We write to urge the members of the Lawrence community to vote ‘yes’ on the College Avenue Bridge referendum in next Tuesday’s election. A ‘yes’ vote is a vote for a two-lane bridge rather than a four-lane bridge. There are many reasons to vote for a two-lane bridge, but for the Lawrence community, the most important reason is to preserve the safety and character of our community. The Wisconsin Department of Transportation estimates that a four-lane bridge will draw an additional 8300 vehicles per day, raising the average daily traffic count over the bridge and through Lawrence to some 33,000 vehicles. Although the posted speed limit is likely to remain at 30 mph, the four-lane bridge will be designed to carry traffic at speeds of 35-55 mph. The increased hazards for students, faculty, staff, and visitors crossing College Avenue are obvious. Furthermore, the increased traffic will almost certainly lead to the deterioration of the environment and of the residential and historical character of the surrounding neighborhood.
The newly refurbished College Avenue, with Lawrence, the new Performing Arts Center, its small shops, restaurants, bars, and summer farmers’ market, should be regarded as a destination, not Appleton’s main east-west thoroughfare. The Lawrence community can play a major role in determining the future character not only of the campus but of the larger community; next Tuesday vote ‘yes’ on the College Avenue Bridge referendum.
Professors Adenwalla, Anthony, Barrett, Biringer, Bjella, Bjornerud, Blitstein, Bloom, Bozeman, Carr, Clark, Cohen, DeCorsey, Deoringer, B. DeStasio, E. DeStasio, Dreher, D’Uva, Eklund, Evans, Fajzi-DeGroot, Fares, Frazier, Frielund, Goldgar, Glick, Gregg, Hall, Hetzler, Hirby, Hoffmann, Hollis, Hunsicker, Isaacson, Jordan, Jordheim, Kahl, Keelan, Kern, Krebsbach, Lawton, Lei, Matveyev, Meyer, Michelic, Orr, Peterson, Leigh-Post, Pourciau, Powell, Purkey, Reed, Rence, Revie, Rew-Gottfried, Richards, Rico, Riley, Sedlock, Sendelbach, Spurgin, Stannard, Sung, Sykes, Tapia, Taylor, Ternes, Troy, Urness, Vilches, Vorenkamp, Wall, Walsh, Whitman, Wickens, Wocelka, Wulf, Yamagata, Yang, Yatzeck
Dean Truesdell and Dean Hemwall
J. Daniels Quinlan ’74, G. Revie, and Carol Saunders