ACLU, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin, Midwest Environmental Advocates, NAACP, Sierra Club criticize I-94 environmental statement flaws

Where are the traffic cops when you need them?

A lack of traffic control led to a huge traffic jam on W. Bluemound Rd. Friday night when the Milwaukee Brewers took on the St. Louis Cardinals. One couple told Milwaukee Rising that it took 40 minutes to get from 64th St. to 50th St.

WisDOT I-94 report unrealistic, flawed, groups say

May 12 -- The final environmental impact statement for the proposed $1.9 billion North-South reconstruction and expansion plan is deeply flawed because it is based on unrealistic expectations that transit improvements will occur and uses "outdated and grossly inadequate" gas price projections, according to a group of civil rights and environmental organizations.

The report's environmental justice analysis and consideration of pollution impacts also are inadequate,according to comments submitted to WisDOT by Amercian Civil Liberties Union, 1000 Friends of Wisconsin Inc., Midwest Environmental Advocates, the NAACP and the Sierra Club Great Waters Group..

The final EIS "contains serious factual and methodological errors, omits essential information and analysis, and is inadequate to support meaningful analysis and decision-making," the group said. "As a result, the agency should prepare and circulate for public comment a revised EIS. Failing to do so would be arbitrary and capricious."

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation is recommending that I-94 from the Illinois-Wisconsin state line to about Howard Ave. be expanded from six lanes to eight. It is also recommending that I-894 be expanded from I-94 to 35th St.

The comments submitted by the legal and environmental groups cited specific flaws in WisDOT's report, including:

• Failure to respond to comments submitted earlier, aviolation of the National Environmental Policy Act. The law requires WisDOT to "discuss at appropriate points any responsible opposing view" and to summarize or attach the comments to the final EIS, the group said. WisDOT did not do those things.
• Failure to acknowledge and analyze environmental justice issues and failure to discuss and analyze a construction option that would not add lanes within the city of Milwaukee, as the Department of Natural Resources had requested.
• Reliance on unrealistic projections of transit improvements in modeling air quality. "The inclusion of transit projects in the air quality modeling is only legitimate if the projects are funded," the group said. There is, though, "no reliable evidence that the revenues required to construct and operate the transit projects will be made available."
• Failure to adequately assess health risks posed by mobile source air toxics to people living, working and attending school in the project area.
• Failure to analyze greenhouse gas emissions.
• Failure to propose ways to mitigate air quality impacts, flooding or stormwater impacts.

A few public service announcements

The annual Story Hill neighborhood rummage sale day will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 17th.

The Story Hill Neighborhood Association will buy ads in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel to promote the event.

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A Community Planting Day will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. May 17 in the new Menomonee Valley Community Park along the Hank Aaron State Trail. Meet at the chimneys on Canal Street under the 35th Street viaduct. To attend, pre-register by contacting Dawn at 414-274-4660 or at Dawn@RenewTheValley.org. Come prepared to get dirty and wear sturdy shoes. Look for signs when you arrive ta the chimneys that will tell you where you can park. If you have trowels of small spades for planting, please bring them.

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A Memorial Day Service will be held at 10 a.m. May 26 at Calvary Cemetery, 5503 W. Bluemound Rd. The mass will be followed by a patriotic program. In case of inclement weather, ceremonies will be held in St. Vincent Pallotti Church, 5502 W. Bluemound Rd. For more information, contact dcollins@wi.rr.com.

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