- ACLU of Wisconsin and other environmental justice groups submitted comments opposing the expansion of I-94 freeway in Milwaukee.
- Activists argued that the expansion would have a disproportionate impact on communities of color and EJ residents.
- The groups also raised concerns about the environmental impact of the expansion.
- They called for prioritizing public transportation as an alternative to expanding the freeway.
- The organizations urged officials to invest in communities instead of investing in highway expansion projects.
By ACLU | February 01, 2023
The ACLU of Wisconsin and other social and environmental justice organizations submitted comments Tuesday to federal and state transportation officials vehemently opposing the proposed expansion of Interstate 94 through Milwaukee due to the negative environmental and racial impacts the project would exacerbate…
“The I-94 expansion project is bad for Milwaukee and its residents. Not only would it harm Black and brown communities by worsening racial and economic segregation while failing to provide transit improvements that those communities need to benefit predominately white commuters, but it would also have detrimental effects on the environment, increasing pollution in the surrounding neighborhoods,” said Karyn Rotker, senior attorney with the ACLU of Wisconsin.
“Racial equity is a special concern for MICAH, and it is what we find missing in the WISDOT proposed eight-lane expansion,” said Joyce Ellwanger, a member of Milwaukee Innercity Congregations Allied for Hope (MICAH). “We support FixAtSix because it ensures that the needs of all citizens are addressed, whether they own a car or not, and advances bus rapid transit as a means of connecting people to jobs.”
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