Freeway Fighters Digest (week of 11/14)

Lauren MayerWeekly News Digest

Hi all,

Here is what is being said about freeway fighting this week. If you come across any articles, feel free to share and please let me know if you have any questions. *Please note the next edition of the Freeway Fighters Digest will be sent on 12/2/22.

The next monthly Freeway Fighters meetup will be on Wednesday, November 30th from 4-5pm ET. Join the meeting at: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84259004521

Freeway Fighters news

Governor Hochul Announces Opening of Community Outreach Office for the Kensington …
Governor Kathy Hochul – NY.gov November 11, 2022
Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that a community outreach office has officially opened for the Kensington Expressway project at 878 Humboldt Parkway in the City of Buffalo to further opportunities for public engagement as planning for the project to reconnect the community along the Kensington Expressway in East Buffalo continues.

Dallas’ deck parks become inspiration for Atlanta – Axios
Axios November 11, 2022
Klyde Warren Park appears to have spurred more office and residential development in Dallas than other Sun Belt cities experienced since 2012, per an analysis by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

Transportation: State Picks I-94 Expansion Over ‘Fix at Six’ Proposal – Urban Milwaukee
Urban Milwaukee November 12, 2022
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is sticking with its earlier proposal to expand Interstate 94 between N. 16th and N. 70th St.

Groups behind I-35 lawsuit demand immediate halt to I-35 Capital Express South Project
Environment America November 12, 2022
 The Texas Public Interest Research Group (TexPIRG), Environment Texas, and Rethink35 called Friday for an immediate halt to seemingly imminent plans by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to begin expanding an 8-mile portion of I-35 from SH 45 North to US 290 East under the I-35 Capital Express South project. 

WisDOT to pursue freeway expansion to 8 lanes along I-94 East-West corridor – BizTimes
BizTimes November 12, 2022
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation announced Friday that it will be pursuing a plan to expand the six-lane I-94 East-West freeway between 16th Street and 70th Street in Milwaukee to eight lanes.

Wisconsin DOT has redone the Milwaukee west I-94 study. Plans remain to widen it from 6 to 8 lanes.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel November 12, 2022
Interstate 94 on Milwaukee’s west side should be expanded from six lanes to eight lanes, according to a new study from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation — a conclusion that opponents hope will not obtain final federal approval.

Plans unveiled for I-94 expansion, leaving some upset Milwaukee residents – CBS 58
CBS 58 November 12, 2022
 Plans unveiled today for the future expansion of I-94, upsetting residents in Milwaukee’s Story Hill neighborhood. 

I-94 East-West project; WisDOT releases preferred expansion plan
FOX6 News Milwaukee November 12, 2022
The long-stalled Interstate 94 East-West project could be moving forward.

Editorial: Rethinking the Ohio riverfront – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette November 12, 2022
Piatt Companies — formerly Millcraft Investments — has proposed a dreamlike $600-million development for Pittsburgh’s Chateau neighborhood, an ambitious mixed-use project that could revitalize the riverfront.

Proposed Turnpike extension has cyclists and residents fuming – Hudson Reporter
Hudson Reporter November 13, 2022
Bicyclists were out in force on Saturday, as Hudson County residents came together to denounce the proposed Turnpike Expansion project which not only would derail the city from a path of environmental equity, but would increase traffic volume and carbon emissions.

Activists and Local Officials Gather to Protest Turnpike Widening – Jersey City Times
Jersey City Times November 13, 2022
With the New Jersey Turnpike as a backdrop, a coalition of activists and local officials gathered yesterday to protest a $4.7 billion plan that would rebuild and widen the turnpike over an 8.1 mile stretch from Exit 14 in Newark to the Holland Tunnel. 

Downtown I-10 expansion to undergo environmental analysis – El Paso Matters
El Paso Matters November 13, 2022
The controversial $750 million project to expand Interstate 10 in Downtown El Paso is about to undergo a rigorous study that will look at how the project may affect everything from the environment to businesses to residents in the area.

Podcast Episode 103: Pike Off OTA Leaders Share Their Mission
Eminent Domain Podcast November 2022
Today, we are joined by the leaders of Pike Off OTA, a grass-roots organization formed initially to prevent the development of two proposed turnpikes, the East-West Corridor and the South Extension, that are in the vicinity of Oklahoma City.

Milwaukee’s I-94 would be expanded 8 lanes under state recommendation
Wisconsin Public Radio November 16, 2022
Milwaukee-area commuters will see a widened Interstate 94 on the city’s west side if a new recommendation from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation is adopted.

Milwaukee Mayor Cavalier Johnson signals openness to I-794 deconstruction
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel November 16, 2022
“I’m certainly interested in having the conversation to see what the possibilities are,” Johnson said on Monday. 

Segregation by Design maps highway expansion in Florida’s Magic City
The Architect’s Newspaper November 16, 2022
Located at the mouth of the Miami River on the shores of Biscayne Bay, Downtown Miami, like the centers of so many American cities, is ringed by a loop of midcentury interstate highways. 

Keys to Urban Economic Development: Trees and . . . Blowing Up Highways?!? | Inside of Knoxville
Inside of Knoxville November 17, 2022
It’s intuitive that a city is better served with more trees, right? 

Activists Are Suing Texas Over Its Plan to Expand Interstate 35, Saying the Project Is Bad for …
Inside Climate News November 17, 2022
Environmental justice and climate activists are suing the Texas government over its plan to expand a section of an interstate highway that runs through the state, saying the project would exacerbate climate change, worsen air quality in neighborhoods already overburdened by industrial pollution and fail to reduce traffic as regulators say it will.  

Residents voice their concerns about Concord I-93 expansion
Concord Monitor November 17, 2022
Plans to expand Interstate 93 through Concord would further divide the city racially, physically and socioeconomically, resident Meredith Cooley told City Councilors Monday night.

Highway Expansion Moves Forward in Austin Despite Local Opposition | Planetizen News
Planetizen November 18, 2022
A new double-decker highway segment will radically alter the look of Interstate 35 in Austin, where, in spite of protests from community groups and local officials, the Texas Department of Transportation plans to move forward with the highway expansion project.