State Action Blocking Streetcar Violates Transit Agreement With State

I put this over at Purple Wisconsin where there is a vigorous discussion underway:

GOP state legislators cheering their bill to block Milwaukee from building a starter streetcar system in the downtown funded with a federal transportation grant should take a look at a settlement in which the state  pledged, after federal mediation, that the funding would be spent on local transit.

Money spent with the state's cooperation - - a key factor in a related city, county and state joint environmental justice legal settlement agreement that contained many elements (Gov. Thompson was a major, if not the pivotal figure, in this effort). 

I know because I was in many of the meetings as Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist's policy director where more funding was allocated by joint agreement from the same federal grant to start or finish various projects of mutual interest, including:

*  the beginning of Marquette Interchange reconstruction,

*  the replacement of the obsolete 6th St. Viaduct with a modern 6th St. bridge and at-grade intersection at Canal St,

*  the removal of the Park East spur,

*  the construction of a lagoon walkway on property designated as a state park off the Summerfest Grounds to guarantee pedestrian access to the Lakefront there.

A link to the settlement and cooperation agreement, signed by the state transportation department, is here.