Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

A Potential Stimulus Horror Story from Franklin, Wisconsin

Some disturbing news about stimulus spending on roads comes to us from Streetsblog Network member blog Sprawled Out, which covers the city of Franklin, WI. In that Milwaukee suburb, according to Sprawled Out's John Michlig, local bureaucrats are potentially on track to use stimulus funds to widen a local street in a particularly destructive way:

20090310_d73ba2i6br9kf9mn16pjgcjj8k.preview.jpgThe plan: Use stimulus dollars to make this road wider, faster, bigger. Photo from Sprawled Out.

Once again, the "answer" for a poorly street-planned community is to take another of the plat-level streets to gargantuan, pedestrian-killing width; a residential area roadway designed to freeway standards. Another place-killing notch in the Franklin landscape that will make this community that much more vehicle-centric -- a drive-thru non-place with no appeal.

But. gosh, you can sure whiz right through.

Just what local business needs, huh? Cars WHIZZING by rather than a walkable environment that encourages lingering -- and spending, and returning.

51st street badly needs shoulders and a walking/bike lane -- that will require widening as well, but nothing so extreme as the four-lane variety and a much better, forward-looking use for stimulus funds. 51st does not need more vehicle lanes, and it does not need a faster speed limit.

But here's what's so incredibly heartening about the members of our network, now nearly 250 strong: Michlig is going to do everything within his power as a citizen and as a blogger to prevent this plan from simply sliding into place. In an update to his original post on the widening, Michlig wrote about a meeting he had with Franklin's mayor...

A bit of good news, perhaps: A conversation with Franklin's Mayor Thomas Taylor reveals that he personally in not in favor of a four-lane widening.…Do I believe the 4-lane option would/will be the only plan forwarded if not for some timely intercession? ABSOLUTELY.…

So now the challenge is clear: In order to pursue the forward-thinking and economically-rewarding plan of utilizing stimulus funds for creating pedestrian and bike utility and safety rather than "business as usual" rote street-widening, it's vital to get involved in the process early, as I plan to do.

We'll keep you posted on developments. And if you're in or near Franklin, head over to Michlig's blog and connect with him there to help stop this default plan before it becomes reality. You can also find him on Twitter as @SprawledOut.

Elsewhere around the network: Bike Portland covers Rep. Earl Blumenauer's call for a strengthening of the bike commuter tax benefit; Bike Denver looks at "Share the Road" campaigns and what they mean for bike-car relations; and Mobilizing the Region reports on the call for congestion pricing in Connecticut.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

‘Preventable’: Hit-and-Run Driver Kills Two on Third Av. Corridor Eric Adams Refuses to Make Safer

A motorist struck and killed two men on a strip where Mayor Adams recently shelved a safety redesign amid a backlash from local business interests.

July 11, 2025

Why No BRT For NYC? Two New Reports Tackle Why Your Bus Service Sucks

Years of bus priority projects barely made a dent in speeds because Big Apple leaders won't install real bus rapid transit, two recent reports argue.

July 11, 2025

Citi Bike Riders Are Pissed About Eric Adams’s 15 MPH Speed Limit

Citi Bike's new 15 mph max speed limit is a bad deal for riders and a potential threat to safety, riders said.

July 11, 2025

Friday Video: Cyclists, Check Out Your Next City

Streetfilms' Clarence Eckerson visited London earlier this summer to check in on the Big Smoke's cycling revolution.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines: Just the News Edition

We've got one more workday before we can hit the beach. Plus the news.

July 11, 2025

Council To Close Instacart Loophole, Pass Delivery Industry Regulation Bills

The City Council will vote on Monday to close the "Instacart loophole" and force all app companies to pay workers a minimum wage.

July 10, 2025
See all posts