More Ohio River Bridges or World-Class Public Transit

A choice must be made

The Ohio River Bridges Project (and the variations on that theme) is a transportation infrastructure project that will deepen our dependency on increasingly expensive and scarce fuels. It is a regressive 1950s style transportation plan. It delays the decade Louisville can invest in a world class public transit system. And it fuels unsustainable land development at the expense of our existing neighborhoods.

Tolls are an answer to the wrong question. The Commonwealth of Kentucky does not have the finances to fund two bridge (or one) and the accompanying highways. Even if it could fund a bridge in Louisville, Frankfort's rural legislators would not follow that investment with funding for a world-class public transit system in Louisville. Louisville must decide whether it will build a world-class public transit system or continue the 1950's plan for more and more automotive infrastructure.

Building a bridge or two before building a world class public transit system will:
1) postpone for decades the day Louisville has a good public transit system,
2) move development dollars away from the city, established neighborhoods, blighted neighborhoods and abandoned industrial and commercial sites,
3) destroy our few remaining farms, forests and fields,
4) make us more energy dependent,
5) encourage more driving,
6) weaken our local economy as we increase transportaion fuel consumption & costs,
7) move jobs farther from the city.

The other mayoral candidates are supporting this regressive 1950s style transportation plan. Louisville cannot afford to follow their lead into 2020.


Jackie Green speaks on the Ohio River Bridges Project