

What are road diets?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_diet

A typical road diet technique is to reduce the number of lanes on a roadway
cross-section. One of the most common applications of a road diet is to improve
safety or provide space for other users in the context of two-way streets with 2
lanes in each direction. The road diet reduces this to 1 travel lane in each
direction. The freed-up space is then used to provide any or several of the
following features:
(Wider) footpaths/sidewalks
(Wider)
landscaping strips
Cycle lanes, on one or both
sides of the road
Wider lane widths on remaining traffic lanes (if
previously unsafely narrow to allow four lanes)
A two-way
turn lane / flush traffic median for turning traffic
A reversible centre lane

(streetblogs.com)

If you look at the diagram above, you will notice that a road diet in its simplest form is basically nothing more than a reduction in travel lanes. Once the lanes are reduced, you can basically put anything you want on the side or in the center of the road.

Here's another great article and video on road diets...
http://www.streetfilms.org/mba-road-diet/

Basic road diets simply add a turn lane in the middle or place small bike lanes on the side. Even Evansville has managed to put these two types of road diets in place. What are the benefits to these types of road diets?

1. Improved safety: Road diets force drivers to go slower through an area.
2. Increased parking: Road diets create additional street parking from previous lanes. Look at our downtown Main Street.
3. Increased business: Road diets force drivers to drive slower speeds which in turn allows them to see signs for businesses better.
4. Increased Environmental benefits: Road diets increase bicycle riders while decreasing motorists.

Road diets have become very popular around the U.S in the past decade. In an era where Seattle and Boston are demolishing their downtown freeways and building them underground while Portland is eliminating their downtown freeway completely, many other cities are beginning to wonder if maybe they just might be better off without a few traffic lanes themselves.

These cities include...

Orlando
http://greentopics.blogspot.com/2009/09/road-diet.html

Seattle
http://blog.seattlepi.com/transportation/2010/08/24/study-road-diets-good-for-drivers-health/

Los Angeles
http://ladotbikeblog.wordpress.com/2011/01/05/safety-traffic-and-you-the-case-for-road-diets/

And Even Detroit
http://www.freep.com/article/20100912/NEWS01/9120451/A-road-diet-car-hungry-Motor-City

While basic road diets are good, it is my opinion that they do not go far enough. If you drive down some of our streets that have bike lanes painted on them, you will notice that they do not leave very much room for bicycles to squeeze between motorists and parked cars. Also, you will notice that most of these roads still lack high quality medians in the middle.

If we are ever going to be truly successful at placing road diets on our streets, they need to contain the majority of the following characteristics...

1. A light rail or street car system in the middle
2. A bike lane that is separate from the traffic lane and not simply next to the traffic lane
3. A nicely designed plaza in the middle of the medians where local residents can relax and take in the area
4. Development around the roads that is close to the sidewalk instead of set back behind a sea of parking lots

As you read this post, you probably have a few roads in mind. What are the roads I have in mind?....

1. Franklin Street: We need to bring light rail back to Franklin Street. We also need to do a better job with the area in the middle of the median. Lastly, we need to make sure we promote the small businesses that have been on Franklin Street for quite awhile.

2. Main Street: Main Street needs to be closed back off. This will allow space for arena patrons to walk after games and concerts. It will also be an incentive for them to walk down Main Street once they leave the new arena. We also need to bring light rail back to Main Street so that it can connect Main Street with the rest of the city once more.

3. Riverside between Casino Aztar and the Pagoda: Many people think that Riverside should be a place where motorists can fly at excessive speeds to get into or out of town. I disagree. I also disagree with the removal of parts of the median in favor of turn lanes. As it stands, the huge flood wall in front and the developed lands behind Riverside have put us in quite a mess to truly make our riverfront a nice place for those who want to walk around the river. If we place road diets on Riverside, this will create more land to develop along the river, while keeping the automobile a little bit further from activities. We also need to do a better job with the medians in the middle.

Make no mistake, Evansville has done some good things with their roads. The idea to convert Wabash Avenue to Wabash Avenue of Flags was a great idea. It was also a great idea to block traffic completely on Main Street back in the day.

If we are ever going to make our city one that is friendly to walkers, joggers, bikers, and light rail riders, we must keep our traffic lanes in check. Until we do that, it is going to be nearly impossible for development to build around any road here in town.

We have a great opportunity to bring downtown Evansville back to life with our new arena. Now let's make sure residents can bike, walk, relax, or ride the light rail in downtown Evansville!

(alttransport.com)

A Salute To Joe Wallace

(photo credit: courierpress.com)

Yesterday, a reader of the Evansville Courier & Press decided to write-in to the paper claiming to be tired of reading the articles written by Joe Wallace.

First of all, I would just like to say how great of a guy Joe is. These past few years, Joe has helped me get my foot in the door in the Evansville community whether it be serving as the Vice-President in my group Tri-State Tomorrow, posting my ideas for Roberts Stadium and Kleymeyer Park on the City-County Observer, or simply giving me advice on who I should talk to about my different projects.

There is no doubt that Joe is a HUGE asset to the Evansville community, and this just frustrates the heck out of city hall. If we can ever get people like Joe Wallace into office, we might just get somewhere.

In an effort to pay tribute and thanks to Joe Wallace, I have compiled the following list of attributes about Joe Wallace. Enjoy.. (Note: These jokes were obtained from http://www.thechucknorrisfacts.com/ . They are based on the jokes from that site but replaced with the words Joe Wallace for Chuck Norris)..

- Joe Wallace counts to infinity.... Twice.

- Death had a near Joe Wallace experience.

- Superman wears Joe Wallace pajamas to bed.

- Joe Wallace has already been to Mars; that's why there are no signs of life there.

- If you can see Joe Wallace, he can see you. If you can't see Joe Wallace you may be only seconds away from death.

- Joe Wallace doesn't have to look both ways before he crosses a street.

-They once made a Joe Wallace toilet paper, but it wouldn't take crap from anybody.

-Joe Wallace is 1/8th Cherokee. This has nothing to do with ancestry, the man ate a freaking Indian.

-There is no chin behind Joe Wallace' beard. There is only another fist.

-In fine print on the last page of the Guinness Book of World Records it notes that all world records are held by Joe Wallace, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else has ever gotten.

-The chief export of Joe Wallace is pain.

-Joe Wallace is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

-The Great Wall of China was originally created to keep Joe Wallace out. It failed miserably.

-Crop circles are Joe Wallace' way of telling the world that sometimes corn needs to lie the heck down.

-Joe Wallace is ten feet tall, weighs two-tons, breathes fire, and could eat a hammer and take a shotgun blast standing.

-Joe Wallace is a man of few words. Joe Wallace is not a man of few roundhouse kicks to the face.
-The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse actually live in Joe Wallace's fist.

