More on MNDOT and the I 35W bridge

Yesterday was an especially wonderful day me. First it was by birthday but that was not the good part. The wonderful part was that I received an invitation by Diane Hofstede, our city council member, to attend and participate in the Figg Bridge Design Charette. This was an all day event where the designers of the new I35W bridge presented the options and allowed us to discuss it, lobby each other in the room and then vote for our preference.

This was a rewarding experience especially for me since I have been all over the board on this thing. First I was curious, then anti bridge, then came acceptance of it being built and back to wanting something spectacular and back again to disappointment that it would be boring and finally to acceptance and now at least partial excitement. Do I need meds or what???

During the emotional roller coaster one of my fears has been that we would pull the typical Minnesota thing and miss the last field goal and end up with a boring bridge. I went to some meetings that confirmed my fears so I was against building it at all. I still think there are other options than rebuilding but the "not build" discussion never happened so I decided I might as well get used to that and see what they intend to build. Then they unveil this slab of BORING concrete. I wanted something like the Golden Gate. A monument to what I don't know but something beautiful that people would recognized like the Golden Gate, or the Sydney Opera House, or the Sears Tower, or the Empire State Building, the Guggenheim in Bilbao but no, this is Minnesota, we only deserve a slab of concrete. I think I need to clarify here, yes 12 folks were killed on that bridge. This was a direct result of neglect by our lovely Republican mentality of "cut everything we can, keep all the money we earn, screw everyone else as long as I get mine, government is a bad thing" mentality. People are killed everyday in our nations cities and I have yet to see a memorial to them, also innocent victims. So I ask, if there is to be a memorial to the lives lost on the bridge, why is there no memorial to the victims of violent crimes in our cities?

Next is the Third Ward Summit and Linda Figg of Figg Bridge Design and Jon Chiglo of MNDOT are there to present the concept of the new bridge and thoughts that went into it. I will have to say Jon Chiglo was incredibly patient in answering the relentless questions of why it has to be so BORING. Finally he made a statement that at least made sense to me, at least it was a thought process about design rather than just being cheap. I don't agree but at least it was thought out or at least they found a way to make it look thought out. Jon Chiglo said, with all the other art on the river; the Stone Arch Bridge, Guthrie Theater, Mill City Museum, Third Ave Bridge and Hennepin Ave Bridge, anything dramatic would over power the rest and fight the rest for attention. Okay, at least they appear to have thought about this and I will not have any effect in changing this line of thought. So it is what it is. Who said that Joan???

Then I get the invite to help select the subtle design elements of the bridge. Okay here is my chance to either shut up or put up, I put up. I counted at one time 54 folks in the room and many were non voters so in the end about 40 of us decided the finer details of the new bridge. Linda Figg did a great job, listened to what everyone said, answered questions when they were asked of her, otherwise the presentation, discussion and voting appeared to have no predetermined outcome. Needless to say they had their own preferences but still we were the ones to vote and make the final decisions.

Fox9 news interviewed me and of course typical of them, took the most sensational quote and used it. How did we end up with a media that no longer cares about facts and substance and only about sensationalism? This is the second time they have interviewed about something and then chopped until they had something sensational they could use. If asked I won't let them interview me again, lesson learned. A reporter from the Star Tribune also quoted me incorrectly. I was making a case at one point for a solid wall barrier rather than open railing on the bridge for two reasons. 1-Are you going to be viewing the river in heavy traffic, changing lanes and at 60 miles an hour? I hope not. 2-MNDOT has shown a complete lack of understanding that things need maintenance so why put up something that will be rusted and ugly in a short time? However after listening to other participants I changed my mind and said so publicly, but still they printed that I was for the solid wall. I guess I have to write a letter to the editor for that one. You sure can't believe what you read in the papers can you? I think it is all sensational BS.

In the end the bridge will be sleek, unobtrusive, with a lot of curves and hopefully some nice lighting to enhance the gentleness of it.

I just wonder what Jon Chiglo is thinking? Does he really feel his department is doing a good job or does he simply believe he is doing that best he can with the resources he has? I would love an honest conversation with him.

FYI: Still the signs downtown directing us to HWY 55 do not exist.

Last night we had a fundraiser for Diane Hofstede and the array of people who came was very interesting. We had 125-150 in our home for a couple of hours drinking, eating and talking. I asked our Senate Majority leader, Larry Pogemiller to check into this sign issue downtown even though it is not his issue, he promised he would. No one seems willing to take responsibility for this and it really is a problem that has a simple solution. The city says it is the responsibility of the county since the signs go on county roads, the county says it is the responsibility of the state since it is marking a state highway, how the hell does anyone ever get anything done, this I want to know? I should just get back to selling houses and forget this community agitation thing.