Milwaukeeans and the few million other residents of the region should let out a collective three cheers for Gov. Jim Doyle for his leadership and vision on high-speed rail in Wisconsin.
The governor deserves credit because decreasing travel times and increasing train frequencies on the current Chicago-Milwaukee Amtrak service and inaugurating 110 mph inter-city service between Milwaukee and Madison will have a dramatic, positive economic impact on Milwaukee and the region.
In essence, these improvements will shorten the distance between Milwaukee, Madison and the vast Chicago metropolitan area, and all three regions will become more economically integrated allowing each region to piggyback on the advantages and strengths of the others. These regions will form a mega-region offering a tremendous mix of commercial, educational, cultural and entertainment activities.
For example, it will become significantly more convenient to live in Milwaukee and work or conduct business in Chicago or Madison. In particular, it will become easier and more affordable to live in Milwaukee and commute to downtown Chicago than it is to live in many Chicago suburbs and commute to downtown Chicago. The effect on residential real estate will be positive, and the housing market in downtown Milwaukee and nearby neighborhoods will experience a surge of demand.
A high-speed rail link will also make it easier and quicker to travel from Chicago to the Madison campus of the University of Wisconsin than to travel from Chicago to the University of Illinois campus at Champaign-Urbana, Illinois. The great educational institutions of Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago will all be closer together.
Likewise, Milwaukee's cultural and entertainment venues stand to benefit from closing the distance between Milwaukee, Madison and Chicago. It will become easier and quicker to travel from Chicago and Madison to downtown Milwaukee to enjoy dinner and a show or to visit our great museums and cultural attractions. It will also become easier and quicker to watch the Packers play the Bears at Soldier Field than at Lambeau Field. The seats of Soldier Field will be filled with many more green and gold clad fans, and we may have to rename the stadium “Lambeau South.”
Last but not least, Mitchell International Airport (which is served by the Chicago-Milwaukee Amtrak route) will also stand to benefit from closing the distance between Milwaukee, Chicago and Madison. Mitchell International will be 50 minutes from downtown Chicago - less travel time than an auto trip from downtown Chicago to O'Hare International Airport at rush hour.
It is frequently said that "time is money," and Gov. Doyle's high-speed rail initiative will offer travel time savings to hundreds of thousands of citizens who currently travel between Milwaukee, Chicago and Madison, and it will open the door for new commercial activity, job creation, population growth, and economic development in Milwaukee.
Very simply, this important infrastructure investment offers the potential to achieve a paradigm shift in Milwaukee's economy by placing Milwaukee in the center of the Milwaukee-Chicago-Madison region, and I believe that shift will create a buzz of development and growth like we've never seen before.
Thank you, Governor!
Alderman Robert Bauman, a longtime transit proponent, represents Milwaukee's 4th Aldermanic District and is chair of the Common Council's Public Works Committee.
6 Comments
Mr Bauman, you get an A+ for being positive. Now let's look at the realities of high speed rail. First, Doyle should be impeached for illegally spending $47.5M for two trains, the Bamboozler Express and the Boondoggler Express. Has anyone looked into extending METRA service to downtown Milwaukee? Using existing infrastructure makes more sense. Second, you are overestimating the "Madison factor" in this caper. Lots of Madtown citizens say they will use this but there will be lots of empty seats in the trains because people prefer the convenience of automobiles. Third, where is the track to Madison going to be? There's a spur just west of Watertown that goes thru Waterloo, Sun Prairie, and parallels US-151 into Madison. Is this the planned route or is a new one planned? The Amtrak route is Wisconsin's premier railroad track that is exquisitely maintained. The Madison spur is low quality because it has low freight traffic. Madison drove out any remnants of an industrial base decades ago. Consequently, Madison has no existing high quality tracks. Fourth, high speed rail is defined as 125mph or higher. I do not think the present Amtrak goes above 70mph. That low speed will not allow rail service to thrive. Fifth, Madison had daily C&NW train service from Chicago, Rockford, and Janesville 33 short years ago. I was living in Madison when passenger train service ended because of low ridership. I am keeping your article so that you can be reminded of Doyle's Folly in a couple years from now--after Doyle has been voted out of office.
With regards to the "high speed" train between Milwaukee and Madison- It will not be easier to travel between the two cities. A car or the Badger Bus is faster because they can go directly to downtown Madison. What is "high speed" about a train that will go to the Dane County Airport, six miles from the capitol square, with a commute time of supposedly nine minutes less than a car drive from Milwaukee to Madison (assuming you are starting from nearly the most eastern point in metro Milwaukee)? If you live in West Allis, Wauwatosa or anywhere to the west, your supposed savings in commute time is lost because you would have to drive east to go west. As an indicator of supposed need, we are talking about a travel corridor that right now has only a four-lane expressway. Not six, not eight - if there is so much traffic between Madison and Milwaukee, why only four lanes?
