This March we sent our official letter of opposition to Secretary Buttigieg and the Department of Transportation regarding the proposed SE Connector in Des Moines and Pleasant Hill and the application for RAISE grant funding.
While the SE Connector claims to have many community benefits including better access to transload facility, industrial parks, and a trail next to the road, the reality is most of these benefits could be achieved without the need for a new road. The real reason for this project is to facilitate and subsidize suburban sprawl in the SE corner of the metro.
As a community we should be focused on rebuilding and repairing our existing road network, as well as investing more in public transportation and active transportation infrastructure. Continuing to build new sprawl-inducing roads will not lead to a more sustainable, accessible and livable Des Moines.
The full letter can be read below:
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