Index of SPPS Budget Discussion http://www.e-democracy.org/stpaul/spps-posts.html _________________________________________ In a message dated 3/3/2004 10:32:12 PM Central Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
> To call that stretch of the freeway a "PARKWAY" is laughable, you may as > well > say snow is hot. You can legislate a speed limit, but drivers decide the > speed. People vote with their feet on this subject everyday, their right > feet. > Reckless driving is one thing but I'm here to say there's no shame in > driving > 55, even 60, on 35E. Let's call it civil disobedience. As one of the folks who put their homes at risk (yes those of us who signed as parties to the law suit had to be home owners so that the state could go after our property for damages if we lost) during the court challenge to 35E, I agree that the court settlement left us not much of a PARKWAY. But, we take some solace in the fact that it is somewhat better than what the suburbanites and chamber advocates wanted. The basic issue here is, was, and always shall be what are the rights of property owners when a government project such as a freeway has the potential to damage their property values by making their homes less livable. What are/were the environmental impacts in placing a freeway in the middle of a neighborhood, and what are the reasonable controls that can be put on the project to mitigate those damages. To complete the Federal desires of a national freeway system linking coast to coast, 35E didn't have to be built. The road from Canada to Mexico was built through Minneapolis when the suit was brought. Therefore there was no Federal interest in completing a parallel spur through Saint Paul. The Lafayette Bridge was already built and the desire of the state to have a spur through St. Paul could have been accomplished by having 35E run jointly along 494 to 52 a distance of only a few miles. So, given that the need to build this link was at best questionable, we, (RIP35E) those who thought the fight was worth risking our homes over, believed that there was at least some chance of winning in court and not having the road built at all. But, one never knows what will happen in court, so the PARKWAY was the compromise settlement that was agreed to by the State of Minnesota and the litigants. This is not a legislated speed limit and truck restriction, this is a court ordered settlement that allowed the road to be built. I don't think the issue is in the hands of the legislature. Chuck Repke Party to the law suit West Seventh Street _____________________________________________ SPPS Budget Reduction Forum - Feb. 23-27 Co-Sponsored By NEAT: http://www.stpaulneat.org/ _____________________________________________ NEW ADDRESS FOR LIST: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe, modify subscription, or get your password - visit: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/stpaul Archive Address: http://www.mnforum.org/mailman/private/stpaul/