-Joe Wallace made Ellen Degeneres straight.

-Joe Wallace kicked Neo out of Zion , now Neo is "The Two"

-Joe Wallace' iPod came with a real charger instead of just a USB cord

-Joe Wallace knows where Carmen Sandiego is.

-Rudolph has a red nose because he got lippy and Joe Wallace roundhouse kicked him across the face several times

-China was once bordering the United States, until Joe Wallace roundhouse kicked it all the way through the Earth.

-Joe Wallace is what Willis was talking about

-If you have five dollars and Joe Wallace has five dollars, Joe Wallace has more money than you.

-Joe Wallace sent Jesus a birthday card on December 25th and it wasn't Jesus’ birthday. Jesus was to scared to correct Joe Wallace and to this day December 25th is known as Jesus' birthday.

-When Joe Wallace had surgery, the anesthesia was applied to the doctors.

-Joe Wallace once broke the land speed record on a bicycle that was missing its chain and the back tire.

-Multiple people have died from Joe Wallace giving them the finger.

-Joe Wallace once tried to wear glasses. The result was him seeing around the world to the point where he was looking at the back of his own head.

-If Joe Wallace is late, time better slow the heck down

-Joe Wallace sleeps with a night light. Not because Joe Wallace is afraid of the dark, but the dark is afraid of Joe Wallace

-Joe Wallace can touch MC Hammer.

-A Handicap parking sign does not signify that this spot is for handicapped people. It is actually in fact a warning, that the spot belongs to Joe Wallace and that you will be handicapped if you park there.

-Joe Wallace frequently donates blood to the Red Cross. Just never his own.

-There is no such thing as tornados. Joe Wallace just hates trailer parks.

-Joe Wallace never cries, because of this when he's sad he roundhouse kicks himself and it makes him feel better since he knows he is the only one who can survive the roundhouse.

-Joe Wallace does not procreate, he breeds

-When asked what type of vehicle he drives, Joe Wallace responded slyly with "Don't you mean what kind of vehicle drives me?"

-Joe Wallace doesn't worry about changing his clock twice a year for daylight savings time. The sun rises and sets when Joe tells it to.

-Joe Wallace was the fourth Wiseman. He brought baby Jesus the gift of “beard”. Jesus wore it proudly to his dying day. The other Wisemen, jealous of Jesus’ obvious gift favoritism, used their combined influence to have Joe omitted from the Bible. Shortly after all three died of roundhouse kick related deaths.

-Joe Wallace used live ammunition during all shoot-outs. When a director once said he couldn’t, he replied, “Of course I can, I’m Joe Wallace,” and roundhouse kicked him in the face.

-If paper beats rock, rock beats scissors, and scissors beats paper, what beats all 3 at the same time? Answer: Joe Wallace.

-When his martial arts prowess fails to resolve a situation, Joe Wallace plays dead. When playing dead doesn’t work, he plays zombie.

-Although it is not common knowledge, there are actually three sides to the Force: the light side, the dark side, and Joe Wallace.

-Scientists used to believe that diamond was the world’s hardest substance. But then they met Joe Wallace, who gave them a roundhouse kick to the face so hard, and with so much heat and pressure, that the scientists turned into artificial Joe Wallace.

-God offered Joe Wallace the gift to fly, which he swiftly declined for super strength roundhouse ability.

-When Joe Wallace was denied a Bacon McMuffin at McDonalds because it was 10:35, he roundhouse kicked the store so hard it became a KFC.

-Joe Wallace drinks napalm to quell his heartburn.

-A duck’s quack does not echo. Joe Wallace is solely responsible for this phenomenon. When asked why he will simply stare at you, grimly.

-Joe Wallace once tried to defeat Garry Kasparov in a game of chess. When Norris lost, he won in life by roundhouse kicking Kasparov in the side of the face.

-Joe Wallace’ roundhouse kick is so powerful, it can be seen from outer space by the naked eye.

-Joe Wallace doesn’t believe in Germany.

-If you want a list of Joe Wallace’ enemies, just check the extinct species list.

-Joe Wallace has never blinked in his entire life. Never.

-Joe Wallace doesn’t need to swallow when eating food.

-If Superman and The Flash were to race to the edge of space you know who would win? Joe Wallace.

-Ironically, Joe Wallace’ hidden talent is invisibility.

-Joe Wallace owns the greatest poker face of all-time. It helped him win the 1983 world series of poker despite him holding just a joker, a 2 of clubs, a 7 of spades, and a green number 4 from Uno and a monopoly ‘get out of jail free’ card.

-Joe Wallace invented water.

-Joe Wallace invented a language that incorporates karate and roundhouse kicks. So next time Joe Wallace is kicking your tail, don’t be offended or hurt, he may be just trying to tell you he likes your hat.

-Joe Wallace went looking for a bar but couldn’t find one. He walked to a vacant lot and sat there. Sure enough within an hour an a half someone constructed a bar around him. He then ordered a shot, drank it, and then burned the place to the ground. Joe Wallace yelled over the roar of the flames, “always leave things the way you found em!”

-Joe Wallace is Luke Skywalker’s real father.

-Contrary to popular belief, Joe Wallace, not the box jellyfish of northern Australia, is the most venomous creature on earth. Within 3 minutes of being bitten, a human being experiences the following symptoms: fever, blurred vision, beardrash, tightness of the jeans, and the feeling of being repeatedly kicked through a car windshield.

-Joe Wallace does not use spell check. If he happens to misspell a word, Oxford will simply change the actual spelling of it.

-In the original pilot for Star Trek Next Generation, Joe Wallace can be seen powering the USS Enterprise warp drive with his roundhouse kicks.

-Joe Wallace isn’t lactose intolerant. He just doesn’t put up with lactose’s crap.

-Joe Wallace doesn’t eat. Rather he kicks tail until he’s full.

-Scientists in Washington have recently conceded that, if there were a nuclear war, all that would remain are cockroaches and Joe Wallace.

-Joe Wallace once threated to sue Burger King because they refused to make it his way. When asked what “his way” detailed, he replied: “with barbed wire and nails, of course”. He then roundhouse kicked the reporter for even asking.

-Helen Keller’s favorite color is Joe Wallace

-When you open a can of whoop-ass, Joe Wallace jumps out.

-There are no disabled people. Only people who have met Joe Wallace.

-Joe Wallace got a perfect score on his SAT's, simply by writing Joe Wallace for every answer.

-Aliens do exist. They're just waiting for Joe Wallace to die before they attack.

-After much debate, President Truman decided to drop the atomic bomb on Hiroshima rather than the alternative of sending Joe Wallace. It was more "humane".

-Joe Wallace doesn't see dead people. He makes people dead.

