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NEXT STOP, MILWAUKEE
Planning the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter line
by David White
Imagine Milwaukee becoming part of one of the nation's most important economic corridors. Some might shrug in disbelief, but a very exciting opportunity to connect Milwaukee, Racine, Kenosha and Chicago lies in the KRM.
The Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee commuter train is planned as a 33-mile extension of Chicago's Metra Union Pacific North line that ends to Kenosha. The service would operate over upgraded, existing freight lines and end at Milwaukee's Amtrak station after cruising through Kenosha, Somers, Racine, Caledonia, Oak Creek, South Milwaukee and Cudahy-St. Francis.
According to a study done by SE Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC), over 360,000 jobs are projected within three miles of Wisconsin stations. A further analysis by the nonprofit group Transit Now shows that up to 80 percent of KRM could be paid for with federal funds, with $7 million already set aside to begin preliminary work on the line, which could be running as soon as 2008.
SEWPRC found that the KRM was technically and financially feasible back in 1998, and Chicago’s Metra has been looking to extend north. But the local debate on KRM has been well out of the spotlight. Why has it taken until 2005 to begin talking about getting the KRM moving?
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| Rosemary
Potter |
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“It has taken a long time, but, up until now, we were not ready to go forward,” said Transit Now’s Rosemary Potter in a recent interview. Potter, who heads Transit Now, represented
Bayview, Cudahy and St. Francis in the state Assembly from 1990-98. “I think that the strong public momentum behind this project is giving the elected leaders more confidence to advance
KRM."
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Potter points out that the commuter line would not only improve access to the 360,000 jobs projected by SEWRPC and create new jobs, but could help riders enhance and improve their personal equity.
She explained that “the poorest 5th of the U.S. spend 42 percent of their annual income on the purchase, operation and maintenance of their cars. The typical American household spends an average of $6,312 out of pocket per year on transportation. The vast majority of that expense -- $6,200 -- went towards buying, fueling and maintaining their personal cars and trucks. Individuals pay for 84 percent of the total personal and public expenditure for transportation in the U.S -- more than five times as much as the government.”
The savings is just one of the reasons Potter finds strong public support for KRM. Research in other communities shows that with a viable transit alternative such as commuter rail, the income families spend on a depreciating auto could be spent on building equity and wealth by investing in a home or on higher education.
Who would pay for the KRM line extension? The commuter rail line fits several federal programs, according to the Transit Now analysis. Up to 60 percent of the total capital costs are expected to come from the Federal New Starts program. Additional federal funding can come from CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) grants, federal earmarks and other grant programs. Currently, $7 million in federal funds is set aside for the KRM commuter rail project.
The Transit Now report states that this $7 million will be more than enough for preliminary engineering, the next step in the project, expected to cost $4 million. Any federal funds must be matched with a non-Federal share. The non-Federal share is a minimum of 20% of the project’s total capital costs. The non-Federal funds can come from one or a combination of state, local and private funds.
To learn more about KRM please visit
http://www.transitnow.org/ . Or, keep watch on WatchdogMilwaukee for David White’s updates on environmental impact (rail vs. auto), urban revitalization through rail and current KRM progress.
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