ACLU Calls for Fairness in Freeway Reconstruction
December 17, 2002
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin has called the process
for developing a $6.2 billion freeway reconstruction project unfair to
low income and minority residents of metropolitan Milwaukee. The civil
liberties group was responding to the Southeast Wisconsin Regional Planning
Commission's evaluation of the impact of reconstruction on minorities
and low income families.
According to the ACLU, this current evaluation does not remedy the long
history of neglect of the needs of minority and low income residents of
the planning area. In a letter sent Monday to SEWRPC Executive Director
Philip Evenson, the ACLU raised concerns both about the way in which SEWRPC
developed the reconstruction plan, and about SEWRPC's failure to meaningfully
address issues of concern to low income and minority communities.
Among the problems raised by the ACLU is SEWRPC's failure to make meaningful
efforts to comply with federal laws and rules requiring the Commission
to involve low income and minority communities, including residents who
do not speak English, in all aspects of the planning process.
SEWRPC also failed to address many issues of concern to low income and
minority communities - such as the need to guarantee the expansion of
public transportation; the need for equal access to employment for central
city residents; the tax base reductions which will be caused by widening
the freeways and which will hurt Milwaukee taxpayers more than those in
suburban communities; the need for fair and affordable housing in hyper-segregated
suburban communities; and the health and environmental effects of freeway
expansion, particularly in light of Milwaukee's severe ozone pollution
problem.
The ACLU is urging SEWRPC to redo its analysis of the potential adverse
effects of the reconstruction, and to make serious efforts to obtain community
input, before advancing its recommendations to the Wisconsin Department
of Transportation. If SEWRPC ignores these concerns and sends its recommendation
on to WisDOT, the state agency should reject them.
According to ACLU of Wisconsin Executive Director Chris Ahmuty, "SEWRPC
wants to spend $6.2 billion dollars for freeway reconstruction and expansion
- money the state does not even have. Certainly the costs, and benefits,
of such an enormous project need to be shared fairly. Yet SEWRPC still
has not adequately assessed those benefits or the adverse effects of reconstruction.
As we've been saying for months, SEWRPC and the Wisconsin Department of
Transportation must do our freeways the fair way."
The ACLU/WI's letters to Governor-elect Doyle and SEWRPC follow.
December 16, 2002
James Doyle
Governor-Elect
Transition Office
149 E. Wilson Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53702
RE: Freeway Reconstruction and Civil Rights
Dear Governor-Elect Doyle:
The ACLU of Wisconsin is responding to the recommendation by the Southeastern
Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) to widen the freeway system
in the Milwaukee area. We believe that the process for developing a $6.2
billion freeway reconstruction project was unfair to low income and minority
residents of metropolitan Milwaukee. A copy of our letter to SEWRPC is
enclosed.
Certainly, some form of reconstruction will occur, and it is crucial
to ensure that significant numbers of disadvantaged business enterprises
receive contracts to perform this work and that significant numbers of
minority and low income residents obtain employment on any such project.
However, SEWRPC's evaluation of the impact of reconstruction on minorities
and low income families is simply inadequate. For example, SEWRPC failed
to make meaningful efforts to comply with federal laws and rules requiring
it to involve low income and minority communities, including residents
who do not speak English, in all aspects of the planning process.
The ACLU is also concerned about SEWRPC's failure to adequately address
numerous issues of importance to low income and minority communities.
For example, SEWRPC failed to meaningfully address the need to guarantee
that public transportation will be expanded; the need for equal access
to employment for central city residents; the tax base reductions which
will be caused by reconstructing and widening the freeways and which will
hurt Milwaukee taxpayers more than those in suburban communities; the
relationship between freeway expansion and the need for fair and affordable
housing, especially in hyper-segregated suburban communities; and the
health and environmental effects of freeway expansion on low income and
minority residents.
We believe that SEWRPC must redo its analysis of the potential benefits
and effects of the reconstruction. The Commission must make serious efforts
to obtain from low income and minority communities and to address those
concerns before advancing its recommendations to the Wisconsin Department
of Transportation. If SEWRPC ignores these concerns and sends its current
recommendation on to WisDOT, we urge your administration to reject them.
Sincerely,
Christopher Ahmuty
Executive Director
Cc:
Dan Finley, Waukesha County Executive
John Norquist, Mayor of Milwaukee
Mary Peters, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration
Scott Walker, Milwaukee County Executive
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