Wisconsin notes

[SEWIGuy]

We are talking about a mile or so of freeway. I personally like being able to use 794 as an alternate to 43/94. But the need for 794 as an interstate freeway really is not very pressing. If 794 was to be done as a parkway with 45 zone, it would still function just fine and still allow better access for pedestrians and cyclists to the 3rd Ward.

Correct.

[SEWIGuy]

It's pretty safe to say that I-794 is going to be rebuilt. The FHWA is now taking the position that removing lanes and road diets are bad projects. I doubt they'd approve removing I-794.

The 6th Street project was just scrapped by the feds which I don't mind because the project would have made that road worse by squeezing traffic into a single lane.

All evidence to the contrary I guess.

It should be removed.

Removal makes no sense. It would waste the Hoan Bridge and clog traffic Downtown. It would also be safer for pedestrians/bikes because they wouldn't have to cross a busy street at grade. I-794 makes it easy to connect with the east side of Downtown and The Lakefront. Ease of access is part of why that area is thriving. Getting rid of I-794 would ruin that.

Hold on. You think the east side of downtown and the lakefront is thriving BECAUSE of a freeway that's just over a mile long? And that somehow a boulevard of some sort would stunt that? That's silly. No one is would avoid downtown because of the freeway removal.

This is the same nonsense that was said when they removed the Lake Park Freeway 20 years ago. "No one is going to go downtown anymore from the north side if you remove that freeway." That turned out to be a terrible prediction. People use McKinley to get downtown all the time now. And you know why? People like cities that are easily walkable and accessible. They will put up with slower speeds and few lights if it ends up like that. And guess what? They built the new arena right there and the area is booming. This is a great example of how a "road diet" worked.

Removal of the freeway would more easily connect the thriving Third Ward neighborhood WITH downtown and the Lakefront. It would further open more space for continued development. And it would not prevent people from going downtown and accessing the lake.

The Park East was a spur that was a dead end. I-794 is a thru route that's a big difference. 794 has been a huge benefit to The Lakefront, Bayview, and the South Shore communities. It makes no sense to ruin a convenient and easy highway between Downtown and those communities.

Uh you wouldn't be. They wouldn't be tearing the bridge down. Access will still be quick and easy from downtown.