The Bridge Before Christmas

A Gulf Coast Tale of MDOT (explained below)
By Laurence Aurbach

'Twas the month before Christmas
And all through the Coast
Not a tourist was stirring
Not even a ghost

Then Lo! Santa Wayne
Declaimed from his sleigh
"I have the vision!
I'll show you the way!"

"The future I see
A bridge bigger and wider
And not one inconvenience
For one auto rider."

"So on Honda! On Chrysler!
Escalade and Expedition!
They'll drive by the millions
From the entire nation."

"From freeway to game room they'll travel express
Bypassing downtowns for casinos' success
'Customer capture' is what casinos preach
They'll never leave slots for a day on the beach."

But in the workshop the elves,
Dismayed and aghast
Said "The folly of Wayne's plan
Is apparent from the past!"

"Your beachfront was transformed
From boulevard to motocross
And tubes in the air
Were required to get across."

"Your downtown, once so fine for child and matron
Was degraded by auto orientation.
Sidewalks where once it was pleasant to stroll
Were buried by lanes that let the cars roll."

"Then because on the ground, cars had all the power
New residents retreated to condominium towers
Who wants to live near a highway all day?
For 30th-floor views, they'll willingly pay."

"And so the Coast's heritage was under duress
Charming locations removed for Progress
North of I-10 went jobs, housing and the rest
For when all places are generic, then newest is best."

But the elves had a plan that was not plain vanilla
More frequent connections instead of Bridgezilla
Human-scale streets instead of a swath
For renewing the Coast, this was their path.

'Twas the bridge before Christmas
And the people did wonder
Would Wayne's lanes be a gift?
Or an oversized blunder?

Editorial, Friday, Dec. 09, 2005

We need visionary leadership, not MDOT's blinders
By Ricky Mathews

As we rebuild, we need leaders who listen and learn

We are at a turning point in South Mississippi. Will the chronicles of South Mississippi's reconstruction after Hurricane Katrina describe many Coast leaders as "Profiles in Courage"? Or will we find ourselves at some point in the future wondering how we got to where we are... and not liking it.

What is the single most important attribute that will best enable the evolving vision and the subsequent creation of a renaissance in South Mississippi? That quality is leadership.

At this very moment, a legacy is being created for the current leaders of South Mississippi. What will history say of our stewardship of this region?

It is often said that there are those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened. We all have seen leaders in each of these categories.

I am inspired by much of what I have seen in these pivotal days, but this column will address the part of what I see that drives me crazy.

No excuse to give less than our best

I understand why some leaders - both elected officials and community leaders - are struggling. Katrina overwhelmed us. Our homes and those of our employees, families and friends have been damaged or destroyed. Many, too many, of our friends and family members died in the storm. Our businesses have been clobbered. On every dimension - psychologically, emotionally, financially, spiritually - we have been challenged.

Through all of this, we must work to build our communities back in a way that we will all be proud of. It is hard to stay focused.

But we must - because many of the issues we debate and discuss today are life-changing. It is unacceptable and inexcusable to give them less than our full attention and our best thinking.

While we don't always like it when someone disagrees with us, we are grateful for informed debate. Better decisions result from respectful discussions. But when a participant is uninformed, no one wins. Misguided, half-baked decisions will not stand the test of time or the scrutiny of our children's children.

Good decisions will not be made if elected officials and key community leaders choose not to attend meetings and discussions or if they walk out of important meetings at crucial moments.

Too many of our leaders are not well-informed on the issues, and some ignore the greater public interest. Too many leaders want to do the work of the people in back rooms. The public deserves better.

Fortunately, this is not widespread, but it has occurred, most notably on decisions regarding transportation and, specifically, in dealing with the Mississippi Department of Transportation.

Sometimes bigger is not better

On the subject of the Biloxi-Ocean Springs bridge, some leaders say that the nationally known architects and planners involved in our rebuilding effort, thousands of concerned South Mississippi citizens, and even many key leaders, including Ocean Springs Mayor Connie Moran, just "don't get it." They say, the bigger the bridge the better.

