by jboullion | Nov 18, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article in The Chippewa Herald:
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Federal Railroad Administration says a route running along the Mississippi River is the most feasible and reasonable for a proposed high-speed commuter train between the Twin Cities and Chicago.
That puts an end to another option that would have sent the route along the I-94 corridor through Eau Claire.
However, not only is the preferred route in the earliest planning stages, but fixing the existing track for the entire high-speed line could cost as much $3 billion — and such funding isn’t visible on the horizon.
But advocates hailed Tuesday’s announcement as an important step in getting more money for faster passenger rail service.
“We’re pleased that we’re able to find a path to move forward and continue to develop the project … if nothing else,” said Dan Krom, director of the passenger rail office for the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
“If we can get to Chicago in 5-1/2 hours, we can compete with autos,” Krom told the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
by jboullion | Jul 27, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Larry Sanders in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Milwaukee aldermen voted 10-5 Tuesday to approve a modern streetcar line downtown.
In response to concerns raised by Comptroller W. Martin “Wally” Morics, aldermen agreed to limit spending to engineering for now, and to seek a review by the comptroller’s office before releasing money for construction.
The measure now heads to Mayor Tom Barrett, the plan’s chief advocate, for his signature.
Plans call for a 2.1-mile line, from the lower east side to the downtown Amtrak-Greyhound station, starting in 2014. Streetcars would run every 10 minutes on weekdays and every 15 minutes on weekends, late-night and early-morning hours.
The $64.6 million project would be funded by $54.9 million in long-idle federal transit aid and $9.7 million from a tax-incremental financing district, with fares, parking fees and advertising revenue covering the $2.65 million annual operating cost. The city is seeking additional federal aid for extensions that would add 1.5 miles to the line and boost the construction cost past $100 million.
by jboullion | Jul 26, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an article by Larry Sandler in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Meeting for the last time Monday, the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority ended plans for a commuter rail line linking Milwaukee to Kenosha, Racine and the southern suburbs.
The RTA also asked that $6 million congressionally earmarked for the KRM Commuter Link be redirected to the Milwaukee County, Racine and Kenosha bus systems, if legally possible.
Much of Monday’s agenda was dictated by the Legislature. In the 2011-’13 state budget, lawmakers ordered that the Southeastern RTA and its Dane County counterpart be dismantled, along with two other regional transit authorities that had been authorized but never formed.
The three-county body was planning the $284 million KRM and would have run the rail line. Plans had called for a 33-mile rail line with 15 round trips each weekday.
Unlike Amtrak’s Milwaukee-to-Chicago Hiawatha line, the KRM would have provided city-to-suburb and suburb-to-suburb service for commuters, students and shoppers. Passengers could have transferred to Chicago-area Metra trains at the Kenosha station.
Planners projected federal aid would have covered most construction and operating costs, with the rest coming from fares and a rental car fee of up to $18 a car.
But the Federal Transit Administration has held off for more than a year on approving the RTA’s request to start preliminary engineering on the KRM. Federal officials have told regional planners they were unlikely to support a new rail line until the Milwaukee County Transit System was financially secure.
However, former Gov. Jim Doyle and the Legislature, then controlled by his fellow Democrats, deadlocked on finding a new way to finance transit. The new Republican-led Legislature has since approved GOP Gov. Scott Walker’s budget plan to cut transit aid by 10% next year, slicing nearly $7 million from Milwaukee County buses.
by jboullion | Jul 21, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an editorial in the La Crosse Tribune:
Gov. Scott Walker’s decision to reject $810 million in federal funding for high-speed rail is turning in to the gift that keeps on giving for everyone but the residents of our part of the state.
Worse, it’s costing all taxpayers in Wisconsin more than it needs to – millions and millions of dollars more, according to one analysis.
And western Wisconsin won’t get so much as a train whistle out of the deal.
Earlier this week, a legislative committee in Madison agreed to spend $31.6 million on the Hiawatha rail line between Chicago and Milwaukee. The Hiawatha line makes the trip seven times daily and carried nearly 800,000 passengers last year.
Oh, did we mention that work on the Hiawatha line would have been funded as part of the $810 million grant from the federal government because it was an extension of the now-deceased high-speed rail line between Milwaukee and Madison?
So, let’s review: Wisconsin gives back $810 million. It won’t receive high-speed rail. And, as a bonus, we agree to spend $31.6 million out of our pockets – much of it borrowed – for work that the feds would have funded.
But wait, there’s more:
There’s also the ongoing operating costs as well as the need to pay for maintenance bases and train sheds and locomotives and signals, according to an analysis by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Added up, the analysis shows that the federal grant could have paid for up to $99 million that Wisconsin taxpayers will now have to fund.
All of that is incredible when you consider that the Walker administration objected to high-speed rail through Wisconsin because of the ongoing costs.
by jboullion | Jul 21, 2011 | Uncategorized
From an editorial in the La Crosse Tribune:
Gov. Scott Walker’s decision to reject $810 million in federal funding for high-speed rail is turning in to the gift that keeps on giving for everyone but the residents of our part of the state.
Worse, it’s costing all taxpayers in Wisconsin more than it needs to – millions and millions of dollars more, according to one analysis.
And western Wisconsin won’t get so much as a train whistle out of the deal.
Earlier this week, a legislative committee in Madison agreed to spend $31.6 million on the Hiawatha rail line between Chicago and Milwaukee. The Hiawatha line makes the trip seven times daily and carried nearly 800,000 passengers last year.
Oh, did we mention that work on the Hiawatha line would have been funded as part of the $810 million grant from the federal government because it was an extension of the now-deceased high-speed rail line between Milwaukee and Madison?
So, let’s review: Wisconsin gives back $810 million. It won’t receive high-speed rail. And, as a bonus, we agree to spend $31.6 million out of our pockets – much of it borrowed – for work that the feds would have funded.
But wait, there’s more:
There’s also the ongoing operating costs as well as the need to pay for maintenance bases and train sheds and locomotives and signals, according to an analysis by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Added up, the analysis shows that the federal grant could have paid for up to $99 million that Wisconsin taxpayers will now have to fund.
All of that is incredible when you consider that the Walker administration objected to high-speed rail through Wisconsin because of the ongoing costs.
