Saturday, March 24, 2007

Huge Attendance at Milwaukee Zoo Today: No Light Rail Line And Station To Get Families There

The Milwaukee County Zoo was mobbed today. It was an annual Free Day. Families galore. White and Black. Young and Older. Just a wonderful warm early spring day.

But Free Day was a bit of a misnomer - - you still had to pay the $9 parking fee - - and I had a minor epiphany when I forked over my $10 bill:

Of course Scott Walker doesn't want a light rail train servicing the Zoo: The County would lose all that parking revenue.

Sorta like why and how Miller Park had to be built in the Menomonee Valley, away from the downtown and easy transit connections, because Bud Selig wanted the parking revenue, too.

So parking revenues trump rational transit planning in Miwaukee.

Again.

Scott Walker: Son of Bud.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Milwaukee has no bus service to their zoo. That's awful.

It seems to me then you should get bus service working before you talk about rail.

My problem with rail is simple its as you say modern or as Mayor Dave says it makes the professional caste feel more comfortable. Madison had rail and they moved to busses because none of the trolley's made any money.

If we have lets say a rail that picks one up downtown and goes straight to the airport, zoo etc at regular intervals that makes sense. But, at least in Madison the me too burbs want it to go out to the furthest city boundaries and pick up all along the way. This is stupid, and does not utilize rails potential especially when the real consequence will be cuts in bus service that most poor people use.

James Rowen said...

If it were all up to me, the first usage of rail would be where the highest densities of people can use it: downtown, UW-M, central city, the Zoo, the Valley, stadium, lakefront, Summerfest grounds.

Commuter rail comes next.

All of it connects to a hub a central spot - - the city's new AMTRAK station comes to mind. And it feeds the bus system.

I don't see this as an elitist thing.

bbison said...

Anon--several bus routes serve the Zoo, what are you talking about?

James Rowen said...

A rail line could have zipped people directly there from touristy spots, just as the convention center, the new transit hub downtown and elsewhere.

Think modern!