For those who think that, I have a question: Have you entertained for even a minute that we might be onto something in terms of a new way to look at transportation issues that might better connect to the growing vision of South Mississippi in the post-Katrina world - a vision that could create in South Mississippi not only an international tourist destination, but an awesome place to live and work?

MDOT is about to build a behemoth of a bridge that will be the equivalent of 10 lanes in width (six traffic lanes, four emergency lanes, plus biking/walking lanes).

We have begged MDOT to consider a slightly smaller bridge of four traffic lanes, two emergency lanes, plus biking/walking lanes. This four-lane bridge would still be taller, wouldn't need a drawbridge, and would have room for future growth. The height and emergency lanes would eliminate two of the primary causes of delays on the bridge - the drawbridge and traffic accidents.

The larger bridge will most likely lead to the widening of U.S. 90.

Did you get that? A bigger bridge most likely means a bigger, meaner, wider U.S. 90 - not a scenic boulevard through the communities of South Mississippi.

The combination of a new east-west corridor (at the location of the existing CSX railroad), combined with a scenic U.S. 90 creates for South Mississippi an absolutely compelling possibility. The MDOT approach represents a death blow to that opportunity.

Who is in the driver's seat?

This is not just a conversation about a bridge. It is a conversation about how MDOT operates. It's about how they determine their plans. It is about defining very clearly who will decide the future of South Mississippi: MDOT or the citizens of South Mississippi.

Dedicated and competent community leaders who know this issue inside and out have tried to convince MDOT officials to be our partners in this unprecedented journey. But while they have made a few concessions on the design of the Ocean Springs bridge, MDOT's leaders have never moved from their outrageously wide bridge - or their arrogant way of dealing with the citizens they profess to serve. They still define partnership as doing things their way. It's their way or no highway, you might say.

Everything that we do from this point forward in our rebuilding effort and everything that we will become will be affected in a profound way by the transportation system we create. MDOT must be a partner working with us as we become the community we want to become. MDOT's leaders must listen; they must be open to other views. They must change their approach to planning and design. We beg them to be our partners.

Do your homework and test your leaders

Hurricane Katrina delivered to us many challenges and opportunities. I am convinced, as I know many of you are convinced, that a renaissance for South Mississippi is within our grasp.

The vision for South Mississippi that is evolving is exciting and compelling. The thousands of people who have been involved in shaping that future through active participation in the Governor's Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal or through the numerous public meetings have contributed to this vision.

The rebuilding effort that will take place in each of our communities will include magnificent waterfront developments and city centers, with more walkable (and affordable) communities, exciting retail centers and many more exciting possibilities. And all of this will be influenced by the wonderful architecture that was so significantly blown and washed away by Katrina. We cannot lose that part of our history and character.

People will want to come here - to visit, to live, and to see the diverse and wonderful communities of South Mississippi. While our recovery itself will be a remarkable part of why they visit, the thing that will stand out the most will be what we have become.

All of this will require the best kind of leadership. And it will require all of us subjugating our own egos into a plan in which the common good begins with a common vision.

What I am asking for is for everyone who reads this to get involved in the process. Hold the leaders in your community - especially elected leaders - accountable for making informed decisions. Do your homework. Test your leaders. Be sure they are making informed decisions.

In this exciting process, I hope MDOT can come to the table with an open mind. If not, big changes may need to be made before that agency can truly be a partner with the people of South Mississippi. The days of doing things for us and to us, instead of with us, are gone.

by Ricky Mathews

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Ricky Mathews is president and publisher of the Sun Herald. Contact him by mail at P.O. Box 4567, Biloxi, MS 39535-4567; telephone, (228) 896-2420; or e-mail, rmathews@sunherald.com.

© 2005 The Sun Herald and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved.
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