Six Months and $20 million Later...

A who's who of Kentuckiana politics descended upon the New Albany Fire Department Headquarters Friday morning to deliver the news that the cost and time frame estimates to repair the Sherman Minton Bridge would be six months and $20 million.





Jeffersonville Mayor Tom Galligan now looks like a genius having his estimate of six months just after the bridge was closed on September 9th, while everyone else was waiting until after the entire inspection was completed.

News and Tribune Coverage:  Governors: Bridge fix to take six months

Everyone seemed optimistic that coming up with federal funds would be easier since October first marks the first day of the fiscal year and there would be more money available that was not already spoken for.

Let's put the bridge closure in perspective

For nearly half a century the bridge crossing the Ohio River between Louisville and New Albany has stood as a symbol representing our city.

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I take a look at our community's first full week coping without the Sherman Minton Bridge.

LET'S PUT THE BRIDGE CLOSURE IN PERSPECTIVE 

 A week has gone by since the Sherman Minton Bridge was closed and now they are saying it is possible that it may not be open for quite some time. It was reported that it will take up to three weeks just to inspect the entire span and repair estimates range from a few weeks to six months to several years depending on the extent of the damage. There is a lot of speculation of what could happen but it is clear that nobody knows for sure.

The most important thing to consider is this is not the end of the world. While it may be the end of the world as we knew it, we will survive just by making a few changes in our everyday lives. The first few days commuter traffic has been better than I thought it would be with most people adapting nicely. I thought that there would be a lot more chaos caused by people that were using any means possible to get to where they were going, but so far cooler minds have prevailed. The question remains What will happen if this condition persist for weeks, months or even years?

Some business people in New Albany are concerned that a prolonged closure of the bridge might negatively impact their business. With traffic tie ups and some former access points now limited it is just another blow in an already tough economy. Now that driving to Kentucky is not as easy an option as it was before, it is time for people to consider what our local communities have to offer. You can get just about anything you need on the “Sunny Side” of Louisville, without the hassle of gridlock traffic standing in your way.

The news of the bridge closure had barely gotten out when members of the Ohio River Bridges Authority were basically telling us “I told you so”. The problem is that they do not understand the argument of their opponents basically because they refuse to listen. Most people that oppose their plan, those who “Say no to tolls”, aren't against cross river mobility, they are against a plan that has gotten so swollen it cannot be paid for. Most people agree that the East End Bridge is the only bridge that would have helped in our current situation, funneling more people through downtown Louisville is not the answer

.

No one has proven to me that a new downtown bridge would do anything to help relieve congestion. It is unnecessary and nearly triples the cost of the entire project. In the years that have passed since the “record of decision” was formally adopted, our world has changed radically. It is time that The Louisville and Southern Indiana Bridges Authority consider other alternatives other than their two bridges, one project plan, whatever the cost. Especially if major repairs or even replacement of the Sherman Minton is called for.

Now that we have been put in a position as a community to come up with our own solutions maybe we can have some actual discussion about how best to spend our money on infrastructure projects. It is also time we take a look at options that may be out there that could help making getting across the river easier. There have been many “ideas” put out there on how to make the rush hour commute a little easier the range from the simple to the simply ridiculous. But I believe a few have merit.

A ferry service was started on Wednesday from downtown Jeffersonville to the wharf in Louisville. The Spirit of Jefferson will take passengers across the river for a two week trial period to see if there is enough interest to continue. Only a few passengers took advantage of the service on its first day of service and officials hope that more people will utilize it. Some people have said that it is not a viable solution because that most of the journey is actually getting to the river. Once you are there, you might as well just cross the Kennedy or Clark Memorial Bridges.

Some people have also suggested that the K & I Bridge be opened to traffic in order to alleviate some of the congestion. I was not even aware that the bridge that opened in 1886 was safe for travel until a local news helicopter spotted people using it to avoid traffic jams. It was later reported that those spotted crossing the bridge were railroad employees.

Norfolk Southern who owns the bridge has been reluctant in the past to discuss the possibility of reopening it, even to pedestrian traffic. They list safety, security and liability as their concerns of allowing traffic on the span that they still use strictly for a railroad bridge. I think local leaders should try to persuade Norfolk Southern to open up this alternative to help alleviate the congestion. I think this will be a great addition to the Ohio River Greenway Project and benefit this entire community for years to come.

Only time will tell how Southern Indiana will cope with the loss of the Sherman Minton bridge. I think we can use this crisis to pull together as a community and come out of this with a better grasp on what is really important. For far too long we have taken things for granted and when we lose those things some question whether we can survive. Surviving is the easy part, getting through rush hour traffic, that is going to be a little harder, for now.

Matthew Nash can be reached at dmatthewnash@gmail.com

My Solution:

Maybe, while we take the time to figure out the best way to fix this...

...We take a look at getting a few more of these

TAKE SOME TIME TO REMEMBER

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I take a look at that tragic day ten years ago this weekend.
TAKE SOME TIME TO REMEMBER

Most people that are a little older than my parents can tell you what they were doing when they heard that the Japanese had bombed Pearl Harbor. Every baby boomer can tell you where they were when they heard that President Kennedy was assassinated. People of my generation remember how they felt when they heard the news that the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded after take-off. To this day I can still remember what I was doing and how I felt ten years ago this weekend, when hijackers took over four planes and flew them into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and Pentagon and crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

 

I was off work that day and had not been out of bed for very long, I had worked late the night before. I am a little embarrassed to admit but I was watching a wrestling program that I had taped from a few days earlier. The place that I worked for at the time was considering advertising on the program and one of the performers told us that he would mention us on the air that weekend. I got a call from my wife at the time to turn on the television, someone was attacking us.

