At the CART annual meeting tonight, it was decided we would post some comments CART and others had made on the Ohio River Bridges Project. These appear below.

If you would like to make your own comment, go to this page, and check out the right hand column. The latest round apperantly ends August 25th.

The Ohio River Bridges project prioritizes car & truck dependence for the region at the cost of all other transportation alternatives. Your last chance to tell the government to find us better options is now through July 13. Follow this link and let them know what you think of their three options, none of which include significant increases to public transit service.

"Transit group loses bid to join lawsuit against ORBP" [leoweekly.com]

Featuring the first ever Benefit-Cost analysis of the project, in an appendix we're still waiting to see. Share and enjoy!

Motion introduced opposing the levying of tolls on existing infrastructure in order to pay for new motoring infrastructure. The motion has over 16 co-sponsors in a 26-seat body, so it is sure to pass. See the C-J article. Louisville will join New Albany, which passed a similar measure, opposing tolling and the construction of a new I-65 bridge if tolls would be required.

Editorial

The Big 4 Bridge will be completed in a year or two, if we can find $12m for the Indiana ramp. But why should we build this bridge? Read more...

Poll: "Leaders in Louisville have been debating how to construct and pay for
new bridges over the Ohio River for decades. Which project do you prefer?"
 

A cn|2 politics poll finds only 14.2% of Louisville voters favor the two-bridge configuration championed by the Ohio River Bridges Project. Furthermore, a whopping 50.3% favor building only an east-end bridge. Credit where it's due - it's a very, very good day over at 8664.

"Neither New Bridge" exceeds expectations as well!

Additional cn|2 coverage of the poll can be found here.

Update: LEO weighs in.

"Unlikely Allies" [leoweekly.com]

Updated 7/1/2010 -DM

CART has filed a motion to intervene in the National Trust for Historic Preservation & River Field's suit against Ohio River Bridges Project. Here, in Q&A format, are some frequently asked questions about the suit.

Why did CART file suit?

1. NEPA requires all reasonable alternatives to be fully and fairly evaluated in an EIS. FHWA did a preliminary analysis of light rail and found that it would not reasonably meet ORBP's objectives so it was never evaluated as an alternative in the EIS.  FHWA proposed stations inconvenient to commuters and nonsensically had more stations placed in Indiana than Kentucky in the preliminary analysis, treating light rail unfairly.

2. When you invest in a massive captial project backed by federal funding, environmental laws force a review of the project if conditions change. ORBP was designed in the early 90s, when ...

   • oil was around $20 a barrel
   • driving was forecast to increase forever
   • bus public transit was forecast to expand service to keep pace with the new roads
   None of these assumptions turned out to be right, but the FHWA has not appropriately responded to these concerns.

What does it mean that you're "intervening" in a suit?

The media blacked out last Sunday NPP Citizen Bridges meeting, but LEO refused to play along. You can read Meador's summary of the meeting here, with his signature editorializing as well.

Thursday is the big ORBP meeting, your last, best hope to be heard as a citizen on this topic. Come get in your 2c: