By: Diane Benjamin
East Moline is wants to make streetscape changes to their downtown. See this report: https://il-eastmoline.civicplus.com/DocumentCenter/View/6947/Appendix-D—Benefit-Cost-Analysis-RAISE-2022
See this graphic from page 5:
First, the report was issued on April 14, 2022 but they used 2020 dollars. That would be pre-40 year high inflation.
See anything else that screams: People are stupid so we can make up our own facts?
The document is a grant application, it doesn’t say who prepared it. Pages 15-18 show where the above numbers came from: Other government agency data. (The same government that didn’t get the census right)
All of the $126,104,251 shown as benefits are questionable, but the Health Benefits from Walking/Cycling is outrageous! If you believe benefits can be quantified at $67,470,073 then you also believe the Coliseum and the BCPA revitalized downtown. If you believe they did a $25,000,000 streetscape isn’t needed.
In August the Bloomington City Council barely approved spending $750,000 for a streetscape study. It won’t be available for a year, but get ready to see many of the same claims to justify spending your money.
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By using their metrics, Normal should be rolling in $$$$! Ha ha.
I’m all for some upgrades to downtown but when we can not take care of what we have. No way. Driving around town there are landscaping that has weed growing in them. The roads are horrible the arena sits empty etc etc. So until those things get taken care of no way.
The Mayor and Bloomington City Council would be extremely negligent to spend $30,000,000 on a downtown streetscape while continuing to ignore the broken sewer and storm water systems on the west side. The residents on the west side are long past due having this infrastructure replaced or repaired. Bloomington Residents: Please get to the next Bloomington City Council Meeting and speak during public comment.
The council.that voted to spend $750,000 on a study won’t be the same council a year from now when they get the study. That council will think they are locked in because of the expensive study. That’s how they got the library and water park through.