% CAN SERVE WHILE THEY AWAIT
% SENATE CONFIRMATION.
% THE NEXT BILLION-DOLLAR ROAD
% CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IN
% MILWAUKEE IS MOVING FORWARD.
% BUT THERE'S STILL TIME FOR THE
% PUBLIC TO PROVIDE INPUT TO THE
% STATE AND OPPONENTS ARE HOPING
% TO CHANGE THE PLAN.
% THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF
% TRANSPORTATION ANNOUNCED LAST
% FALL THEIR PLAN TO EXPAND THE
% INTERSTATE 94 CORRIDOR TO EIGHT
% LANES.
% THAT STRETCH RUNS FROM
% WEST ALLIS PAST AMERICAN FAMILY
% FIELD TOWARDS THE DOWNTOWN.
% THE STATE HAS STUDIED EXPANSION
% FOR THE LAST DECADE, BUT FORMER
% GOVERNOR SCOTT WALKER KILLED OFF
% THE PROJECT IN 2016, THEN
% GOVERNOR EVERS REVIVED IT.
% THAT HAS ANGERED A COALITION OF
% GROUPS WHO OPPOSE EXPANSION AND
% WOULD PREFER TO SEE THE ROAD
% STAY AT SIX LANES.
% JOINING US NOW IS MEMBER OF ONE
% OF THOSE OPPOSITION GROUPS,
% REVEREND DR. RICHARD SHAW.
% PRESIDENT OF MILWAUKEE INNER
% CITY CONGREGATION'S ALLIED FOR
% HOPE.
% THANKS FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
% >> THANK YOU.
% >> NOW WHAT IS THE MAIN
% OPPOSITION THAT YOUR GROUP HAS
% TO EXPANDING THAT STRETCH OF
% ROAD TO EIGHT LANES?
% >> THE -- I WOULD SAY THE
% PRIMARY OPPOSITION WOULD BE
% IGNORING THE PUBLIC TRANSIT
% ISSUES THAT WE HAVE WHEREAS SOME
% OF THAT FUNDING OR A GOOD BIT OF
% IT WOULD BETTER BENEFIT OR
% BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS OF
% MILWAUKEE IN TERMS OF HELPING
% THEM GET FROM NEIGHBORHOOD TO
% NEIGHBORHOOD, PUTTING THOSE
% FUNDS INTO THAT STRETCH FROM
% 27TH TO NATIONAL.
% WE'RE ALSO CONCERNED ABOUT THE
% ENVIRONMENT.
% YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EXPANDING
% TO EIGHT LANES, WHICH WILL
% INCREASE EMISSIONS, IT WILL ALSO
% INCREASE SALT AND CONTAMINATE
% THE LAND, SO THERE ARE VARIOUS
% THINGS BUT FOR THE MOST PART, IT
% DOES NOT BENEFIT THE RESIDENTS
% OF MILWAUKEE AS MUCH AS IT WOULD
% THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE SUBURBAN
% AREAS, WHO ARE -- WHO AIM TO GET
% DOWNTOWN TO WORK AND FOR
% ENTERTAINMENT.
% SO THOSE FUNDS COULD JUST BE
% BETTER SPENT.%>> NOW, MILWAU
KE MILWAUKEE'S INE
% SYSTEM IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN WHITE
% FLIGHT FROM THE CITY TO THE
% SUBURBS WITH THE ORIGINAL
% HIGHWAYS OFTEN BULLDOZING BLACK
% NEIGHBORHOODS.
% DO YOU SEE THIS PROJECT AS A
% CONTINUATION OF THAT HISTORY, OF
% WHO IT SERVES?
% >> YES, YES, DEFINITELY.
% IT'S SERVING THOSE WHO LIVE IN
% THE SUBURBS AS WELL AS THE
% EXBURBS TO BE ABLE TO, AGAIN,
% GET INTO MILWAUKEE AND TO, YOU
% KNOW, ENJOY DOWNTOWN.
% WHEN WE DISRUPT NEIGHBORHOODS
% THAT ARE ALREADY POOR AND THOSE
% THAT ARE ALREADY FACING
% CHALLENGES, IT ACTUALLY MAKES IT
% HARDER ON EVERYONE.
% AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRYING
% TO PROVIDE MEANS FOR PEOPLE TO
% GET TO WORK AND TO GET TO
% DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS, AGAIN,
% THOSE FUNDS COULD BE BETTER
% INVESTED IN IMPROVING THE
% TRANSIT SYSTEM IN MILWAUKEE, AND
% SO YES, IT IS NOT DIRECTLY
% IMPACTING IN A POSITIVE WAY OR A
% POSITIVE IMPACT AT ALL FOR
% PEOPLE OF COLOR LIVING IN
% MILWAUKEE.
% >> NOW THE DEPARTMENT OF
% TRANSPORTATION STUDIED A
% PROPOSAL TO RE-DO THAT SECTION
% OF INTERSTATE, BUT TO KEEP IT AT
% SIX LANES AS YOUR COALITION HAD
% ASKED FOR BUT DETERMINED IT
% WOULD HAVE ABOUT THE SAME COST
% AND NOT PROVIDE THE LONG TERM
% UPGRADES FOR EFFICIENCY.
% HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT?
% >> AGAIN, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT
% COST.
% IT'S ABOUT WHAT IT WILL DO TO
% THE ENVIRONMENT AS WELL.