-Joe Wallace doesn't have normal white blood cells like you and I. His have a small black ring around them. This signifies that they are black belts in every form of martial arts and they roundhouse kick the crap out of viruses. That's why Joe Wallace never gets ill.

Thanks for all you do Joe!

(photo credit: U of E's flickr.com account)

We Should All Be Like Shirley James

A few days ago, construction crews placed one of the main and final bridges at Lamasco Park which will connect our entire Pigeon Creek Greenway from the Heidelbach canoe launch to the Evansville riverfront later this year.

There is no doubt that this success would not be possible without the heroic and passionate efforts from Shirley James. Very few people do I feel have the same views I do towards urban planning, the environment, and progress, but Shirley James bucks this trend as well.

Who is Shirley James?

http://alumnisandstorm.com/Obits/pics07/RIP49WattsShirleyt07.htm

"This community and its environment became her passion. She helped organize the West Side Improvement Association in 1976 and served as its president for all but two of the next 20 years, waging wars against urban sprawl, drainage problems, litter and junk yards, creek debris and other pollution.

She led development of the Howell Wetlands, was a force behind restoration of the Pagoda and volunteered her time and expertise in many other projects. But it was her tireless commitment to the Pigeon Creek Greenway for which she was best known. She served as chairman of the advisory committee for the past 18 years, as a volunteer working often full time to help plan and gain funding for the Greenway Trail, that she was convinced would add tremendously to the quality of life in Evansville.

She received many honors for her leadership, including the prestigious Rotary Club Civic Award in 2000. Shirley once told a newspaper reporter that her life had been filled with adventures similar to those in novels she read by flashlight beneath the covers late at night as a child.

She became a student of urban planning, zoning, drainage, sewage, grant-writing and other such topics, and she became known for her persistence. She was a formidable foe of commercial developments and rezoning that she believed would damage the environment. Although she often disagreed with politicians, her approach was to offer assistance rather than criticize. Glenn Boberg, chief planner for the Evansville Department of Parks and Recreation, said of Shirley, "She influences the quality of life. It can be felt.""

There are 4 core beliefs that Shirley held that I myself try to replicate in my own political, business, and urban planning career...

1. Respect the environment.

2. Encourage Smart Growth where downtown development is strongly supported while urban sprawl is strongly opposed.

3. Form your own beliefs no matter how popular or unpopular they may be with local residents, politicians, or city officials. Don't let others influence you.

4. Always promote ideas that you feel are right and always make sure you give a counter proposal against ideas you oppose.

Shirley didn't just preach these beliefs, she didn't just practice them when it was convenient, she lived by these beliefs.

Shirley James Taught Us To Respect The Environment.

Shirley was a fierce defender for our environment, and we ALL have benefited from it. One of the areas Shirley especially fought for was Garvin Park and Pigeon Creek. Back in 1995, she stood strong against a developer who wanted to put an auto salvage yard next in the area to go with the already nasty, dirty, and ugly salvage yards we already have there...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=743864

Shirley stood strong against this project, and we are still reaping the benefits today. As walkers, bikers, and joggers take a stroll down the Pigeon Creek Greenway, they will not have to look at this development and they will not have to look at a Pigeon Creek being polluted by this development.

Shirley James Introduced Us To Smart Growth

While most politicians here in Evansville couldn't care any less that we have an out of control urban sprawl with a dying downtown at the same time, Shirley fought against these problems.

In a 1981 article in the Evansville Press, Shirley laid out the vision we must have for the west side if we are going to be success in developing it while not destroying our environment...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=859799

Unfortunately, city hall hasn't been practicing the vision Shirley gave us and know we have out of control urban sprawl with a damaged environment on our west side.

Shirley James Formed Her Own Views

As most of you remember, we made a terrible mistake in Evansville by developing the land that is south of the Lloyd Expressway and west of Red Bank Road. The worst thing about it is that many politicians and city leaders who were truly against it caved in to peer pressure. Not only was Shirley against it, she also strongly believed that at least 25 acres of the land should be set aside for the Greenway. Shirley stood firmly behind her beliefs in a zoning hearing about the project...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=757264

The ironic thing about it is that if Gene Hahn would have listened to the vision Shirley gave him 17 years before about Smart Growth, the problem wouldn't even have existed. Instead, he insisted on building an urban sprawl nightmare we know as Pearl Drive which resulted in a tight land design. Luckily, there is still room to build our Greenway out to USI thanks to Shirley James!

Shirley James Stood Up For Her Beliefs

For those who live on the west side, Shirley James went to battle for you many, many times over the years. After forming the West Side Improvement Association in 1976, she made sure the west side had sufficient representation at city hall. You can read about all of her west side efforts in this article...

http://local.evpl.org/views/viewimage.asp?ID=859770

There's not one single person on the west side, or in the city of Evansville for that matter, who hasn't benefited from Shirley James' leadership. Today, we all enjoy our parks, our trails, our environment, and our community fellowship thanks to Shirley. She fought hard for these ideas, and when she opposed something, she always made sure she gave a counter proposal.

Unfortunately, Shirley lost her battle with cancer in 2007. To honor her, the Shirley James Gateway Plaza, which is the Pigeon Creek Greenway trail head, pays tribute to her and the history of transportation in Evansville. While I don't believe that city hall had to sacrifice our historic Robert Orr Building to get the monument, nonetheless, I am THRILLED TO DEATH that our city built this monument and placed her name on it.



Shirley is the kind of person I want to be like as I fight to get Evansville moving forward. Shirley had several beliefs that I am committed to fighting for today. Some of these beliefs are...

1. Preservation of historic buildings
2. Preservation and respect for our environment
3. Standing up for Smart Growth
4. Volunteering for anything and everything that I can to promote Evansville
5. Working fiercely and tirelessly to get new projects built in Evansville
6. Introducing you the residents of Evansville to new progressive ideas and technology
7. Always giving a counter proposal when I oppose something
8. Making sure all Evansville residents get a fair chance to participate in government
9. Making sure Evansville is on the same page and united
10. Forming my own beliefs based on my own core values rather than what is popular at the time

While I could go on and on about all the great beliefs Shirley held throughout her entire life, the important thing to take from this post is the fact that we are blessed to have had a living legend among us all these years.

In an era of political corruption, incompetence, and apathy, one person stood up to fight for what is right, what is just, and what is fair. That one person is Shirley James.

We should ALL be like Shirley James!

(photo credit: Courierpress.com)

Evansville Is Killing Itself With Urban Sprawl

Well, I finally have gotten around to the post I've been wanting to do for some time now: The effects of urban sprawl on the city of Evansville.

I really want to hit this topic hard because I believe this issue is the root of all of our problems. If we can ever solve the problem of urban sprawl, we will solve just about all of our problems, whether it be health, finances, jobs, the environment, and safety.

