Zoo Interchange

As you may know, I have a long history working to fix the Zoo Interchange. Governor Doyle has been blocking my efforts for years and his buddies in Madison have been willing accomplices.

Even Mayor Tom Barrett has gotten in on the act. In 2005, he praised Governor Doyle for vetoing $38 million in much needed funding to move the project forward. Also in 2005 he went so far to say the Zoo could be placed on the back burner because "the Zoo interchange will stand long enough for us to resolve these issues."

Wow, he could not have been more wrong!

Here is a copy of my statement today on the Zoo Interchange reconstruction and a copy of my 2005 release on Barrett:

(Madison)…State Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield) issued the following statement in response to the Department of Transportation’s emergency action to repair the Zoo Interchange.

“I’ve been calling for the reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange since 2005 and now the bridges are falling down. Over that time, the governor and legislative Democrats raided the Transportation Fund to the tune of $1.2 billion and chose to ignore what was happening to the busiest interchange in the state. It’s irresponsible to sit back any longer and watch it disintegrate. The facts speak for themselves; we need to rebuild the Zoo and do it now.”

To learn more about Senator Kanavas or the 33rd Senate District please visit his website at: http://www.senatorkanavas.com.

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Mayor Barrett Does Not Get It
Kanavas Questions Mayor Barrett’s Judgment on Zoo Interchange


(Madison) June 30, 2005… Senator Ted Kanavas (R-Brookfield) today questioned the judgment of Mayor Tom Barrett regarding the funding of preliminary engineering on the Zoo Interchange reconstruction project. Yesterday, in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Dale Schultz and Senate Minority Leader Judith Robson, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett embraced the Democratic Party line to nix funding for the Zoo Interchange.

“The Mayor needs to understand that the reconstruction of the Zoo Interchange is vital for the economic development of the region. The preliminary work is being funded now so that businesses and local communities are able to plan and grow. They need to know that the Zoo Interchange will be able to handle the increased traffic demands of an expanding economy,” stated Kanavas.

In his letter to senate leadership, Mayor Barrett was eager to criticize SEWRPC’s freeway plan as baseless and divisive. He went on to say that funding of the Zoo Interchange should be further delayed despite the facts. The Zoo Interchange handles more vehicles in one day than the Marquette Interchange, the Mitchell Interchange, or I-94 at Wisconsin/Illinois border.

“Mayor Barrett needs to decide from which side of his mouth he wants to speak. On one side he talks about the need for economic growth of the region so that the City of Milwaukee can benefit. On the other side he is attempting to kill a project that will create the infrastructure to support growth. The Mayor just does not get it. It is ironic that the Mayor’s letter was sent a day before it was announced that Milwaukee is no longer a top 20 city in America. Without a viable Zoo Interchange Milwaukee will not be a top 30 city in ten years. He needs to understand that the answer to growing the City of Milwaukee is not shrinking Milwaukee and Waukesha counties,” Kanavas concluded.

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