Milwaukee, WI

Deer District shows dire warnings about tearing down highways have fallen flat | Opinion

Published

5 months ago

January 29, 2024

Press Room

Deer District shows dire warnings about tearing down highways have fallen flat | Opinion

WisDOT is considering several options for I-794 that fall into three buckets: improve it, replace it or tear it down entirely.

There are a handful of topics you know will rile people up: abortion, gun control, and, if you live in Southeast Wisconsin, what to do with I-794.

If you’ve somehow managed to be in the dark on this debate, there is a question of what to do with the aging infrastructure of the I-794 lake interchange, which cuts through the heart of Milwaukee’s downtown. WisDOT is considering several options that fall into these three buckets: improve it, replace it or tear it down entirely.

Last week, a study was released to the public that gave a first look at where traffic would be diverted to if the mile stretch were to be torn down. While WisDOT has not made a decision yet, during a presentation last Tuesday, one of the project consultants noted that tearing down that mile stretch of 794 appears to be “the most feasible option”. If X/Twitter commentary and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Letters to the Editor on this topic are any indicators, tearing down the freeway will elate many while leaving plenty of people outraged.

But in order to gauge whether or not that outrage is justified, we should turn back the pages of Milwaukee history twenty years to the last time people were outraged about the removal of a mile stretch of road: Park East freeway.

One man, George Watts, was so angry about the potential of tearing it down that he first tried to recall Mayor John Norquist over it. When that didn’t work, he ran against Norquist and centered this issues in his campaign. In one of his letters to the editor to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he went so far to say that “taking away freeways like this would “give us the same despair that Third World countries have now.”

More perspectives on I-794 options:

7 reasons why: Removing I-794 would be a boon for downtown Milwaukee

Who wins from I-794 removal? Developers. Rest of us will be stuck in traffic.

Removing roads like I-794 can work: Just look at the Fiserv Forum.

794 removal would hurt Bay View. And revive the bridge to nowhere.

Looking around the Deer District today doesn’t quite paint the image of the despair of a developing country. In the four years I’ve lived in Milwaukee, I’m not sure I have gotten into a traffic jam once around the McKinley and Knapp intersection, except that one time Disney on Ice was at the Fiserv. It’s safe to say, no one misses the Park East Freeway.

As WisDOT continues to do their due diligence by developing alternative plans and producing more studies, they would be wise to also take history into account. This city has played almost this exact record before. As City of Milwaukee planner Peter Park has stated, historically, “every single time a freeway came down, a neighborhood got better and access got better.” For once, here’s hoping we let history repeat itself.

Kristin Brey is the “My Take” columnist for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

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Milwaukee, WI

Enjoy a weekend of fun at Milwaukee's Lakefront Festival of Art

Published

7 hours ago

June 15, 2024

Press Room

Enjoy a weekend of fun at Milwaukee's Lakefront Festival of Art

Lakefront Festival of Art in Milwaukee

Lindsey Wurz joined FOX6 WakeUp to talk about the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Lakefront Festival of Art, which has something for everyone.

MILWAUKEE – Head to the Milwaukee Art Museum for a weekend of art, food, music, and much more at the Lakefront Art Festival.

You can meet 120 artists from across the nation and shop for paintings, ceramics, fiber, metalwork, jewelry, and more.

You can also sample Milwaukee flavor from local restaurants, lounge in the sunshine in the beer and wine gardens, and make art in the outdoor Kohl’s Art Studio.

SIGN UP TODAY: Get daily headlines, breaking news emails from FOX6 News

The family-friendly event runs from Friday, June 14 through Sunday, June 16, rain or shine.

Festival admission includes access to the museum.

For more information on the festival, click here.

Lakefront Festival of Art a ‘labor of love’

Co-chairs Nancy Munroe and Heather Varady-Foth joined FOX6 WakeUp to share more about the Lakefront Festival of Art happening at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Showcasing the work of artists

Artist Rosi Petri joined FOX6 WakeUp to showcase some of her artwork on display at the Lakefront Festival of Art in Milwaukee.

Weekend of fun – Lakefront Festival of Art

The artists are setting up their booths for the second day of the Lakefront Festival of Art at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

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Milwaukee, WI

Juneteenth Milwaukee Freedom Ball; highlights community leaders, raises money for the Juneteenth pageant

Published

14 hours ago

June 15, 2024

Press Room

Juneteenth Milwaukee Freedom Ball; highlights community leaders, raises money for the Juneteenth pageant

MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee community came out in full support of the annual Juneteenth Freedom Ball at the Harley-Davidson Museum.

TMJ4 News

Honorees for the 2024 Freedom Ball

Three people were honored tonight at the ball for their commitment to improving the community.
Mike Falbo received the ‘Joseph M. Winston Community Commitment Award.’

Janette Mitchell-Herrera was honored as the 2024 Freedom Ball Volunteer of the Year.’

Steve Mahan, was celebrated as the 2024 Freedom Ball Father of the Year.

Our very own Stephanie Brown emceed the event, which helped raise money for the Juneteenth pageant.

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Milwaukee, WI

Locals react to former President Trump calling Milwaukee a 'horrible' city

Published

21 hours ago

June 14, 2024

Press Room

Locals react to former President Trump calling Milwaukee a 'horrible' city

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. — On Thursday, Former President Donald Trump reportedly called Milwaukee a “horrible” city.

In response, his campaign said he was referring to the city’s violent crime rate and voter fraud.

TMJ4 wanted to hear directly from people who call Milwaukee home, so we took to the streets to do just that.

Rather than simply asking, we created a sign to see if his statement would make a statement and get people talking.

“It’s just a regular city. People are just really afraid of the narratives that are being pushed,” said Omar Jaime.

TMJ4 News

Omar Jaime/

“He’s coming here in a couple of weeks. So, I think it takes an awful lot of ignorance to say something that negative before he’s coming if he really thinks he should be president,” said Dorsey.

“I love this part of the world. It has made me a large part of who I am today and for somebody to say this is a horrible city, it’s 100% not true. It’s not a horrible city; it’s a wonderful city,” said Johnson.

Elaine Rojas-Castillo spent nearly two hours in the heart of the Third Ward, asking anyone who would stop to share their thoughts.

Most agreed with Jaime, Dorsey, and Johnson, but one man who saw our sign thought otherwise.

ERC: “We pulled this from his words.”

MAN: “I would like to see the whole conversation.”

ERC: “We can get the clip for you if you’d like.”

MAN: “I can look it up myself.”

He says he doesn’t believe Trump could have said this and blames the media for twisting his words.

ERC: “So, when you see something like this, in your mind, what do you think?”

MAN: “False.”

ERC: “That he said it or that it is?”

MAN: “That he didn’t say that.”

ERC: “If you see that he did say it, what do you think about this?”

MAN: “I would be extremely surprised.”

He said he plans to support the former president in November for the first time, after leaving the Democratic Party a few years ago.

“Why? Because of Democrats, because of Biden’s administration, because of its policies. That’s why I’m going for Trump,” the man said.

Dorsey said she was grateful that we were having this conversation and hopes others pay attention to what every candidate says and make an informed decision at the ballot box.

“We need to think about, not just what’s important to us, but what’s important to our communities. Just think about other people more than ourselves and I don’t think Trump does that,” said Dorsey.

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