Milwaukee to expand planned streetcar route, add local financing
Props to Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett for continuing to work around the far right's efforts that have long-stalled the creation of an urban rail line and development potential.
Rail transit routinely produces those benefits in cities, though have blocked repeatedly in Wisconsin by suburban GOP politicians and allied anti-transit ideologues.
Since the 1990's.
But now, a breakthrough, as Barrett announced on Tuesday an extension of the proposed downtown street car loop that would also serve the lakefront and released details of a new funding mechanism - - a city tax incremental financing district.
Details, here:
Rail transit routinely produces those benefits in cities, though have blocked repeatedly in Wisconsin by suburban GOP politicians and allied anti-transit ideologues.
Since the 1990's.
But now, a breakthrough, as Barrett announced on Tuesday an extension of the proposed downtown street car loop that would also serve the lakefront and released details of a new funding mechanism - - a city tax incremental financing district.
Details, here:
The new proposal adds money for the lakefront spur, and to potentially cover the cost of relocating underground utilities for the streetcar. Including spending for utilities and lakefront spur, the budget increases to $113.9 million for 4.6 miles of track, Barrett said.
If approved by the Common Council, construction could begin in late 2015 with the downtown loop and lakefront spur in full service by mid-2018, Barrett said.Milwaukee could finally be getting what other cities, like Minneapolis, take for granted:
5 comments:
I have no problem with this train to nowhere as long as 100% of ALL the costs to build and maintain the system are paid for by City of Milwaukee residents.
I feel the same way about the new bridge into Green Bay, the Waukesha bypass, the I-43 widening fromMilwaukee to northern Ozaukee County, I-43 south across Walwoarth County, and so on.
Then you have no problem with it, suburb boy.
Well James!
These streetcars are to transportation as grand avenue is to retail. There isn't a problem caused by a lack of streetcars. Real estate in most of Milwaukee can't be given away. The lakefront areas are growing through private investment. The publicly funded development projects need to focus on distressed parts of the city. This is a luxury for uppity whites to use.
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