Light Snow Snarled Milwaukee Rush Hour: No Light Rail Available
The radio said 46 minutes from downtown to Moreland Rd. as the light snow fell Thursday afternoon.
Light rail planning for Milwaukee-Waukesha corridor ended at Waukesha County's insistence more than ten years ago.
So it goes and will go.
11 comments:
Light rail doesn't run much better in snow or rain.
It certainly wouldn't have relieved the freeway congestion.
Who are you trying to kid? Yourself perhaps?
Such a shame. And the route would be a relatively straight one, too. Didn't the rail route used to be very popular, back in the day? Not only would a train be faster and cleaner, but the reduction in cars on the road would make the drive faster -- and cleaner, too. And then, just think of the economic boost to both communities that a closer link would bring.
Light rail doesn't run much better in snow or rain
Wrong.
To gnarly - - thanks. I will post that video.
enoughalready:
Rail Route used to be popular - yes, rail was quite popular until people realized the freedoms that automobiles provide.
Faster - usually not.
Cleaner - yes.
Reduction in cars - not so much. The highly touted Hiawatha line in Minneapolis diverts 0.7% of freeway traffic. That's 7 cars for every 1000.
Economic Boost - and rail would make communities closer than automobiles, in what way?
Amazing.
tomIbBrookfield, you clearly have no idea whatsoever what "freedom" is. To drive an automobile, you need a license. What that license gives you is no "freedom." It does give you the convenient ability to drive at 3AM to find a 24 hour store and buy hot pockets. But so long as you need a license for it, it is not "freedom."
Milwaukee once had an excellent light electric rail system, called the T, M, E, R and L system, and it covered over 270 miles of routes as far out as East Troy and Burlington. All electrified and could potentially be run off of renewable energy. A pity it was all ripped out and sacrificed at the altar of big oil and big auto.
I used to take Metra to work when I worked in the west suburbs of Chicago, and the snow had little to no effect on the trains, even when there was enough to close nearby roads. What a great way to go in bad weather! Getting stuck in gridlock is not freedom. Oil trade deficits are not freedom. Spending over 25% of your budget on private transportation is not freedom.
tom
Have you ever lived in a city with rail? If so, you would probably know that having rail connections inspires many people to make trips they otherwise would not make. And of course, some people do not own automobiles.
Rail invites exploration by making connections very simple. That is part of what I meant by saying that (traffic-free) rail would bring a closer link. For example, I am not very familiar with Waukesha. In fact, it seems to me like a very difficult place to get around in and to get to know by car. I tend to avoid going there.
But with a train stop, I would not have to know my way around. I could very easily explore the area around a train stop and very easily find my way back. No hassles looking for parking. Without having to worry about the traffic and the road conditions, I could really take a good look at the community as I travel through, learning more about what it has to offer, finding many reasons to return.
And then there are the connections that come with meeting your fellow train riders. How many fellow commuters do you meet when you drive your car?
Believe me, if we had a rail link, Waukesha would feel much closer to Milwaukee, and not just to those who do not or cannot drive. And the reverse is also true. Isn't that exactly why Waukesha decided against a rail link?
i dont critisize, as Light rail doesn't run much better in snow or rain. its the effect of climate change which the plight is been face by the ordinary people. hope rather than blaming cause we would understand about the effects, we could make some changes. Please encourage others to understand about the importance and protection of environment. hope one would understand and spread the message of go green kids by greenyatra throughout world.
TMER&L was most successful when downtown Milwaukee was filled with horse carts and trains. The only reason it made it past the 1940's was gas rationing during WWII. Once post-war prosperity came no one wanted to be on a train. Same as today - people work hard for freedom and flexibility - light rail doesn't fit the values of most people, and the lack of population density doesn't make it efficient.
To the last Anon: except that a majority of African-Americans and 23% of all City of Milwaukee residents live in households without a car.
http://thepoliticalenvironment.blogspot.com/2008/08/23-of-milwaukee-city-adults-live-in.html
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