This really isn't shocking to anyone who's lived in Chicago for more than 5 days.. but glad to see a national article on it: CHICAGO (CBS) Local labor union and business groups are pushing for congress to spend more money an estimated 70,000 structurally deficient bridges across the U.S. WBBM Newsradios Nancy Harty reports that backers of the study by Transportation For America are pushing for more federal transportation spending. The report, from a coalition of environmental, transit and consumer groups, found that almost 10 percent of the Chicago areas bridges more than 400 altogether are structurally deficient. That means an engineer has identified a major defect in a bridges support structure or deck. Brian Imus, state director of the Illinois Public Interest Research Group, detailed the findings of a report by the group Transportation For America. Seventy-one cars drive over a structurally deficient bridge every second in the Chicago metro area, Imus said. Among the bridges labeled structurally deficient were the bridge at Lake Shore Drive and Lawrence Avenue, the bridge at 18th Street and the Chicago River and the bridge at LaSalle Street and the Chicago River.
Just an interesting article I thought. Meant to post the URL as well, here it is: http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2011/10/19/study-71-drivers-cross-defective-bridge-every-second/
Bottom line is if we want it fixed, the goons will raise our taxes. In the past couple of years my home was devalued by 30%, yet my property tax went up by 50% for 2010. If you live in Cook County this is the way it works. If you want those bridges fixed expect your taxes to increase even more. Remember, the tax we pay to fund our civil servants exorbitant pensions will also increase expotentially.
