click on the above photo to see a larger version

For public information, below is a facsimile of a letter from Mayor Allan Kauffman. In this letter he explains their strategy of isolating the citizen opposition groups. 

The Goshen Public Library has a binder from the state of Indiana containing copies of hundreds of letters against and only a few letters favoring INDOT's proposed Projects: U.S. 33/Goshen Des #: 9222424, 9222425 & 9222426 and to the related widening of Third Street in Goshen (not numbered as of June 30, 2000). 

• Here is a site that helps ordinary citizens with good ideas face the power of City Hall.

Click this link for the information to write your letter today.

• attempts to minimize the importance of the opposition to the Thoroughfare Plan and INDOT's proposed projects. 
• explains how he plans to "contain the opposition" (those who favor a bypass instead of routing 18 wheelers through the heart of Goshen)
• acknowledges that with a bypass there "would no doubt be a significant reduction in traffic through town" 
• gives his reasons for being against a bypass
• states who he wishes to please
• acknowledges safety concerns at the high school but does not mention the difficulty of crossing the rest of Madison Street  - ignoring the increased hazards at Chandler Elementary
• acknowledges aesthetic concerns and proposes to solve them by removing more homes including some significant historic sites in order to add green space and "replica lamps".

• that much of the objectionable "Thoroughfare" traffic is made up of large commercial through trucks that are of no benefit to the commercial corridor while causing extreme harm to quality of life, air quality, and safety in both residential and commercial areas
• increased hazards to elementary age children and other pedestrians and bicyclers who will be obliged to cross a widened and more heavily used Madison Street and Third Street on their way to and from school, the library, the park, the pool, the central business district, recreation areas, and scenic areas
• long delays and congestion created by increasingly frequent train traffic crossing Madison Street
• damage or destruction to historic sites and neighborhood property values along the thoroughfare both on Third Street and on Madison Street.
• destruction of hundreds of trees

failure to deal with continually increasing truck traffic on North and South Main Street, much of which is residential (a bypass would lessen the truck traffic on these streets and on many other residential streets in Goshen).

These are three of the through vehicles counted on April 24, 2000. They are headed north.

A truck and two manufactured houses photographed as they passed Goshen College on April 24, 2000.