No stimulus money for bike tunnel plan
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JANESVILLE — The controversial East Milwaukee Street bike tunnel is coming back to the Janesville City Council.
The city recently learned the tunnel does not qualify for federal transportation stimulus money.
City Manager Eric Levitt said staff would bring the tunnel back to the council as part of the reconstruction of that section of street. That includes building a previously approved roundabout at Wuthering Hills Drive, the site of a deadly accident in 2007.
Staff is exploring other low-cost ways to improve safety at the mid-street bike crossing between Shannon Drive and Wright Road, Levitt said.
The council OK'd the tunnel on a 4-3 vote in June 2008. But it has yet to approve the borrowing. The city had received $235,000 in federal money, and that made some members reluctant to vote against the tunnel even though costs escalated to $670,000 over the years.
The issue has proven to be one of the more controversial city issues in recent years.
Some residents believe the tunnel is needed for safety. Others say there are cheaper ways to improve safety, including something as simple as building a barrier and requiring users to walk or bike a block to the traffic light at Wright Road.
In the months following the vote, the crashing economy changed sentiment among council members who approved the tunnel. Two council members who voted to build the tunnel—George Brunner and Russ Steeber—said prior to their re-election in April that they would reconsider their votes.
When the federal government started the stimulus program, the council OK'd applying for money for the tunnel as long as no local money would be used. Even that vote was controversial because some residents noted that federal money still is tax money.
Staff soon found that the tunnel was not eligible for stimulus money because the city previously received $235,000 in federal funding through a state grant, Levitt said.
Projects submitted for transportation stimulus money were required to be "shovel ready," and cities had a stringent deadline, Levitt said. Levitt believes many other cities found themselves in similar positions: those projects that were shovel ready already had funding lined up.
"Local governments need to know before we start a design where our funding sources are going to be," he said.
After learning stimulus money couldn't be used for the tunnel, the city focused on getting money for 1.8 miles of bike trail, for which it received $435,000 in stimulus money, and street repaving, for which it got about $1.6 million in stimulus money.
Levitt said he recently read that federal officials are disappointed because most of the transportation stimulus money is being used for repaving rather than construction.
"What I found was their criteria sort of established the types of projects that, at least in Janesville's case, we could even qualify for," Levitt said.
"We wanted to do new construction, but because of the way it was set up the only ones eligible were repaving.
"I think their own criteria may have led to the results they found."
Still, Janesville will get immediate benefit from the repaving, Levitt said. Current scheduled streets will be paved, and some paving was moved up two to three years.
The city will get $1.5 million in improvements that local taxpayers won't have to pay for, Levitt said.
Jul 24, 2009 at 2:22 p.m.
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I find it insightful that our city mgr. doesn't think that area taxpayers pay any federal income taxes! I sincerely hope the IRS doesn't get wind of that!
Jul 24, 2009 at 12:48 p.m.
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If you call it the OBAMA Tunnel, you will get funded!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jul 24, 2009 at 12:41 p.m.
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Janesvillian: When my son becomes a driver, he will understand that bikers are not second-class citizens. As I cannot teach every driver the same lesson, I currently am teaching my son how to be a responsible bicyclist...something that I wish the rest of the city would do.
Jul 24, 2009 at 11:35 a.m.
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My point here is that you don't increase spending when your income is going away. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know you don't spend what you don't have. As far as the article goes, I thought I was pretty clear on that already. The Council and the Manager can't keep spending money frivolously ignoring the unemployment in Janesville and jobs continuously leaving. Look back on some of my earlier posts when the council spent $29,000.00 on a consultant to bring Levitt to Janesville. This city is going down in flames and he and his cronies plan to continue spending like were having a heyday. The tunnel might be nice for some, it isn't practical for most. People need to have some common sense and quit thinking about themselves for awhile. No jobs - No money - No taxes - No tunnel
Jul 24, 2009 at 11:19 a.m.
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JohnDoe, the cost per Janesville resident is the equivalent of a McDonald's value meal. Unlike a value meal, the tunnel will last 50 years. The cost per year is about a dime.
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RoadKing, so Sedona is experiencing the recession as well. A vacation destination obviously might hurt during a recession. Your point needs to be more clear.
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lakennedy, I understand you mean well, but you are teaching your children that bikes are second-class citizens on the road. That is neither the law, nor really safe.
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This is really the sad part. Janesville is the City of Parks, but won't upgrade its trail to serve bike users, even for safety. Meanwhile, Wisconsin -- home to three top bike manufacturers -- earns top honors as a bike friendly state. We, however, won't be part of that.
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinati...
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We won't be world class. We won't even be state class. Green County is "the ultimate biking experience".
http://www.greencounty.org/bike_ride.iml...
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Jefferson County has a bike trail all along Highway 26. Where does it end? The Rock County line.
http://www.co.jefferson.wi.us/jc/public/...
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But apparently Janesville won't contribute ten cents a year to an improved trail.
Jul 24, 2009 at 10:30 a.m.