% AND FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, STILL
% TRYING TO KEEP THAT IN THERE IS
% NOT ALLOWING ADEQUATE FUNDS TO
% BENEFIT THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN
% MILWAUKEE AND IN THAT ROUTE.
% >> NOW, THE DEPARTMENT OF
% TRANSPORTATION PLAN DOES ALLOW
% FOR $25 MILLION TO GO TOWARDS
% UPGRADED TRANSIT FOR THE
% CONSTRUCTION PERIOD TO HELP
% PEOPLE THAT ARE IMPACTED BY
% THAT.
% THAT'S OPPOSED TO A $1.2 BILLION
% COST.
% IF THERE WAS MORE MONEY IN THAT
% PLAN FOR TRANSIT, WOULD THIS
% BECOME MORE ACCEPTABLE?
% >> YOU KNOW, A TEMPORARY
% SOLUTION IS NOT GOING TO WORK.
% YES, THOSE FUNDS WILL
% TEMPORARILY HELP THE TRANSIT
% SYSTEM, BUT IT'S NOT A PERMANENT
% FIX.
% AND WHAT GOOD IS TO INVEST THIS
% MON HE'LL IN SOMMONEY IN SOMETHS
% TEMPORARY WHEN WE CAN DO
% SOMETHING THAT CAN MAKE A
% PERMANENT IMPACT ON THE
% RESIDENTS OF MILWAUKEE,
% ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO WILL BE
% IMPACTED DIRECTLY BY THIS
% CONSTRUCTION?
% >> HOW DO YOU FEEL THAT IT WAS
% GOVERNOR EVERS AND HIS
% ADMINISTRATION THAT GAVE THIS
% EXPANSION THE GREEN LIGHT WHEN
% THE PROJECT WAS DEAD?
% >> WELL, WHETHER IT WAS GOVERNOR
% EVERS OR ANY PAST GOVERNOR, WE
% HAVE TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE WHO
% ARE IMPACTED NEGATIVELY.
% IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT SIDE OF
% THE POLITICAL FENCE THAT THEY'RE
% ON.
% AND SO I WOULD HOPE THAT
% GOVERNOR EVERS WOULD ACTUALLY
% TAKE A STANCE ON THIS OR DO
% MORE, SPEAK OUT ON IT AND
% SUPPORT THIS EFFORT OF FIXED AT
% SIX, BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS
% DIRECTLY NEGATIVELY IMPACTS THE
% RESIDENTS OF MILWAUKEE,
% ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE ALONG
% THAT ROUTE.
% >> AND THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU
% WOULD LIKE TO SEE, THE SO CALLED
% FIX AT SIX, STILL UPGRADES THE
% INTERSTATE SO IT'S NOT LEAVING
% IT IN ITS CURRENT STATE, IT'S
% JUST THE EXPANSION THAT'S THE
% PRIMARY OPPOSITION HERE?
% >> YES.
% AND MY -- SUPPORTS THIS BECAUSE
% JUST BRINGING THE HIGHWAYS UP TO
% STANDARD, MAKING THE NECESSARY
% REPAIRS WILL STILL BRING JOBS,
% IT WILL STILL ALLOW PERSONS TO
% TRAVEL.
% I'VE LIVED IN ATLANTA, I'VE
% LIVED IN CHICAGO.
% AND I'VE EXPERIENCED THE EIGHT
% LANES.
% AND SO ALL OF THEM BECOME
% PARKING LOTS.
% SO EXPANDING TO EIGHT LANES WILL
% NOT BENEFIT TRANSPORTATION TO
% AND FRO, MILWAUKEE TO THE
% SUBURBS.
% BUT YES, WE BELIEVE THAT IT CAN
% BE DONE WITH THE SIX LANES, JUST
% INVEST THE MONEY, PUT IT INTO
% THAT, CREATE OTHER THINGS THAT
% CAN BENEFIT MILWAUKEE RESIDENTS.
% >> JUST A COUPLE SECONDS LEFT.
% WHAT DO YOU WANT THE PUBLIC TO
% SAY DURING THIS OPEN COMMENT
% PERIOD?
% >> I WANT US TO SAY BUT ALSO
% THINK, THINK ABOUT HUMANITY AND
% PEOPLE.
% I KNOW THAT IT LOOKS GOOD FROM
% THE OUTSIDE, IT GIVES THE
% IMPRESSION OF ADVANCEMENT FOR A
% CITY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY,
% THE MARGINALIZED WHO ARE
% SPEAKING BUT THEY'RE NOT BEING
% HEARD, THOSE WHO ARE SAYING,
% LISTEN, WE NEED TRANSPORTATION,
% SAFE TRANSPORTATION WITHIN OUR
% NEIGHBORHOODS, AND SO THIS IS
% WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO
% SPEAK OUT ON.
% NOT NECESSARILY YOUR CONVENIENCE
% TO GET AGAIN FROM THE SUBURBS TO
% DOWNTOWN, BUT CONSIDER HUMANITY
% AND CONSIDER THE LEAST OF THESE.
% >> ALL RIGHT, REVEREND
% DR. RICHARD SHAW, THANKS FOR
% YOUR TIME TODAY.
% >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
% >> FOR MORE ON THIS AND OTHER
% ISSUES FACING WISCONSIN, VISIT
% OUR WEBSITE AT PBSWISCONSIN