I saw this and thought to myself, yet one more difference between how things operate in modern democratic America. And how they operate in not so modern, not so democratic, oligarch dominated Fort Worth.
As in, years ago, maybe a full decade, I first came upon massive signage touting the Trinity River Vision Underway. If I recollect correctly I first saw this now totally ironic signage at the location of what became the now long defunct Cowtown Wakepark, which was one of the Trinity River Vision's first boondoggling failures.
Then in February of 2015 I found myself in downtown Fort Worth. While there I took a long walk. During that walk I came upon multiple instances of signage for what by then was turning into America's Biggest Boondoggle. I blogged about this signage in Taking A Look At The Trinity River Vision Boondoggle's Products.
That blogging included the photo you see below. Four years later this sign is even more pitifully ironic.
Those bridges are now optimistically projected to be possibly finished sometime in the next decade. Yeah, that is some slow motion progress in motion.
Meanwhile, in Seattle, the fully funded public works project which is replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct with a four lane tunnel under downtown Seattle, along with rebuilding the Seattle waterfront, is due to open the new tunnel to traffic in about a week.
Hence the state spending a few million bucks advertising the new 99 tunnel opening soon to whisk drivers under Seattle from the Space Needle to the stadiums south of downtown.
I do not believe any one spent any money in Seattle, back when the tunnel project began, touting the fact of "99 Tunnel Progress in Motion".
But, now that that tunnel is a reality money is being spent to get drivers used to the idea of driving under downtown Seattle.
That tunnel in Seattle began getting bored about the same time Fort Worth had a TNT exploding ceremony to mark the start of construction of three pitiful little bridges being built over dry land. And now, four years later, with a one year delay due to the tunnel boring machine being injured by an unexpected steel pipe, that Seattle tunnel is finished and ready to open.
While those pitiful Fort Worth bridges being built over dry land to connect the Fort Worth mainland to an imaginary island are nowhere near being completed. And there has never been any sort of sensible explanation as to what the problem is with these Fort Worth bridges.
Whilst looking for that photo I took four years ago of the sign touting Fort Worth Bridge Progress in Motion I came upon yet one more J.D. Granger embarrassment rendered more embarrassing with the passage of time. Those who are not familiar with the Fort Worth Granger Scandal. Local congresswoman Kay Granger's son, J.D., was hired to be the executive director of the Trinity River Vision Authority. J.D. Granger had zero qualifications for such a job, a fact born out by the ongoing embarrassment to Fort Worth which the Trinity River Vision has become.
J.D. Granger was interviewed in an apparently clueless Texas publication. I blogged about this and the stupid stuff Granger uttered in The Real Work Begins To Sink Panther Island & J.D. Granger, including some Q and A such as the ironic question and answer here...
Q. How is the Panther Island project coming along?
A. Killing it. We’re about one-third of the way through the project. We are about to wrap up the phase that provides little reward — clearing the way for vertical construction. Now, the excitement begins. Bridges are well underway. The bypass channel is in final design. The first multifamily project and riverwalk section begins this spring. And, we are working with several more developers on some great projects that would extend the Panther Island River Walk in the near future.
________________
Now, in the first month of 2019, those bridges are not well underway, the way has not been cleared for any sort of construction, what with ground pollution not yet mitigated, what with infrastructure, such as drainage, not yet installed. Riverwalk section? Anyone see any Riverwalk section? Let alone anything extending the apparently imaginary Panther Island River Walk?
This is all so perplexing.
If Fort Worth's voters had done the right thing and booted Kay Granger out of congress, would J.D. then be relieved of the job he has so obviously botched?
Will Fort Worth ever become a modern American city?
Likely not.
Not until the town rids itself of what is known as the notorious Fort Worth Way of ruining a town. I mean, running a town.
Freudian slip....
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