I’m torn. I love summer, but with it comes road construction and repair, and these days, it seems that getting anywhere in the Milwaukee area is nigh impossible thanks to closed lanes, blocked streets and the ubiquitous orange cones.
It’s in part the Marquette Interchange, but not entirely. In fact, I’ve been surprised by how un-obstructive that work has been (although the closed connections to the high rise bridge have proved problematic at times).
No, I mean the fact that getting to and from work every day feels like a video game. On more than one occasion something has forced a detour and that has led to frustrating rat-in-a-maze games.
Mass transit is great in theory. But buses don't solve the problem since they have to drive on the same streets I do.
By the way, did anyone see the map on today's morning newspaper, showing Detroit and Milwaukee as the only major cities in the country with no mass transit authority and no dedicated funding?
I know, the work needs to be done and with Wisconsin winters, summer is the time to do the work. But I’m only human, I’ve got to vent. And I suspect you do too, so use the talkback feature below to do so.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., where he lived until he was 17, Bobby received his BA-Mass Communications from UWM in 1989 and has lived in Walker's Point, Bay View, Enderis Park, South Milwaukee and on the East Side.
He has published three non-fiction books in Italy – including one about an event in Milwaukee history, which was published in the U.S. in autumn 2010. Four more books, all about Milwaukee, have been published by The History Press.
With his most recent band, The Yell Leaders, Bobby released four LPs and had a songs featured in episodes of TV's "Party of Five" and "Dawson's Creek," and films in Japan, South America and the U.S. The Yell Leaders were named the best unsigned band in their region by VH-1 as part of its Rock Across America 1998 Tour. Most recently, the band contributed tracks to a UK vinyl/CD tribute to the Redskins and collaborated on a track with Italian novelist Enrico Remmert.
He's produced three installments of the "OMCD" series of local music compilations for OnMilwaukee.com and in 2007 produced a CD of Italian music and poetry.
In 2005, he was awarded the City of Asti's (Italy) Journalism Prize for his work focusing on that area. He has also won awards from the Milwaukee Press Club.
He has be heard on 88Nine Radio Milwaukee talking about his "Urban Spelunking" series of stories, in that station's most popular podcast.
