The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Wisconsin (HCCW) released a position paper urging Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) officials to override engineers' plans to close freeway ramps at I-894 and South 27th Street.
The chamber's board unanimously adopted the official position that the ramps remain open.
We identified five areas of concern with the proposal to eliminate these ramps as part of the $1.9 billion reconstruction and expansion of I-94 proposed by the Doyle administration,
Our research and community outreach led us to conclude that closing the 27th Street off-ramp would:
- Stifle business activity on South 27th Street and discourage redevelopment.
- Blight the growing south side Hispanic Community.
- Create additional minority unemployment and stunt workforce development.
- Damage secondary and higher education.
- Lower tax revenue to the city and state.
Highway transportation is important to the region and its economy.
During these difficult economic times and rapidly changing economy, we must expect more from our officials. We ask Gov. Jim Doyle and Transportation Secretary Frank Busalacchi to tell their highway engineers to make the very modest changes that will enable the South 27th Street Corridor - the Main Street of Hispanic Prosperity - to remain a vibrant thoroughfare.
WisDOT has been presented with a reasonable alternative that solves the problem for every stakeholder. The Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Position Paper is an outline for action. Our community dialogue must now be taken to another level - we must insist that transportation officials order their staffs to implement a solution that will keep the Hispanic community's lifeline open.
We ask this not for ourselves, but for the community as a whole.
Maria Monreal-Cameron is president and chief executive officer of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce-Wisconsin in Milwaukee.
3 Comments
Ramp removal is a safety and traffic flow issue, not a commercial development issue. Businesses will still have access via both Layton Ave. and Loomis Rd. I fail to see the immediate necessity.
Jason, you are misinformed. The WisDOT statistics regarding the "weave" pattern of traffic along the S 27th Street/I-894 interchange clearly demonstrate that the safety concern is not an issue. If you review their own analysis, you will see that the number of traffic accidents on Eastbound I-894 matches the number of accidents on Westbound I-894. There is no statistical reason to blame the "weave" on any traffic accidents. This is not a safety issue. It is a political issue. Furthermore, routing traffic off at Layton would cause increases in commercial trucks driving through residential neighborhoods. A large number of suppliers for the businesses along S 27th Street come from the south. Forcing this traffic through residential areas, past two schools, is a safety issue. Layton is already clogged. Increasing traffic will serve to exacerbate the problem of drivers attempting to bypass congestion and move through side streets, where kids are walking to and from school. That is a safety and traffic flow issue. Lastly, even if you do buy-into the "safety" claims made by WisDOT, the WisDOT engineers have already designed a plan to address the issue, by having a single off-ramp routing traffic from Northbound I-94 to S 27th Street. Please don't spit out WisDOT rhetoric without checking your facts.
This is being blown way out of context. They are not closing the 27th street ramps. Let me repeat "THEY ARE NOT CLOSING THE 27th STREET RAMPS"!!!! ALL ramps will remian open and only two current dangerous movements will be removed (only someone who does not drive this on a regular basis would disagree). The eastbound on ramp to northbound will not be allowed after the work is complete. However, this ramp will still allow you to go eastbound on ramp to southbound (Racine/Chicago), and the westbound to northbound form downtown (onto 27th Street)exit will be available but not from Chicago (they will need to use Layton). This westbound to northbound exit onto 27th Street is now only being used by 25% of the people that come from the south to go to 27th street. Most are currently getting off on Layton, much safer and less stressfull! The changes on Layton will make this even more useful to the businesses on 27th Street. Maria and the rest of the business owners that are using FALSE statements, like the one in Maria's headline, are hurting this city. Just like the city did, in not explaining what the true Sick Leave Referendum would do to this town. Tell the truth Maria, let people make their own decissions. Why don't you tell everyone how the DOT plans on dressing up South 27th Street as a result of this change, making HUGE beautification additions to a street that currently looks run down and old!!?? IF YOU HAVE TO HIDE THE FACTS TO GET YOUR SIDE, THEN YOUR SIDE IS WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!! As for Jason, in your statement you say that both Eastbound and Westbound trafic on I-894 have the same accident rate and shows that the weave has nothing to do with the safety issue. The problem with your statement is, both Eastbound and Westbound have the same weave issue. 75% of the current vehicles coming to S 27th are already taking the Layton ramp (Check your WisDOT Rhetoric and fact before making comments). DO YOU REALLY BELIEVE IT IS SAFE FOR A SEMI WITH TRAILER TO CUT ACROSS TWO LANES OF TRAFFIC TO GET TO THE 27th STREET EXIT DURING RUSH HOUR???? Answer yes and I will consider my source when replying. Adding 25% to the Layton exchange will not force vehicles down streets where children play. The improvements on the 27th/Layton intesection will keep handle this small amount of added traffic. If trucks start going down No Trucking routes they will be ticketed and stopped, they will not chance loosing their license to do this. Track the REAL numbers before you state falsehoods.
Jaime Maliszewski
RPW, Inc.