I turned the television station to one of the broadcast networks to see the first tower smoldering. A few minutes after I begin watching, wondering what was actually happening, another plane flew into the second tower. I continued watching as the events of that long day unfolded. The towers collapsed, the news of an attack on the Pentagon and the crash landing in Pennsylvania with speculation of what its intended target might have been.

I watched all day long up until I had to pick my eleven year old up after school that day. I was nervous on how much I would have to explain about what had happened, I wasn't even sure that I understood most of it myself. They had already had some discussion in school about what was going on at school and he seem to understand.

The next day I had to return the work. I was curious of how the attacks had affected the people that I worked with. My boss at the time seem to be taking it pretty hard. He had grown up in New York City and knew the areas affected well. He also had a brother that worked in the “Windows of the World” restaurant that was near the top of the one of the towers and he had not heard from him yet. The attacks occurred at a time that he would not have normally been at work, but he was worried nonetheless.

Another issue that we had to deal with at work that I had not anticipated was an elevated level of anti-Muslim sentiment. We had several African immigrants working for us, mostly from the Republic of Senegal, who practiced the Muslim religion. Some fellow employees were emotional about this and were very vocal in their opposition. They believed that these people hated America and should not be allowed to work there. Nothing could have been further from the truth. These people had traveled to America legally and were on the path to citizenship. They had left their homeland in search of a better place for their families to live.

Around our country peoples attitudes began to change almost automatically. There was a new level of patriotism that had not been seen in many years. Rows of houses could be seen flying flags in neighborhoods everywhere. The Sunday following the attacks, many churches reported record crowds had attended church.

There are a number of things going on this weekend to remember those who died on that tragic day, September 11, 2001. Dedications are planned for the memorials in New York and Pennsylvania and other ceremonies all across the country. Locally there will be a service at 8 am at Riverview Towers on Scribner Drive in New Albany that is being organized by the local Firefighters Union.

Our world forever changed that day, ten years ago this weekend. Some things have change for the better, some for the worse. We can discuss and debate the mistakes we have made since the attacks another day. We should take some time this weekend and try to remember how we felt that day when our country was under attack. Remember those who lost their lives that day and remember those that risked their lives trying to save others.

Smart Growth Would be Progress

This week in MY FRIDAY COLUMN I tackle the problem that New Albany deals with with empty buildings and continued development when there seems to be no true plan.

SMART GROWTH WOULD BE PROGRESS

Several months ago the Sonic Drive-in restaurant in the 2500 block of Charlestown Road closed down literally overnight. Besides depriving me of “half price Happy Hour” slushees from 2-4 weekdays, it also has brought a little more blight to a neighborhood. Along with the vacant building and broken signage, trash and debris are beginning to pile up around the parking lot.

A few weeks ago just a block away, the electronic reader board at the Taco Tico announced that it was now closed and invited people to visit their Louisville location. That restaurant had been open a relatively short amount of time, they had remodeled an old Kentucky Fried Chicken that had moved further out Charlestown Road.

The now empty Taco Tico sits right next door to a former Taco Bell that has sat empty for many years. It had a short spin as a Mr. Spaghetti but that didn't last long. The property remains uncared for most of the year with a crew coming out a couple times a year to mow down the weeds, I always assume a Real Estate agent has a client on the hook and they are preparing to “show” the property. On the other side sits a Wendy's restaurant that has been trying to move down the road for a number of years.

The Colonial Manor shopping center sits across the street and is just now receiving a new major tenant. Save a Lot grocery is planning on opening in the building that has sat mostly vacant since Kroger moved out years ago.

Our community along with every community around needs new developments in order to grow. An expanded tax base along with the jobs that would be created would also be a huge benefit. Here in New Albany and Floyd County we need our growth to be a little smarter than it has been in years past. We can no longer accept the consequences of growth without the proper planning and forethought in order to keep from making the same mistakes, over and over again.

Our county leaders have been trying for years to try to develop land on Grant Line Road adjacent to Sam Peden Community Park. I am sure that if the economy had not gone sour a few years back they would have already sold the property and black top would already be covering one of the largest parcels of “green space” left in the area.

What would our county leaders do with the few million dollars that they plan to earn from the sale of this property? They might use it remodel the former Pine View School that they purchased to house the Floyd County Youth Shelter. They could use the money on the third trial of that state trooper who killed his family. They could use the money for expanding and running the Floyd County Jail, no conflict there, Mr. President. Whatever they spend the money on, when it is gone, it's gone.

After the land is developed and the grass is no longer there, it will never come back again. It will forever be a strip mall or a box store or an empty building that sits and gathers trash. Of course I am sure that drainage will no longer be a problem, since we always trust our developers to manage the extra runoff water so well.

Leaders of our Parks Department are also concerned that developing the land near the entrance of the park will ruin the aesthetics of the park. With many people disposable incomes taking a hit these days, sometimes a day at the park has to be a substitute for spending our limited entertainment dollars. On a nice sunny weekend, you can see families enjoying every corner of the park. We must stand strong and not let our County leaders sell this most valuable asset, just to make a fast buck.

Strategic planning has never been a strong point in this community. We have made some progress in the last few years, but we have decades to make up for. I am not against progress and I can understand the importance of expanding our tax base but we cannot continue to allow developers to build without looking to how it will affect our future.

I do not know what is in store for the futures of Grantline and Charlestown Road. A decade from now, I would love to drive down those streets and not see empty fast food restaurants and empty strip malls. Keeping our green space “green” is a step in the right directions, I just hope that our leaders get the message before it's too late.