Barrett To Push Transit, Local Street Work, In Address Wednesday

Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett delivers his annual State of the City address Wednesday, and with federal stimulus dollars likely to flow soon is likely to urge that transit, and local infrastructure repairs get special attention.

Barrett is expected to urge other leaders to cooperate, promote those priorities and thus turn from one-dimensional transportation spending that favors highway building.

Milwaukee County has a failing bus system; the region has no commuter or high-speed rail, but does have streets and bridges that need fixing.

These deficits stunt business expansion and block the easy movement of people and goods - - so a cooperative effort that combines local spending with broad transit expansion can be the basis for stimulus investments as they are proposed, planned and implemented in Milwaukee and beyond.

It's a matter of better planning and political will: Barrett is definitely on the right track.

Others are not, as I noted earlier today.