Wikipedia gives us a general outline of what urban sprawl is...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urban_sprawl

Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses (e.g. stores and residential), and various design features that encourage car dependency.

Already, most of you can see just how easy Evansville fits into this description. The pall of 50 + years over Evansville is largely due to our failure to plan. Most people don't plan to fail, they just fail to plan. Let's take a look at some of the effects of urban sprawl from wikipedia...

High car dependence
Inadequate facilities, e.g.: cultural, emergency, health, and so forth
Low public support for sprawl
High per-person infrastructure costs
Inefficient street layouts
Inflated costs for public transportation
Lost time and productivity for commuting
High levels of racial and socioeconomic segregation
Low diversity of housing and business types
High rates of obesity
Less space for conservation and parks
High per-capita use of energy, land, and water

If you didn't believe that Evansville was a victim of urban sprawl before, this list definitely should convince you. Let's break down each of these effects...

High Car Dependence

Quite possibly the worst effect on Evansville. Currently, we have no light rail and a very basic METS system. We are told that mass transit is too expensive, but we just watched the most expensive road project in Vanderburgh County history with the $25 million Green River Road expansion. We're also seeing our local planners willing to waste money on I-69 and then complain that INDOT doesn't have enough funds left over for the US 41/ Lloyd Expressway renovation. We need drastic change here in Evansville. We need a new city hall and a change of community goals if we're ever going to stop wasting massive amounts of money on roads and the automobile.

Inadequate facilities, e.g.: cultural, emergency, health, and so forth

In the past decade or so, we just watched our downtown Welborn Hospital close its doors with a new Deaconess Gateway Hospital opening way out on the I-164 Bypass. This puts our downtown residents, who are abiding by good smart growth principles, at a higher risk to their health and wellness. It also puts those who live on the west side at a high risk as well. Yes, we have Deaconess Hospital, but it can not handle both Deaconess and old Welborn's amount of patients.

Although we have the Pagoda, Angel Mounds, and the museum, we are sorely lacking in the cultural department. I'll ask you this simple question: How big of an uproar do you think this community would be in if there was a China Town established in Evansville? Simply put, it would never happen. Unfortunately, most cultural events here quickly turn into drinking events.

In regards to facilities in general, how many facilities of any kind can you mention that are state-of-the-art? Just about all of Evansville's facilities could use a major upgrade. The new arena sticks out like a sore thumb in downtown Evansville.

Low public support for sprawl

Just about all development projects on the east and west sides of town have faced stiff opposition. For example, Pearl Drive and the new development across from USI faced off against many neighborhood groups who did not want the developments (One group was called Wake Up West Side). The USI development failed while Pearl Drive managed to win approval.

On the east side, the current Target complex received such high opposition from neighbors that a fence taller than most houses in the area was constructed.

High per-person infrastructure costs

Like I said earlier, the Green River Road project was the costliest road project in Vanderburgh County history. We're also seeing massive problems with our sewer system which has gotten so bad that the EPA has had to step in and force Evansville to come up with a solution to its sewer problem. We have built sewer line after sewer line out to the east and west sides but have not updated most of our sewers in the downtown core. Our sewer problem is estimated to be in the $500 million range!

Inefficient street layouts

If you've ever been to Pearl Drive, Burkhardt Road, the Lloyd Expressway, or even the newly renovated Green River Road, you will see just how inefficient the street layouts are here in Evansville. Urban planning is severely lacking in Evansville, and it has cost us most of our urban forests.

Inflated costs for public transportation

Some say METS is affordable, some say it's way too expensive. One thing we do know: Our mass transit system cannot compete with those in smart growth cities such as Portland, Seattle, and Austin. You can't really have inflated costs when you have no costs for rail at all. Meanwhile, the bill to renovate the Lloyd Expressway, Green River Road, and build a whole new I-69 is increasing by the day due to the expanding of our city with the decreasing of our population in the city.

Lost time and productivity for commuting

There use to be a bumper sticker "Of course I'm late I took the Lloyd." Very few, if any, locals walk or ride their bike to their job due to the fact that they live on one side of town and have to commute to the other side of town. As a result, high road construction costs, long road construction delays, and a fair amount of wrecks have resulted in both high costs and lost productivity for Evansville residents.

High levels of racial and socioeconomic segregation

How many African-Americans, Chinese, Europeans, or any other non-Caucasian residents can you name that live on the far west side or in the affluent east side neighborhoods? How many rich or even working class Caucasians can you name that live on the southeast side? While we celebrated a huge milestone in abolishing segregation many years ago, Evansville still hasn't gotten the message. Our urban sprawl has brought both racial segregation as well as socioeconomic segregation where our rich elitists only live in privileged subdivisions.

Low diversity of housing and business types

I was thinking about this just yesterday. It seems like every house we have here looks exactly like the house on Roseanne. It doesn't help that our Front Door Pride program will be rebuilding houses that look just like it as well. If you drive between Burkhardt and Green River Roads, you will notice few differences between the buildings.

Before urban sprawl took over, we had great architects such as Ralph Legeman who designed his house to replicate his design for Roberts Stadium. Now, every house in every subdivision is cookie-cutter. We have become Whoville from the Dr. Seuss cartoon.

High rates of obesity

Now THIS is Evansville. Recently, we were just named the most obese city in America which also happened to be mentioned on Jay Leno's Tonight Show. Evansville is becoming obese at an alarming rate and we must convert from an automobile friendly community to a walkable and mass transit friendly community.

For those who don't believe obesity is connected to urban sprawl, think again...

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2005/09/050909220354.htm
http://www.smartgrowthamerica.org/research/measuring-the-health-effects-of-sprawl/
http://www.organicconsumers.org/Toxic/obesity_urban_sprawl.cfm
http://www.nber.org/papers/w15436

Less space for conservation and parks

The parks we do have in Evansville have been neglected for many, many years largely due to the fact that many residents haven't cared enough to demand change from our Parks Department.

As more of our development moves out to the northeast side, more of our forests, open space, and environment is lost. Why would we want to expand to an area we know is going to have these negative consequences?

High per-capita use of energy, land, and water

Think about how much cheaper our sewer problem would be if we would have taken care of our downtown and then branched out as each section was completed. Think about how low our taxes would be if we would have only built sewers in high density areas. Just like in the categories above, our politicians, business community, and even some of our residential community have turned a blind eye to the urban sprawl problem we have built up. Now, our environment, our health, our wallets, and our future are all paying dearly for it now.

