Overpass-over and out? Or Overhyped?

The Lens reported today that the long-delayed study of whether to dismantle the overpass running above Claiborne has begun. The article gives citizen input that is both positive and negative to the plan.
The first conversation I had about this ended in an online argument with someone that I would have assumed would have welcomed the concrete to come down. Her beef was that it was a waste of money in a city desperate to cover its costs already. My argument is that it is federal money devoted to transportation studies (and would not have come our way to say, fix our sewers) and that other similar cities that have went ahead and taken down these federal leviathons, have benefited from renewed community at the human level.
Add to that increasing the commuter's time on our city streets will lead to more street level services offered in an area that needs small businesses and I'm more than for it, I will argue with any of you, anytime on the subject. Try me.

On the OTHER hand, it is quite likely that the city will screw up this study and therefore also muck up the teardown or repairs, depending on the result of the study. But, that's the banana republic we live in, fellow citizens...


The Lens