Guest columnist Denise Kowal, Herald Tribune September 24, 2007
SARASOTA SHOULD JOIN THE MANY CITIES THAT HAVE REMOVED HIGHWAYS
The de-designation of U.S. 41 is one of the most important components the Downtown Sarasota Master Plan 2020, which was adopted with enthusiasm by the City Commission by a unanimous vote. The costs were high, the benefits were obvious and it was understood that great things take work. A mobility study group was put together by the city to move this initiative forward.
Little did we know we were being swept up in a political and emotional battle that had very little to do with good urban planning or common sense. One former commissioner actually stated, "I know it (de-designation) is the right thing to do, but it would kill me politically." How can our city be handed a home run within our master plan and yet to our dismay have our City Commission continue to strike out in implementing it?
I first heard about the option to move the highway away from the waterfront from New Urbanist Andres Duany several years ago during the Downtown Master Plan charettes. I also learned we are not alone in facing this challenge. Many cities, for many reasons, are removing highways along their waterfronts. In fact, there are cities not only facing the de-designation challenges but also successfully tackling them and getting the highways removed with great success.
Through the Congress of New Urbanism, I have had the opportunity to hear John Norquist, president and CEO, speak of his efforts while mayor of Milwaukee to reclaim its waterway. While we cower in fear over impacts to the mighty automobile and minimize the benefits of de-designation, other, truly progressive cities have been doing what we think is unthinkable. Here are a few examples:
Milwaukee removed the Park East Freeway, one of the largest highways to ever be purposely destroyed, led by Norquist, who said, "The DOTs simply think of these areas as a places to drive through, but this is your city. This is a place with real value."
San Francisco removed the Embarcadero Freeway after an earthquake. This was after two citizens' initiatives failed because the majority of citizens believed the highway department, saying they could not afford to lose the highway. The city now uses its grid system of streets instead and has no noticeable increase in traffic congestion.
The city had such success that it tore down a second highway, the Central Freeway, replacing it with boulevards with about 50 percent of the vehicular capacity.
Seattle, through the People's Waterfront Coalition, led by Cary Moon, is successful in gaining momentum in removing the Alaskan Way Viaduct that blocked off the city in the 1950s.
Trenton wanted to get the river back for its state Capitol and surrounding neighborhoods from a highway constructed in the 1950s. Ingrid Reed has been instrumental in the movement.
Providence is removing Interstate 95 from its downtown -- imagine that!
Vancouver, which is a fabulous urban city, never had any highways and today will not allow any more road growth to force people into the downtown to use the grid system.
If we want livable communities, transportation must be subordinate to urban design and we need to start using the tools we adopted, the Downtown Sarasota Master Plan 2020 and the SmartCode. As with any major change, critics will find a thousand reasons why this can't be done. This current effort will be no exception to that rule.
Every city I mentioned faced the same types of criticism. But isn't it time we saw past our auto-mindedness and took our bayfront back, connected our neighborhoods and welcomed traffic calmly into our city instead of allowing it to swarm around us like a bunch of bees?
I say it is, and many others agree. Will you join us?
Little did we know we were being swept up in a political and emotional battle that had very little to do with good urban planning or common sense. One former commissioner actually stated, "I know it (de-designation) is the right thing to do, but it would kill me politically." How can our city be handed a home run within our master plan and yet to our dismay have our City Commission continue to strike out in implementing it?
I first heard about the option to move the highway away from the waterfront from New Urbanist Andres Duany several years ago during the Downtown Master Plan charettes. I also learned we are not alone in facing this challenge. Many cities, for many reasons, are removing highways along their waterfronts. In fact, there are cities not only facing the de-designation challenges but also successfully tackling them and getting the highways removed with great success.
Through the Congress of New Urbanism, I have had the opportunity to hear John Norquist, president and CEO, speak of his efforts while mayor of Milwaukee to reclaim its waterway. While we cower in fear over impacts to the mighty automobile and minimize the benefits of de-designation, other, truly progressive cities have been doing what we think is unthinkable. Here are a few examples:
Milwaukee removed the Park East Freeway, one of the largest highways to ever be purposely destroyed, led by Norquist, who said, "The DOTs simply think of these areas as a places to drive through, but this is your city. This is a place with real value."
San Francisco removed the Embarcadero Freeway after an earthquake. This was after two citizens' initiatives failed because the majority of citizens believed the highway department, saying they could not afford to lose the highway. The city now uses its grid system of streets instead and has no noticeable increase in traffic congestion.
The city had such success that it tore down a second highway, the Central Freeway, replacing it with boulevards with about 50 percent of the vehicular capacity.
Seattle, through the People's Waterfront Coalition, led by Cary Moon, is successful in gaining momentum in removing the Alaskan Way Viaduct that blocked off the city in the 1950s.
Trenton wanted to get the river back for its state Capitol and surrounding neighborhoods from a highway constructed in the 1950s. Ingrid Reed has been instrumental in the movement.
Providence is removing Interstate 95 from its downtown -- imagine that!
Vancouver, which is a fabulous urban city, never had any highways and today will not allow any more road growth to force people into the downtown to use the grid system.
If we want livable communities, transportation must be subordinate to urban design and we need to start using the tools we adopted, the Downtown Sarasota Master Plan 2020 and the SmartCode. As with any major change, critics will find a thousand reasons why this can't be done. This current effort will be no exception to that rule.
Every city I mentioned faced the same types of criticism. But isn't it time we saw past our auto-mindedness and took our bayfront back, connected our neighborhoods and welcomed traffic calmly into our city instead of allowing it to swarm around us like a bunch of bees?
I say it is, and many others agree. Will you join us?
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