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Gov. Jim Doyle says that he is willing to support “real regional transit” funded by a 0.5 percent sales tax. Fair enough. But what’s real? Doyle vetoed a budget compromise that would have set up a Milwaukee County regional transit authority with the power to levy a 0.5 percent sales tax for county transit — essentially the bus system — and a 0.15 percent sales tax for municipal public safety. Wausau Daily Herald Editorial Ever since Lee Sherman Dreyfus came up with the term “ruralplex” to describe the way Marshfield, Stevens Point, Wausau and Wisconsin Rapids could work together, it’s been apparent that central Wisconsin can be more than the sum of its parts. Over the years, we’ve consistently been in favor of initiatives to connect central Wisconsin’s cities, whether that meant establishing Central Wisconsin Airport as the region’s hub, encouraging University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to expand its offerings throughout the area, or even exploring the possibility of a regional jail. Had talk radio and suburban opposition not sunk a 1997 plan, we’d be riding sleek transit by now
The Associated Press recently reported that spiking gas prices have brought double-digit ridership increases this year on light rail trains in Baltimore, Minneapolis, San Francisco and St. Louis. Even small cities such as Norfolk, Va., are building light rail lines with their signature short, sleek electric trains, while other cities are showing solid ridership gains on longer-distance commuter rail lines using bigger trains. Though a Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter line remains under study, Milwaukee is still among the few major American cities without light rail or commuter rail. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editorial There is still hope to create a truly regional transit system in southeastern Wisconsin. Democrats in the Legislature need to do what’s in the best interest of their constituents. The two houses of the state Legislature will decide Tuesday whether to create a conference committee to resolve the differences between the different versions of the state budget bill in the Assembly and Senate. Because of the political majority Democrats hold in each house, it’s essentially they who will be deciding the budget – and who should be held accountable for the results and the process by which it is finalized. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editorial High-speed rail could be an effective economic development tool and, as it turns out, provide residents who live near tracks with some peace and quiet. A high-speed rail route linking Milwaukee and Madison holds high promise for improved transportation and economic development in Wisconsin. And now it turns out it may bring an added plus for folks in communities such as Hartland, Oconomowoc and Brookfield: more peace and quiet. According to an article by the Journal Sentinel’s Scott Williams, state officials are telling community leaders that if the state gets $519 million in federal economic stimulus funds for the project, they will try to upgrade safety measures at each affected railroad crossing so that all trains can pass through silently. May 17, 2009 Valley Transit, the Fox Cities’ bus service, faces a threat to its financial future. It soon could be losing most of its federal funding – between $1.5 million and $2 million a year. That’s about 20 percent of its budget. But local governments could be allowed to form a regional transit authority, which would have the power to increase the sales tax and provide funding for Valley Transit. It’s an issue that has gotten some attention already – Gov. Jim Doyle’s provision to establish a Fox Cities RTA was taken out of the budget bill by the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee. And it’s going to get more attention in the months ahead. Wisconsin State Journal Editorial That’s sound advice for parents to give their children. It’s equally sound advice for Wisconsin to give its Legislature. A prime example of the nothing-good-after-midnight maxim is the convoluted compromise on regional transportation that the Legislature’s budget committee passed in the wee hours of the morning. It’s now up to the full Legislature to fix the provision. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editorial Legislative hash The Joint Finance Committee has made a mess of a proposal for a true regional transit authority. The full Legislature should clean it up. A commuter rail line linking Kenosha, Milwaukee and Racine and adequate funding for Milwaukee transit moved a step closer to reality this week, but in a way that only a legislator could love. The compromise that the Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee reached in the wee hours Friday morning has all the earmarks of public policy created by desperate legislators making after-midnight political deals. And it’s likely to be just as conducive to the public good as that sounds. James Wigderson Last week the Waukesha County Board Executive Committee decided to table a resolution opposed to the proposed Regional Transit Authority for southeastern Wisconsin. The RTA would be a taxing authority to fund transit in Milwaukee, Racine and Kenosha counties, with the possibility of including Waukesha. The resolution’s author, Supervisor Peter Wolff, is not opposed to the RTA. He is just concerned that the state is “not doing it right,” according to The Freeman. Wolff believes an RTA is inevitable, and would even be a positive development. According to local environmental writer Jim Rowen, former Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist said there were two stages to any transportation plan: “It’s too soon to know” and “It’s too late to do anything about it.” The Capital Times Regional transit authorities are a good idea. But the state Legislature has yet to develop a good plan for assembling them. The Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee will vote Thursday on a measure that would allow the creation of RTAs around the state, which would be funded by local sales taxes. by Casey Skeens The mass transit system across Wisconsin is an archaic disgrace. With Forbes Magazine citing Madison as the nationwide leader in job growth for 2009, isn’t it about time Wisconsin started taking transportation seriously? Soon, the entire Wisconsin Legislature will vote on a bill for a Regional Transit Authority, which will play a large role in determining the future of integrated transit in Southeastern Wisconsin. Advocates of the bill, such as Rep. Robin Vos, R-Racine, hope to connect Wisconsin’s major metropolitan areas with an efficient transportation system, including linking Milwaukee and Chicago via railway. The bill’s opponents are concerned about the possible increase in sales tax and, according to The Badger Herald, Vos said unfortunately, fixing potholes is a much higher priority in local communities than funding the extensive transit initiative. While spending money on a local level is an understandable goal, the RTA bill would bring momentous, long-term changes to Wisconsin through the imposition of a 0.5 percent sales tax increase; selfish dissent is almost laughable. Instead, think about what improved transit systems in eastern Racine, Kenosha and Milwaukee counties can do for commuters and economic development. Milwaukee Journal Editorial State legislators concerned about funding for a regional transit authority should stop thinking about George Petak. Instead, they should start thinking about how best they can serve their constituents. And in the case of an RTA, that means approving the plan in Gov. Jim Doyle’s budget for a transit authority funded by a slight increase in the sales tax. Petak is, of course, the former legislator from Racine who was famously recalled by voters in 1996 after he voted for a 0.1% local sales tax to fund Miller Park. He has stood as a reminder ever since that voters tend to resent having their taxes raised when they don’t see a direct benefit. We fear that Sen. John Lehman and Rep. Cory Mason, Racine County Democrats who sit on the Joint Finance Committee, are two in particular who are giving Petak some thought. GOP Rep. Robin Vos of Racine is also on the committee, but his opposition to a region-wide sales tax goes without saying. By Ken Lumpkin and Nancy Holmlund In the midst of Wisconsin’s highest unemployment rate in 27 years and a loss of over 8,000 jobs last month, access to job opportunities and new job creation remains the single most important issue facing residents of southeastern Wisconsin. With one of the highest unemployment rates in the state, our community knows first-hand the urgent need for any and all endeavors that create jobs, and connect our region’s unemployed and underemployed with jobs. As many have felt the impact of the challenging economy, our low- and middle-income populations, especially the working poor and those without access to cars, are calling for action by supporting transit proposals that will link people to jobs and create economic development. Madison, Dane County and state officials are generally agreed that high-speed rail service linking Wisconsin’s capital city with Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis could provide a dramatic boost to this vital region. Now, however, they must move beyond agreement and high hopes to rapid response. The need is clear. Rich Rovito A permanent regional transit authority is vital for economic development and as a way to better connect workers with available jobs, according to transit experts and advocates. |
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