July 25, 2007
Lies, Liars And The Ne'er Do Wells Who Tell Them
This post may not make much sense to those of you who don't live in Louisville. As you are aware, the city is on the Ohio River, which runs east to west in this area. The "front" of the city, so to speak, is broken in half by Interstate 64, which runs along the river through downtown. It's an ugly eyesore that keeps most of the are cut off from enjoying the river on foot. There is a large downtown park, but it is small compared to the area that would be opened up were in interstate not there.
Enter 8664.org, a group of people who want to remove I-64 from the riverfront and replace it with a surface street running through a meadow that is accessible to the public. To do this, all the traffic that goes through downtown every day would have to either be shunted to surface streets or diverted to I-264, which is a few miles south.
Currently, a 5-mile section of I-64 is closed for repair work. Traffic is so bad that even on a good day, a trip to my home from work that normally takes 30 minutes takes nearly 60. On Tuesday, it took me 80 minutes to get home because of a traffic jam on one of the surface streets downtown. The traffic is so snarled that police are directing traffic downtown for most of the day.
If the 8664.org folks get their way, this will be a permanent condition. To hear them tell it, the current situation is not representational of what would occur if their plan was carried to fruition. Really? Why not? The section of interstate that is now closed is the very section they want to remove for good.
I was thinking about this today (as I do every day while I drive home) when I remembered there was going to be an 8664 demonstration on the Great Lawn by the river. I drove by the park and got a good look at some of the protesters. As I suspected, many of the cars were from counties outside of Jefferson (the county in which Louisville is located); most of them were from east of the downtown area, the same area that is fighting against a much-needed east end bridge. The other group present was the old hippie crowd, the same losers who protest almost everything: Vietnam, Iraq, the G8, Bill Gates, mom and apple pie.
The point is that NONE of these people use I-64 on a regular basis, so they have no trouble imagining a fantasy downtown full of green grass and happy people. While I certainly agree that the interstate should never have been built where it is, it has been there for over 40 years. The cost of re-routing it would probably run to nearly a billion dollars and it can not simply be removed without creating an alternative highway south of downtown. But these protesters don't seem to care about any of this. In their shiny, happy world, those of us who live in Indiana and work in Kentucky or who commute to or from downtown Louisville will simply have to make other plans.
That'll be the day.
Posted by Matthew at July 25, 2007 09:20 PMTrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.opaquelucidity.com/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/1184
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Lies, Liars And The Ne'er Do Wells Who Tell Them:
» annual credit report from annual credit report
[Read More]
» DPL Announces Timing of Year-End from transmission repair cost
DPL, through its subsidiaries, owns and operates approximately 3750 megawatts of generation capacity, of which 2800 megawatts are low cost [Read More]
One difference between the condition today and their proposal is the lack of a bridge in the east end connecting I-265 (IN) to I-265 (KY). This would alleviate some of the congestion found today in downtown by re-routing thru traffic. Would that be enough to minimize headaches? I don't know.
Posted by: Matt at July 26, 2007 09:39 AMThe area of downtown Louisville where 64, 65, and 71 meet is generally referred to as "Spaghetti Junction." A more appropriate name for that area should be "CF Junction" because every day, that's what you'll find there.
Also, it appears to me that east-west interstates most commonly intersect a city's north and south side. I'm sure that with some level-minded thought, a solution could be made that would make traffic more manageable and still keep the downtown area simple and inviting.
For those of us who commute to the Louisville area for work, there should really be no surprise that thousands of people also make that commute, on top of those who reside in Jefferson County. The simple fact is, with jobs like Ford and UPS, and other major companies, this area is loaded with opportunity for success if you are willing to work. If you are one of the thousands that commute to the area because your company, (or should I say, your source of income, and therefore, livelihood) then you (like myself) have no room to gripe about the traffic situation. Because:
1. Like the post says, this highway system was set in place more than 40 years ago. Alot about how Americans travel has changed in that time.
2. If the thousands of us weren't commuting daily to the area, then the traffic situation would not be nearly as dramatic.
Overall, it is important for us as a community and as a society to be able to understand the needs of our citizens and act accordingly. Too often we get special interest groups that have only one real interest, and they often fail to consider the consequences of their wants.
Is a move for I-64 necessary? I am definitely not the person to ask, but I can say that it can be very frustrating to travel through downtown Louisville. I understand that it may cost millions, or possibly billions to move that highway, but I would not complain if it meets the needs of the community and can be done in a way that makes travel more safe and efficient for everyone.
Lastly, we should consider what it means for us to enjoy the new speed limit, which is now 70 in some parts of the area. I absolutely hate the fact that we have pressed the issue to the point where safety and economy have become second fiddle to speed. I travel right at 70 miles a day to and from work, and I see things on the interstate that make me think that 55 is a much more appropriate speed.
When you consider the cost of gas, the wear and tear on your vehicle, and the heavily increased chance of a fatal accident, there is no reason for us to travel at such unsafe speeds. We were doing 70 long before the new speed limit, and now that bar has raised again. You may think that you are a very safe driver, but you are just as likely to be involved in a major accident by that person next to you... You know, the one trying to multitask an entire business day from the driver's seat? I see you all over the place and the stupidity is incredible.
Lastly, I have noticed that a simple change in departure time can result in a major decrease in travel time. If you leave just a bit earlier, then you can beat some of the traffic and in the meantime, ease up on that Advil.
Travel safe!
Posted by: Troy Overton![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.opaquelucidity.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at July 26, 2007 06:30 PM
I have to disagree with Matt on this one. I think the basic premise of 8664.org is a very good one.
You stated in the post above that "...most of them were from east of the downtown area, the same area that is fighting against a much-needed east end bridge.".
This doesn't make sense as the very 1st point of the 8664.org project is to build an East end bridge.
I think creating an I64 bypass across Louisville would most certainly alleviate spaghetti junction congestion. Moreover, it would connect I64 to I71 OUTSIDE of downtown, which is a huge plus.
Your fears expressed in you statement "..In their shiny, happy world, those of us who live in Indiana and work in Kentucky or who commute to or from downtown Louisville will simply have to make other plans." doesn't make sense either. The current I64 bridge doesn't magically disappear. In fact, if the East bound I64 traffic bypasses louisville by going around it it will make the I64 bridge purely as a conduit for those traversing between Indiana and Louisville downtown. The only through traffic would then be I65 south. Then all one would have to do would be to "prohibit" semi truck thru-traffic (they do this in many cities) and Spaghetti juction would be gone and it would be a beautiful drive into downtown louisville from 3 major interstates.
The key to all of this is of course a bridge across the Ohio on the Posh/Rich East end of louisville.
Hash
Posted by: Hash at July 27, 2007 02:47 PM