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http://sedonatimes.com/neros-fiddle-more...
Food for thought - think about this when you see the Manager and the Council approve dollars for unnecessary projects like tunnels, roundabouts and water towers.
Jul 24, 2009 at 10:24 a.m.
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I thought we already covered this.
Jul 24, 2009 at 10:09 a.m.
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NeoBartly: "continued cardio-exercise" That is the most absurd argument for the bike tunnel I've ever heard. If you are that concerned with keeping your heart rate then go to the gym or exercise at home. This isn't the Tour de France where we shut the entire city down so people don't have to stop while they ride their bikes. I'd suggest sticking to the safety issues or you will lose what little support there is for this tunnel. Thanks for the laugh though....
Jul 24, 2009 at 9:43 a.m.
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Once again out spoken individuals jump to the starting gates of controversy. I am so surprised that the JVL editors do not just delete the unnecessary.
Before you speak out and get wise with trail users, USE the trail for a week on a daily basis. Wittness those drivers that do repesct the flashing lights, and those whom drive faster at haphazard speeds to beat-the-right-of-way-bikers.
Laws are in place to prevent accidents. The city has taken the proper measures to provide us with safe passage. The problems arrise when idiot selfish non-caring drivers just run rampid amongst the minions. With that FACT in mind, I have as I am sure the rest of the respecful trail users also have, taken two for safety.
I can personaly state that after 20 miles and returning home at that intersection, the user is very pumped up and feeling the exercise and taking precautionary measures. To just stop. Cardio-speaking, does place an extra stress to hovering heart rates, truly avoided as much as possible by people that are informed. A tunnel would surely offer a solution to safety measures, continued cardio-exercise, and render the debate mute.
By the way, when your just heading out from the most northern direction and come to the haphazardous area, your just regulating the heart rhythems and rearing to go. And then are forced to stop.
In argument towards the other intersections? Trafic is almost always nill. When there is a vehicle, one can adapt to speed with the actual trail angles and time it out well. Milwaukee street does not present this ability. So nix that argument.
1 week experience would change the minds of detractors. Not just a drive-by quick looking. Plop your butts down on the bench there and watch for a few hours. See the drivers that slow down and make it look like they are stopping correctly as is posted by signs, flashing yellow lights, and then don't and speed up very scarry.
Jul 23, 2009 at 10:31 p.m.
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janesvillean seems to have a a skewed sense of what is or isn't a lot of money. Maybe not compared to what Madison is spending, and maybe not in his world....but it certainly is a lot of money in my world...as well as the world of a lot of Janesville taxpayers.
Jul 23, 2009 at 3:28 p.m.
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I have discussed the option of putting the tunnel on a referendum with numerous council members. The consistent answer usually had something to do with the cost of a referendum...which I questioned since we had an election in November, and could have quite easily added this issue to the ballot.
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MOCO: I am definitely an anti-tunneler, but please don't equate that with being anti-safety. My argument always has been and still consists of two points...neither of which have been adequately addressed.
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1. There is absolutely zero evidence that indicates there should be a bike tunnel here. If no evidence is needed, then why shouldn't there be a bike tunnel under every street crossing one comes across on the trail? I'd actually assert that the debate surrounding this controversial tunnel has opened motorists and bike trail user's eyes alike to the area, and has resulted in better choices being made by both parties.
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2. Building this tunnel sends a very clear and dangerous message to those who either refuse to take any personal responsiblity when using the bike trail, and to those who consistently refuse to abide by the rules of the road.
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Those in favor of this idiocy constantly cite "safety" as being their main concern. To counter that argument, I ask you to show me a shred of evidence that indicates a safety concern actually exists.
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I live right off of this trail, and use it frequently with my son. I take responsibility for both him and myself when crossing any street, in addition to that, I abide by the rules of the road...I ask that the rest of you do the same and save our taxpayers this wasteful expense.
Jul 23, 2009 at 12:47 p.m.
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This is not a lot of money. Madison is building a bike trail bridge with stimulus money to the tune of $2.9 million.
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tj24, the project was bidded out through normal processes. "Jacking up" the price means you don't get the project. As to your backyard, you probably don't have an arterial sewer running through it -- the main reason the price went up to around $700,000. But that's still cheap.
Jul 23, 2009 at 11:26 a.m.
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Surely there is a safe fix for this area that will cost only 235K. I mean come on people!
maybe it's there bids that are the problem? People see a city project and jack the prices up. If I wanted to put a tunnel in my backyard I doubt it's cost over 600K.
Jul 23, 2009 at 10:03 a.m.
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So we have to spend $670K just so we don't lose a $235k grant? That doesn't sound like a good idea to me. It still costs the taxpayers $435k.
Jul 23, 2009 at 9:53 a.m.
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Again, as has come up before, if we don't start this project soon we lose the $250,000 federal grant.
Jul 22, 2009 at 6:23 p.m.
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Walker Texas Ranger had a similar situation as this in one of my favorite episodes, check out this short clip and you will understand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ5w4MkFo...
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