Thankfully, there is a solution. We have to adopt the beliefs of a philosophy called Smart Growth. Here are the ten basic principles of Smart Growth...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smart_growth

1.Mix land uses
2.Take advantage of compact building design
3.Create a range of housing opportunities and choices
4.Create walkable neighborhoods
5.Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place
6.Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas
7.Strengthen and direct development towards existing communities
8.Provide a variety of transportation choices
9.Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective
10.Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions

That right there is what we MUST DO if we are going to turn our town around. We need to get serious about smart urban planning and we need to do it fast. Here are a few things we need to fix.

1. Stop building in the county. Expanding Green River Road and building the new EVSC high school were terrible decisions. People follow development. Follow through with the downtown master plan and then expand out.

2. Build up before we build out. We currently only have three decent sized buildings in Evansville, the old Old National Bank building, the 5/3rd building, and the Old Courthouse. That is completely unacceptable. Instead of building one and two story building after building, let's build some nice high rises. It will give us a great skyline with a cheaper infrastructure system around it.

3. Merge the city and county. If we are ever going to rebuild our downtown, we have to prevent residents from taking advantage of downtown while not contributing to downtown. Our city should be improved for good quality urban life while our county should be kept rural and free of out of control development.

4. Build efficient transportation. We cannot keep wasting dollar after dollar on the automobile road system. All we end up getting is lost land, grid lock, fatalities, and wasted gas that damages our environment. Rail, whether it be light rail, high speed rail, commuter rail, or street car rail is cleaner, greener, faster, cheaper, safer, and smarter.

5. Change city hall. Let's be honest, our current crop of political leaders as a whole (certainly not everyone!) aren't concerned about urban sprawl. They just look at the bottom line which is blind of the negative effects of urban sprawl.

6. Improve our parks. With an improved park system, we can have both the joys of urban life with the peace of rural life which will bring residents back into our city limits. Our parks should be the pride of the region, not another hassle we have to maintain.

While urban sprawl has left a pall over Evansville that is easily twice my age, things can and will get better. But, we have to commit to change. We cannot complain about urban sprawl without willing to change ourselves. We must demand our city follow the 10 basic rules of Smart Growth.

Is Evansville ready for Smart Growth? Honestly, I do not know. But I do know one thing for sure: Let's build a smart Evansville of tomorrow!

Please Support My Latest Blog Evansville Rail

(photo credit: electronici9.com)

After many emails from you the viewers of this blog and my other blog SaveRobertsStadium.blogspot.com asking me to create a rail only blog, I have decided to do just that. For 50 + years, there has been a pall over Evansville. This pall is mainly due to the terrible decision our local leaders made to rip up our light rail and trolley systems and replace them with roads.

If Evansville is ever going to lift the pall, we must join the rest of the world in the 21st century with our transportation. It is time to shed the old ways of the automobile and get on the rails of tomorrow.

Unlike my Save Roberts Stadium blog where I support both the new arena and Roberts Stadium, I will taking the position of supporting high speed rail, light rail, freight rail, commuter rail, cable car rail, maglev rail, and personal rapid transit but will be opposing the construction of I-69. While many believe that high speed rail and I-69 would co-exist, this simply isn't true for a number of reasons...

1. There isn't enough money to go around.
2. I-69 will destroy any environmental benefits we will gain with high speed rail.
3. High speed rail is best served by using the land adjacent to the existing track's Right-of-Way.
4. Building I-69 encourages Southern Indiana to remain shackled to the automobile.
5. High speed rail needs to be in the planning stages now, not when I-69 is completed.

I can't thank you the viewers of my blogs for all of your support. When I started Evansville Moving Forward and Save Roberts Stadium, I never dreamed how popular they would be. Although building rails in Evansville will take a lot more time than it will to save Roberts Stadium or get Evansville Moving Forward, I believe that if you the viewers support this blog as much as you have supported the other two we will be successful.

Evansville has a lot of work ahead of it to bring rails of all kinds to town, so let's get to work!

(photo credit: vistadome.com)

Days Like Yesterday Are Why We Don't Need I-69

(photo credit: skyhi-usedcar.blogspot.com)

Yesterday morning, I woke up extremely excited due to the fact that I had tickets to the Indianapolis 500, the greatest racing spectacle in the world. I've been to Indianapolis Motor Speedway several times but this was the first time I would be going to the race itself.

As most of you know, Evansville is stuck in regressive mode so we haven't been able to get any form of passenger rail transportation here whether it be light rail, high speed rail, or even AMTRAK. Therefore, I was forced to take my automobile to Indy. So I did figuring it would be no big deal.

I began the trip early at 5 am and was at least fortunate to reach my roommates hotel where he would be riding with me to the race. For those who haven't been to Indianapolis recently, take a ride to the Indianapolis Bypass (I-465) where it meets I-70 and you will see what kind of mess I-69 is going to be. You will see trees plowed over, concrete roads going all over the place, orange barrels galore, and dried up waterways that use to flow.

Anyways, as we were finally leaving the hotel, I drove just two roads away from the hotel before my car decides it's going to take the day off. Right in the middle of the road, I was forced to push my vehicle across three lanes of traffic (of course all the drivers were so friendly about it!). The only good thing about it was that it decided to die before I got in the middle of race traffic in Speedway. That could have gotten very ugly.

This car trouble has been no fluke or one-time occurrence. This has been the third time I have had a car quit on me while I was out of time. The two other times were....

2008

Back in 2008, I decided to take a road trip with a couple of my old roommates to New York City to say good-bye to Shea and Yankee Stadiums. My uncle has an apartment in downtown Manhattan so I decided to make the 15 hour trek all the way into the center of NYC. By the time I made it to the enormous steep grades in the West Virginia mountains, my car had already been giving small signs that it wasn't going to stay running for the whole trip. The transmission was going sooner or later. Naturally, I made it all the way to the middle of Manhattan when the transmission decided to finally bite the dust.

I found a mechanic over in New Jersey who gave me the wonderful news that my car wasn't going anywhere for good. During the whole week I was up there waiting for my car to be diagnosed, I didn't miss it at all. I went to Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, Brooklyn (future Barclays Center site), Harlem, and Ground Zero on the New York City subways. There wasn't one spot in the whole region I couldn't get to.

Once it was time to leave, I had to make the decision to send my old car (a Mercury Mystique) to the Jersey junkyard and buy another one (a Ford Contour). While I got lucky that I found a car that is basically the same style as my old one, it still cost me several thousand dollars that I had to borrow instantly. And it certainly wasn't easy explaining to the New Jersey or Kentucky (where I lived at the time) BMV's that I needed to switch plates. Both were just concerned with hitting me with as many taxes as possible.

2009

I used to take one road trip with my old roommates from college and in 2009 we decided that we were going to take AMTRAK to Chicago where we would watch both a White Sox and a Cubs game on the same day. Since Evansville doesn't have AMTRAK, we had to drive all the way over to St. Louis to get on the train which we did.

