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, MILWAUKE 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