The issues list hasn't paid attention as of late to
the 35W Access Project, which bodes well for the
corporate CEOs and overworked politicians of the
Phillips Partnership Transportation Initiative, the
corporation charged with charting the transportation
future for 35W through South Minneapolis.
The Access Project is flawed because the process by
which it has been created and sold to neighborhoods
has amounted to exclusionary insider trading. Midtown
Phillips, one representative neighborhood adjacent to
the project, is comprised of 31% white, 29% black, 22%
Hispanic, 12% American Indian and 6% Asian residents.
Why has the Access Project been controlled by a
predominantly white Project Advisory Committee?
The Access Project is flawed because it is designed
for cars and not people. A recent Skyway News
featured a historical note about a speech by Peter
MacGlaughlin to the Downtown Council ten years ago.
In the speech he shamed the Council for supporting a
freeway expansion on 35W as opposed to Light Rail.
Tim Pawlenty, when asked by Scott Russell about
transit, said that light rail makes sense on 35W. The
s shown by Craig Churchward at public meetings
show four through-lanes with a new HOV lane directly
adjacent. The 35W Access Project is a freeway
expansion without a serious transit component.
The Access Project is flawed because it tears down
homes. The residents of the 2900 block of 2nd Ave
South are hard-working long-time residents, many of
whom have already paid off their homes. They are
being displaced for a flyover ramp to 28th Street
priced at $7 million (but that could be as much as $20
or $30 million when all the costs are tallied.) The
money for the flyover ramp could be used to offer
low-interest loans to low-income homeowners for
property improvements. Tearing down 17 units of
affordible housing for a flyover ramp of questionable
value is irresponsible.
The Access Project is flawed because it damages the
economic diversity of Lake Street. "Access" to
freeways has never brought true vitality to
neighborhoods because of the inevitable development of
strip malls and drive-throughs. Broadway in North
Minneapolis has full freeway access and observe the
mess of suburban development there. Nicollet on the
other hand has no access whatsoever and has seen a
renaissance of small businesses housed in a snug urban
setting.
Though the Phillips Partnership Transportation
Initiative has had free reign to shape the project and
defend it vigorously from very widespread criticism,
the ultimate decision is in the hands of the city
council and the county. If you at all agree that the
35W Access Project is out-of-step with your own vision
of the area, please check out STRIDE's website at
www.stride-mn.org.
Jeff Carlson, Whittier
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