On the way to St. Louis, I decided to stop in Illinois for gas. That was a huge mistake because when I shut the engine off, the starter went out. My buddy and I sat there for hours trying to get the car to work. Finally, after about two hours of just standing around wondering what we were going to do, the starter clicked over. We were then running behind schedule to catch the AMTRAK but we went flying into St.Louis to catch it (Thankfully some of those turns on I-64 have banking).

Naturally, right as we were pulling up the AMTRAK train was pulling out with the next train arriving 12 hours later. The only chance we had was to beat the train to its next stop in Alton, IL. We decided to try it (don't ask me why), and right as we're arriving the train is pulling out again.

However, AMTRAK has such great customer service. Already down the line a little bit, the conductor sitting in the back rail car sees us pulling up and stops the train. We were able to board the train outside of the station. I can't get over how incredibly nice that was of AMTRAK. That's how close I came to being stuck in the middle of nowhere due to the automobile.

Just like in NYC, we were easily able to get around Chicago without the car. In fact, Wrigley Field and US Cellular Field are on the same subway line. When we got back, we were very fortunate that the starter in the car started up one last time to get us back home to Evansville where I was able to round up a mechanic.

So, while building I-69 may look great to some on paper, the truth is, I-69 will just cause more headaches. If you're filthy rich, you may be saying, "No big deal, I got plenty of money to call a tow truck and take it to a mechanic." What you don't realize is that it's not that easy. Yesterday I was stuck in Indy on a holiday weekend. No mechanics and probably limited tow truck drivers, not to mention the fact that I didn't have a hotel up there as it was just a drive up/drive back trip.

When everything was said and done, I ended up spending over $200 borrowing my aunt's truck, gassing it up, putting a U-Haul tow-bar on it, and dragging it back home to the shop. I am now down to peanuts in my wallet. How many other people who drive to the Indy 500 will be in the same position as I was if they had car trouble?

Insurance companies, BMVs, gas prices, and car trouble are just a few of the many reasons why we do not need to be building anymore interstates. The whole ironic thing about it was the fact that while I was stranded on the side of the road, the C&P decides to produce another terrible pro-I-69 article...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/may/29/interstate-69-the-issue-star-supports-roadblock/

Folks in Southwestern Indiana have long understood that any number of influential voices in Indianapolis don't give a whit what happens in this corner of the state. That attitude was best demonstrated in 2000 when the Indianapolis Star, the state's largest newspaper, called the then-proposed Interstate 69 highway between Evansville and Indianapolis the "highway to nowhere."

First it was Bloomington's fault now it's Indianapolis' fault that I-69 supporters aren't having their greedy way? Even Tom Brokaw put I-69 in his Fleecing of America segment on the NBC News. When you build a highway that trims less than 13 minutes off your total trip, that is indeed a highway to nowhere.

No surprise there. The attitude thing with Indianapolis has never been a secret, plus The Star has opposed the proposed highway for years, stating on occasion that the existing U.S. 41/Interstate-70 route would be preferable to them to a direct, new terrain route through Bloomington.

Isn't it funny how this interstate is suppose to be the best thing since sliced bread, yet Indianapolis and Bloomington are both against it? At least the rest of Indiana is looking at this project with some common sense.

We would expect no less nonsense from the jokers in Bloomington, but not from The Star newspaper. And yet, this past week, an editorial in the newspaper suggested the Bloomington delaying tactics offer the Daniels administration an opportunity to save $400 million, the cost of the highway between Crane and Bloomington.

Wait a minute. If Indianapolis has always been out to get Evansville, then why would we expect anything different? The truth is, no matter if you're in a college town or a major urban city, wasting money on a road from the 1950s doesn't make sense, especially when it will end up costing well over $5 billion.

And what is it with the C&P calling groups jokers and clowns? No wonder other cities don't care about Evansville. I still don't understand why we should be calling Bloomington clowns and jokers when we have stoplights on the Lloyd, destroyed our light rail system, and have let our downtown turn to ruins.

They point out that the new terrain route is opposed by city councils in Indianapolis, Bloomington and Martinsville and by thousands of petitioners concerned about property loss, environmental damage and sheer expense.

Do you suppose those same concerns were raised when Interstates 65, 70, 69 north, 74, and 465 were being planned through and around Indianapolis?

I'm starting to wonder if the C&P just copies and pastes the quotes in the comments section from those whose post under masked screen names. There are several problems with this comment....

1. Most of those interstates were built back when technology wasn't as great. This is like saying, "No one protested the Oregon Trail or Route 66 so why don't we build them now?"

2. A lot of interstates have been protested here in Indiana. Back in 2006, Mitch Daniels proposed an Indiana Commerce Corridor which would have been another loop around Indianapolis. Strong opposition from local residents and the then Democrat-controlled House of Representatives forced Governor Daniels to abandon the ICC plan on March 24, 2007. I-69 itself has been protested as well with the southern point originally being near the I-65/I-70 junction (it would have been I-165). As a result, I-69 ends 11 miles further north.

3. There's no question that we have a few duplicate interstates elsewhere so why didn't the C&P protest those? We can talk all we want about how one city is getting an interstate over another but the truth is, other cities wanted it more back in the 1950s just like they are wanting high speed rail more now. The C&P is setting us back 50 more years fighting for I-69.

4. There are already two roads you can use for I-69. They are US 41 and I-70. NOBODY would fight upgrading 41.

The editorial points out that direct route opponents still believe there is time to switch to U.S.41/I-70, that that route presents none of the concerns about direct I-69 going into Indianapolis, it believes that the economic case for the new terrain roadway over U.S. 41/I-70 never has been made, and that freeway construction has lost its favor over "the decades the I-69 extension has been hashed over."

If favor for freeways really had been lost, then why did they need to modernize I-465 in Indianapolis these past few years to the tune of $800 million, twice what the Crane to Bloomington leg would cost?

As I said earlier, I'm not happy about the I-465 renovation either, and I wish it would have been scrapped too, but lets be honest, the I-465 renovation is still better than building completely new terrain for I-69 and the Indiana Commerce Corridor which would have duplicated routes and destroyed much more of the environment. The Indy Star is right on the money: THE INTERSTATE ERA IS OVER!

With Major Moves, Daniels has given this state the opportunity for millions in infrastructure construction and modernization, at a time when many other states are paralyzed to do anything.

This is where the C&P and me are 180 degrees different. What good does it do to sell an interstate in northern Indiana for less that what it would have brought in in tolls, and then build more interstates that will make Indiana dependent on the automobile. You see, if we were to use our gas tax revenue smartly, building high speed rail would be very quick and easy. When you pay a gas tax or a toll, it should go towards improving your commute, not building more roads to keep you stuck with the auto system of the 20th century.

And he need not explain to the people of Southern Indiana the extraordinary steps he has taken to see that they are finally getting a modern highway to their state capital.

