Story Created:
May 27, 2008
Story Updated:
May 27, 2008
Email from County exec Scott walker:
Charlie,
There they go again. The editorial in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel the other day (http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=754527) is more of the same: push light rail without out regard to cost or public support.
In fact, this section of the editorial is the most unbelievable to me:
Walker says express buses or BRT could do the same thing more cheaply. He's right about the economics; a 2001 study by the Government Accountability Office concluded that bus rapid transit systems offer greater flexibility than light rail and "can have lower capital costs than light rail systems yet can often provide similar performance."
But while the express buses, such as the sleek hybrid diesel-electric demo that was in town just last week, are impressive, the best answer is a combination of bus rapid transit and a fixed system incorporating some kind of rail component favored by Barrett. As envisioned by Walker and Barrett, the buses would run in designated lanes.
So they acknowledge that the Bus Rapid Transit plan is cheaper and impressive, yet they want the more costly option. The reality is that mass transit is for those who are transit dependent: people who need a ride because of income or health status. Its primary purpose is not to thrill people. Its primary purpose is to get people from one spot to another.
Study after study shows that no matter how “exciting” rail is, the overwhelming majority of workers will stay in their vehicles and drive to work. So why spend millions and millions extra to move a percentage or two into mass transit?
The story about the City of Milwaukee’s budget today suggests that any excess money should be spent to secure positions in the fire and police departments.
Scott
Friday, May 30 at 6:10 PM Maddie - Saukville wrote ...
Trolls and Trolleys - not bad, I like it! Locos and loonies? Trains and transients? Clever but I can't support 'em. I'd rather my tax dollars go to teachers, police and doctors.
Friday, May 30 at 6:03 PM Maddie - Saukville wrote ...
I wasn't the one complaining bigcat. I can take it. But, we already have mass transit. The real shame is that decent people in metropolitan areas who depend on it are kept in constant fear by scumbags and lunatics who should be in prisons or mental institutions instead of the next seats. The people who have a choice would need their heads examined for choosing to expose themselves on a bus and will never think a train is worth the investment otherwise.
Friday, May 30 at 2:34 PM Joe Klein wrote ...
Scott Walker and JS are both wrong, BRT is not as cost effective as rail. http://www.lightrailnow.org/facts/fa_lrt01.htm http://www.vtpi.org/resqual.pdf Charlie Sykes and Scott Walker continue to cite flawed studies.
Thursday, May 29 at 10:43 AM bigcat wrote ...
Maddie: The "trolls" and trolley comment was really more a play on words. I thought conservatives were made of tougher stuff. The sentiment I wanted to express was that it feels like much of the sentiment against light raill/improved transit in general is because a) we have cars so screw the poor b) we don't want transit bringing undesirables here(reference WFB Mike's NIMBY post) Walt: Did you happen to see the JSONLINE story on the Miller PArk tax? Walt, are you against the Brewers?
Wednesday, May 28 at 10:04 PM Maddie - Saukville wrote ...
"Trolls" bigcat? Resulting to personal attacks are we? I agree with you otherwise. Milwaukee is dead without a train. The crime, taxes, annual billion dollar failure of MPS, ring and butt kissing developers have to do to bring $300 million to SE WI, County Board Presidents stealing from anti-poverty agencies, MASSIVE benefits public employees suck down, repeated bait and switch scams of the governor, the train would fix it all. Monorail, monorail! What's that sound? Monorail!
Wednesday, May 28 at 4:08 PM Walt wrote ...
Bigcat, I think the Miller Park comment didn’t make your case very well. Didn’t that TAX on that stadium suppose to “sunset” about now? You know as well as I do that liberals only come up with these hair brained “projects” as a guaranteed FUTURE tax revenue source. Liberals like you could care less about the “mass transit riding minorities” they don’t have any money. You need a money sucking white elephant like light rail as an excuse to incrementally raise taxes on those us that have jobs.
Wednesday, May 28 at 1:41 PM bigcat wrote ...
You fought the new Miller Park, yet without it and the 81 homes dates/revenue it provides, Milwaukee would be a 2nd rate minor league town. Come to think of it, maybe that is what you want. End Milwaukee as a city...Ship all those inconvenient poor(aka mass transit riding minorities) to Chicago, and make us a fair skinned, lilly white paradise. The trolls on this trolley blog should be ashamed.
Tuesday, May 27 at 8:03 PM Maddie - Saukville wrote ...
Oh, and will you see me on a train? Where some lunatic thug will sue me!, sue me!, sue me!, sue me!, sue me!, sue me!, sue me!, sue me!, sue me!, sue me!, sue me! and, oh yeah, sue me?! Oh no I didn't! Yes. I did.
Tuesday, May 27 at 7:59 PM Maddie - Saukville wrote ...
But, but, but! IT'S FREE MONEY! If we don't spend it the government will send it to Seattle and they'll spend it! Spend that cash the stupider faster the gooder! Only a tiny bit probably came from Wisconsin so it is free cash! And AK mayors tell them the same thing and AL mayors tell them the same thing and AR mayors tell them the same thing and, well you get the idea. That free cash just never really comes from anywhere does it?
Tuesday, May 27 at 3:45 PM RxFire wrote ...
Can anyone tell me what a train can do that a bus can't do? A bus is more flexible. A bus is cheaper. A train is expensive and can't be changed after it is installed. So why do we want a train? Anyone?
Tuesday, May 27 at 3:30 PM Crazy Politico wrote ...
Here's the response I sent the editors at the Journal. Sorry if anyone is offended by my description of Milwaukee, but you'll get over it. Who's right, Walker or Barrett? What's better, buses or trains? The answer to both questions is neither. Milwaukee is a dying city, and no amount of pretty trains or fast lane buses will fix that until the schools get better, the taxes get lower, and streets get safer. Until then you are putting very expensive lipstick on pig.
Tuesday, May 27 at 1:19 PM Whitefish Bay Mike wrote ...
I travel to Salt Lake City a fair amount and they have TRAX LRT (light rail). My hotel is downtown right on the route. When I look outside or drive around I see very few people riding this thing, similar to the amount of people I see on a bus going through the Bay. Oh, when the Jazz have a game it looks like they have more riders. In my humble opinion all light rail will do is make it easier for the criminals to get to the Bayshore area.
Tuesday, May 27 at 12:41 PM Kurt/Elkhorn wrote ...
Sounds like our "Budgeteers" are at it again. Cant wait to see how long it takes them to run to Madison for a Slim-Jim Doylism to fund it!!!
Tuesday, May 27 at 12:38 PM You Know Who wrote ...
If the cost of gas keeps rising, and it is not going down, people are not going to get in their cars and drive just because they own a car. It is imperative that Milwaukee has a mass transit system that moves people. The problem is Walker and Barrett are inept at reaching a compromise while the cities that Milwaukee is competing with for jobs and talent slowly but surely are leaving Milwaukee in the dust. The only thing Milwaukee and the county know how to do is do nothing.
Tuesday, May 27 at 11:27 AM Thomas wrote ...
My question is this: why are we ripping up track for mostly unused hiking trails instead of seeing if these existing rights of way could be used for heavy-rail transit? I'm sure we could leverage some existing lines for this purpose as many of them already run through industrial areas. Self-propelled cars could be used to extend existing bus lines for a reasonable cost. This makes much more sense than trying to build new right of way for light rail.
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