The railroad not taken

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.

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Letter to WI Legislature from the WI Alliance of Cities

WISCONSIN ALLIANCE OF CITIES
122 West Washington Avenue Suite 300
Madison, Wisconsin 53703
(608) 257- 5881

Date: June 16, 2009

To: Honorable members, Wisconsin Legislature
From: Edward J. Huck, Executive Director
Re: Regional Transit Authorities

The Wisconsin Alliance of Cities is among the many transit advocates that are thankful that the Assembly added significantly to the ability of communities to band together to provide public transportation to our citizens.

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May 9th is National Train Day

amtrak milwaukee

Photo by Green Concierge Travel

The day before, three generations of the Morrison family will arrive in Wisconsin on the Empire Builder. My family takes the train because they love it. Train travel is more than getting from Portland OR to Columbus WI. For our family, a train trip provides a time to get together, to catch up and to see the countryside.

But today, on this second celebration of National Train Day, we have reached a crossing. Funding has been allocated through the President Obama’s stimulus package and Governor Doyle with the support of the WI legislature has secured $80 million in bonding waiting for matching funding. Let’s get started on building an intercity rail system linking communities within Wisconsin and around the Midwest.

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Letter to Joint Finance Committee supporting three Regional Transportation Authorities from the Wisconsin Alliance of Cities

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Letter in support of RTA’s from DePere City Administrator to Representative Montgomery

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Letter to Joint Committee on Finance in Support of RTA’s from Appleton Mayor Timothy Hanna

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