Modern highway? That's like clean coal or a healthy cigarette. It just doesn't exist. My story from yesterday is a perfect example of that!

One final point: Do they actually support the idea of building I-69 only as far as Crane, there to dead end, and then, we presume, to shift the project over to U.S. 41-I-70?

How utterly ridiculous that would be.

Sounds good to me. That would only save a few billion dollars, can't be having that. Didn't the C&P say that they wanted a safe commute for students going to IU? Well, now they will have that with State Road 37 going to Indianapolis as well. How is that any worse than the death trap that will be left for those going to Vincenness and Terre Haute? It's bad enough these first three segments have destroyed a lot of our environment, but let's not let it get any farther than that.

Overall, I am so sick and tired of seeing dollar after dollar going to interstates that aren't dependable when we can be investing in dependable high speed rail for the future. Yesterday's debacle would have NEVER happened if we had high speed rail or AMTRAK here. But if we build I-69, we can expect to see more residents broke down on the side of the road with no hope in sight. We can also expect to see crosses, wrecks, animals that have been run over, flooded farmland, loud semis, and a state still addicted to oil.

We simply cannot trust the automobile. We need RAILS NOT ROADS!

(photo credit: scientificamerican.com)
(photo credit: microcosmpublishing.com)

More Hot Air From I-69 Supporters

(photo credit: inquisitr.com)

I woke up today with the full intention of making a post about the many negative affects that urban sprawl is having on Evansville. However, that post will have to wait another day as I feel that we need to take a deep, deep look at the new editorial produced by the Courier & Press.

Whoever the masked man is behind the C&P editorials is desperate beyond desperate to spread as much I-69 propaganda as humanely possible despite the obvious facts that this road is nothing more than a boondoggle.

Today, they produced another pro-I-69 editorial that just makes you want to shake your head. Let's take a look...

http://www.courierpress.com/news/2011/may/22/another-roadblock-the-issue-bloomington-tries-to/

First of all, the fact that this editorial is even being written is due to the great leadership shown by the city of Bloomington in making the correct decision of leaving I-69 out of their budget. My hat's off to the city of Bloomington, the Hoosier Environmental Council, and Citizens for Appropriate Rural Roads. There are some battles you shouldn't fight even if you win, but there are some battles you should fight even if you lose. That battle is I-69 and it takes quite a bit of courage for these groups to step up to all the pressure from INDOT, Evansville, Indianapolis, and interstate supporters all across the land. This type of leadership is what you have to have if you are ever going to get your city moving forward. I'm thrilled beyond thrilled that Bloomington rejected I-69.

Let's take a look at some of the editorial's comments...

"OK guys, if you are going to try and prevent the state from running Interstate 69 through the Bloomington area, then you are going to have to give back the state's university — you can't have one and not the other.

We're kidding, of course, but this seems an appropriate response to the latest antics by the clowns who do transportation planning in Bloomington."

I take them at their word that they are kidding about proposing the relocation of IU from Bloomington, but the fact that that even crossed their mind shows you just how off base I-69 supporters are. This is an idea you would find in the comments section under an unknown screen name.

If an interstate is so crucial to the viability of a college/university, than how is Indiana University continuing to grow by leaps and bounds? And if I-69 bypasses Bloomington, how would that be any different than I-69 bypassing downtown Evansville and western Evansville where our fastest growing university (USI) is located?

I really don't think it's wise to call another town's planners clowns when our very own city has stoplights all over the Lloyd Expressway and U.S 41 (which would have been fixed with an upgraded U.S 41). And let's not forget that our very own town had a nice light rail system on Franklin Street, a grand L&N Station, and a vibrant Main Street. While other cities have turned their buildings and light rail systems into crown jewels of their regions, our local "clowns" destroyed every thing we had with little regard for our city. We have a major pal over Evansville and until we lift this pal, it isn't wise to label any other town's planners clowns.

"According to the Associated Press, Bloomington City Council member Andy Ruff, also a member of the planning group, said Monroe County residents have unresolved questions on the road's funding, the location of interchanges and the environment. (Don't forget, Indiana conducted one of the most comprehensive environmental studies ever done anywhere before launching this vital project"

Well let's see, I-69 planners have raised the estimated cost of the interstate from a billion and change to now $3.31 billion (doesn't include Ohio River bridge(s), maintenance, or costs to replace inferior materials), they have finally admitted that they will have to purchase almost 6,000 acres of farmland that will flood, it will destroy a total of 3,741 acres of farmland, and 1,815 acres of forest will be lost. Over 7,000 acres will be paved over by construction ( http://www.hecweb.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/I69_white_paper.pdf ). Wouldn't you say that is quite an environmental impact for a road that is expected to only save you 15 minutes or less of drive time?

It gets even worse. Due to the fact that INDOT does not have enough funding to complete the entire I-69, they have had to start making drastic cuts. INDOT has announced that it will pursue various cost-cutting measures – delayed/cancelled overpasses and rest stops, narrowed shoulders and medians, steeper grades, and thinner surface materials. Any city that is wise, should be concerned about I-69's lack of funding, cheap construction designs, and environmental impact.

"There's more: Ruff said, according to The Herald Times, "There comes a time when you stand up to a bully. it is time to stand up for ourselves."

Readers of the Courier & Press should take note: When Ruff talks about "the bully," he is talking about the people of Southwestern Indiana who want and need this highway."

No, Mr. Ruff is talking about those who truly are bullies, and that is those who support I-69. I-69 supporters are desperate to build their boondoggle and will throw anyone under the bus (no pun intended). So far they have...

- Taken $700 million from Major Moves which was acquired through the selling of a toll road in Northern Indiana. In other words, Northern Indiana pays the toll while Southern Indiana reaps the benefits.

- Ignored almost all of the environmental impacts of the interstate.

- Refused to upgrade the death trap that is US 41 from Evansville to Terre Haute, leaving those who commute to Vincennes University and Indiana State University exposed to a highly dangerous road.

- Refused to consider high speed rail for Southwestern Indiana.

- Cheapened the design of the interstate so that future taxpayers will be stuck with a hefty bill to properly upgrade the interstate in the future

That is the bullies Mr. Ruff is referring to. What really is frustrating about the whole process is that everyone could have won out of this project if the I-69 supporters would not have been greedy. Washington, Indiana, Petersburg, Indiana, and most other areas that are on the proposed New Terrain I-69 are within 20-30 miles of US 41....

http://www.carri69.org/facts/maps.html

Depending on where you live here in Evansville, it will take you a good 15-20 miles minimum to reach I-64. We could have upgraded U.S 41 all the way to Terre Haute and then built a side spur from Vincennes or Sullivan to Bloomington. That would have eliminated almost all of the new terrain in the first 3 segments which run parallel to U.S 41 only 20-30 miles away.