Alderman Bauman talks with platitudes but no specifics. How much money will his supposed time saving train between Madison and Milwaukee cost per passenger? How many projected passengers per year? Will politician like Mr. Bauman and Gov. Doyle put their careers on the line with measurable performance standards specifically regarding ridership, costs and operating deficits? Will they agree to resign their offices if they don't meet their promises? If they are so sure about this deal, how about they also promise their fat government pensions and retirement health care benefits as a personal financial penalty if they don't meet their promises? Its the least they could do when then want to spend hundreds of millions of our dollars on their boondoggle.
Anybody with a car can get to Madison from Milwaukee faster by driving than going to the downtown Milwaukee train station, wait for the train, board the train, unload at the Dane County Airport and then find transportation to your destination in Madison.
I do agree that high speed rail to Chicago may be feasible. However, the Hiawatha line just reported that their ridership dropped even though there is major road construction between Chicago and Milwaukee. This tells me that no matter what the hassle, there is a limited number of people that are willing to ride the train versus having the convenience of driving and being able to set their own schedule and go directly to where you need to go in the comfort of your car.
Finally, I'm sure we will get a study from a firm appointed by the proponents of these trains that show they will be highly successful. Kind of like the seller of house giving the buyer an appraisal from somebody the seller selected. Wisconsin state government needs to create an independent budget office that will appoint independent and reputable firms that will provide the taxpayers with an honest assessment. (Has anyone ever revisited the study for the Milwaukee Theater or the Milwaukee Convention Center- my guess the studies for those govt. projects were off a little.) We need the truth, not a sales job from politicians like Bauman, and specifically not from the likes of our scoundrel Gov. Doyle.
Bob, what part of "we already have a rail line to Chicago" is not making it to your bell tower? Traveling to Madison by car is cheaper, quicker and far more convenient than taking rail to Madison airport. And you will never, ever, ever see the train make the trip at 110 mph. It does not even go to the correct side of the lake for the capitol or the university.
Good god, have you been to Madison? You should know this. www.maps.google.com
As for Doyle, well, he could not even hire an attorney correctly, balance a budget or keep a business in our state. And he is an attorney. Truthfully, what positive 'at all' has he accomplished? Really, please name something he has done right?
Alderman: in spite of the three negative responses, you are in the right. Please stay there and carry on. Your critics here are representative of thinking in the past, about cars and busses and more freeways. They ignore the real needs of this region. And the realities of the new economy - like the fact that driving to Madison isn't going to be so easy when the price of gas keeps going up. Yes, we have to look at details. But first we need to understand the need. If we're not willing to do that, we are looking at becoming the next Cleveland.
@Bob Welke: Yeah, their thinking is SO in the past. Spending a crapload of money on alternative transportation that takes longer and is less efficient than transit options already in place is so backwards-thinking! We need to get these wise minds out of the way and make way for new, well-educated people like you so that we can move into the 21st century with glorified 19th century technology! Honestly, stop living in denial, and look at what we really NEED here as a state and as a city. We don't NEED this. We NEED to get out of debt first, and we NEED to spend wisely. Speaking of building our state economy, don't try fixing one problem with bringing on another. You can argue all you want that trains will magically bring in jobs, and people will automatically want to move here, but wake up. The reason why states like Texas are doing so well economically isn't because they're carrying people in neat shiny toys on tracks. It's because their business climate is friendly and WELCOMES new businesses with lower taxes, businesses that consider moving away from states with higher taxes like Wisconsin. I absolutely love our state and I wish this wasn't true, and I hope things get turned around with a new governor. Otherwise, yeah Milwaukee could end up becoming the next Cleveland. And this is coming from a college student.
Has Bauman ever met an over priced under servicing rail project he didn't like? The whole concept of rail from Madison to Chicago via Milwaukee is serviced by Amtrak. High speed rail requires a different track than used currently. So not only will we need to buy the trains and lease the land we will have to lay a new rail bed and track. If no new track is used, the trains will go no faster than Amtrak, 65mph. Where are we getting the billions for this? Raiding the transportation fund again? Raising gasoline taxes again? One question never answered was just how many people would this really serve? A few hundred a day? That seems to be a very high price for a few hundred.
As to thinking from the past, why would rail be thinking towards the future? In a time when time is cherished and we value our freedom, why would rail be a path to the future? It's an inflexible option. When tracks fail, you simply can't drive around. The service is held up until the repairs are made. With only 2 trains, you're really stuck to an inflexible schedule. Unlike your car, you have to follow their schedule. The fuel is also diesel, so you're no friendlier than current train options.
Costs are incredibly high, those being serviced will be incredibly low and there is little if any flexibility. So tell me, how is this solution better for anyone other than politicians getting contributions from the rail unions?