Removing roads less traveled like I-794 can work. Just look at the Fiserv Forum. | Letters
I agree completely with the sentiments expressed by Taylor Korslin in his recent column ("Removing I-794 will enhance downtown safety, save city money,” Nov. 26).
The land beneath Interstate 794 is more valuable with tax-paying commercial and residential development than it is with a non-tax-paying freeway. Removal will eliminate the wall of separation that currently exists between downtown and the Third Ward. I’m sure we’ll be hearing comments from proponents of rebuilding I-794 as it currently exists, focusing on so-called congestion if I-794 is removed.
Who wins from I-794 removal? Developers. The rest of us will be stuck in traffic.
Not so fast: I-794 removal would restore bridge to nowhere, hurt Bay View neighborhood
Tear down the highway: 7 reasons why removing I-794 would be a boon for downtown Milwaukee
These are the same arguments we heard from those who were against removing the Park East Freeway spur north of downtown some 20 years ago. Removal of this freeway spur has resulted in a huge amount of development in the area, including the construction of the Fiserv Forum, the building of the Moderne condo and the Milwaukee School of Engineering buildings, to name just a few.
Going back some 50 years to the 1970s, the same congestion argument was made with the Stadium South Freeway. Now, an expanded South 43rd Street, aka Brewers’ Boulevard, moves traffic very effectively. The Jackson Park neighborhood is a jewel in the City of Milwaukee. More importantly, it allows ample room for the many businesses that have located on both the east and west sides of the street.
Dennis Sell, Milwaukee
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Downtown Milwaukee has benefited from removal underused highway spurs