"He is talking about Indiana University students and their parents who must worry each time they make the trip to Bloomington on narrow, curvy roads they share with coal trucks and slow-moving farm equipment.

He is talking about the folks in Petersburg and Washington who may need to see a medical specialist in Indianapolis and are concerned about getting there safely.

He is talking about high school band members from Newburgh or Evansville who travel by bus for competition in Indianapolis and hope to make it there without accident."

Again, what about those traveling to Vincennes? What about those traveling to Terre Haute? If the C&P is genuinely concerned about safety, why are they proposing to build an interstate which will make us dependent on the automobile? The automobile kills over 30,000 people a year. Building an interstate from the 1950s isn't the solution to safety, High Speed Rail is!

High Speed Rail is the answer to all of our problems we face with the automobile. It's quicker, cleaner, greener, safer, cheaper, nicer, and produces many,many more jobs while raising property values around it. High speed rail is the transportation solution of the 21st century. Not only will it get you there safely, it will also get you there fast at over 220 mph. If we build high speed rail, we will have people living in Bloomington while working in Evansville. With I-69, very few will be able to do that.

We also have a fair amount of tracks already laid that can be paired with High Speed Rail Right-Of-Way...

http://www.in.gov/indot/files/MAIN-RR-08.PDF

"Remember this: INDOT is building Interstate 69 at the request of people who for more than 50 years pleaded for a modern highway to Bloomington and Indianapolis."

This right here tells us exactly why we shouldn't build I-69. This project is well over 50 years old. We don't lay down horse and buggy trails anymore and we shouldn't build 1950s infrastructure, it's time to move on. We need to pay tribute to our 1950's and later history and heritage by saving great buildings and artifacts from those time periods that are already built such as Roberts Stadium, the Old Greyhound Bus Station, and the Old Courthouse and Jail. We need to preserve history not live in history!

"In the meantime, the first three sections of the highway between Evansville and Crane are under construction. The fourth section is the one threatened by Bloomington."

Like I said earlier, this is not something to be proud of. We just spent several million dollars and ended up with an interstate that is within, at the very farthest, 20-30 miles of U.S 41. We have destroyed a good chunk of the environment in Southern Indiana, we have uprooted many farms and families, and we still have yet to see any significant economic impact. By far and away, this has been a boondoggle of epic proportions. If we don't stop it now, it will go from a multi-million dollar boondoggle to a multi-billion dollar boondoggle.

"INDOT officials say they will take their time and consider their options. That's wise, as long as INDOT continues the rapid construction pace set by Gov. Mitch Daniels. In other words, don't stop now."

For those who believe we should keep going with I-69, consider this...

1. Why is a "direct route" to Indianapolis seen as necessary, yet Kentucky is upgrading their Western Kentucky Parkway and Pennyrile which isn't a direct route?

2. How will an I-69 bypass (I-164) provide a better economic impact than U.S 41 which goes right through the middle of Evansville?

3. Why is it okay to take $700 million from a Northern Indiana toll road, yet it is not okay to toll I-69 to give the money back and make the road self-sustaining?

4. If an interstate is such a great driver for economic development, than why aren't Terre Haute, Anderson, and Marion huge metro areas?

5. Why is safety an issue for Bloomington, Washington, and Evansville residents but the safety of those residents in Princeton, Vincennes, Sullivan, and Terre Haute is being ignored by the failure to upgrade U.S 41?

6. Why do we need a completely new terrain for the first 3 segments of I-69 when they run parallel to U.S 41 within 20-30 miles?

7. Which would you rather Evansville be: A crossroads of America rail station or a truck stop full of minimum wage jobs?

8. Why are we building an interstate when gas prices continue to rise, are expected to continue to rise, and driving amongst teenagers is becoming less popular?

9. How many people will be able to commute daily to Evansville from Indianapolis and Bloomington on an interstate where the speed limit is 70 mph versus High Speed Rail where speeds reach 220 mph and greater?

10. While I-69 is safER than state road 57, why is an automobile dependent interstate being pitched as a safety necessity when the auto kills over 30,000 Americans each year?

11. What are the true costs when I-69 is completely totaled up (Evv-Indy, Ohio River Bridge, maintenance costs, interchanges that will need to be added eventually)?

12. Why are we sacrificing thousands of acres of farmland, several hundred homes, and the habitats of all of our wildlife just to save a handful of minutes drive time?

13. If I-64 is at least 10-15 miles outside of Evansville, why can't all those cities on the first three segments thrive with an upgraded U.S 41 only 20-30 miles away?

14. If I-69 is bypassing the vast majority of Evansville, why can't it bypass Bloomington?

15. Why is I-69 only projected to create 4,600 jobs when I-69 supporters themselves have been claiming that 47,000 jobs are created for every $1 billion spent on infrastructure?

16. Of the jobs projected to be created by I-69, how many of those are jobs that will simply move from U.S 41-I-70 over to I-69? How many are quality jobs versus minimum wage jobs?

As I've been saying for some time now, there is a pal over Evansville. Unfortunately, it is going to keep getting stronger until we change our thought process. We absolutely have to start innovating.

We need to look at cities such as Chattanooga for our vision. Chattanooga, which only has 167,674 residents is thinking like the big cities. A few years ago, the Federal Railroad Administration released a vision for High Speed Rail that contained 11 corridors for development...

http://www.fra.dot.gov/Pages/203.shtml

As you can see, Chattanooga was left off the list. Instead of going back to old methods of transportation such as the interstate, Chattanooga didn't give up. Not only did they not give up, they are aiming even higher than High Speed Rail.

Currently, high speed rail usually runs 110-220 mph. But, there is also another new rail technology called Maglev (Magnetic Levitation) where the train has no steel wheels and levitates over the track by magnets which power it. Maglev is capable of going over 310 mph. The only downside to Maglev is that it is double the price of High Speed Rail.

Maglev's price tag (which is still very competitive with the interstate construction costs) and being left off the High Speed Rail list hasn't kept Chattanooga down. No, they are planning on building a Maglev line from Chattanooga's airport to downtown Atlanta where it would connect with the rest of the high speed rail grid...

http://www.transrapid-usa.com/main.asp

http://www.transrapid-usa.com/images/route_USA.jpg

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2010/sep/25/maglev-money-will-be-raised-official-says/

Instead of wasting billions after billions after billions of dollars on an interstate from the 1950s that will give us little to no benefits, we need to think like Chattanooga. We need to push for High Speed Rail and Maglev Rail to come to Evansville! They will be cleaner, greener, cheaper, faster, safer, more luxurious, and will raise property values through the roof. We need RAILS NOT ROADS!

(photo credit: flickriver.com)