Nearly $100 million in transportation funding that has been sidelined in Milwaukee over bureaucratic disagreements will finally come to use, as Mayor Tom Barrett announces provisions in the Federal Omnibus Budget Bill call for it to be spent.
"Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett announced this morning that the Federal Omnibus Budget Bill that was signed into law this week includes a provision to spend the $91.5 million that has been on hold since 1991 on transportation in Milwaukee."
"The provision for Milwaukee dedicates spending 60 percent of the remaining $91.5 million to for Barrett's downtown streetcar rail project and 40 percent of the funds for new energy-efficient buses to operate on Milwaukee County's bus rapid transit routes."
"The new Milwaukee provision in the $410 billion bill originated in the House, was reaffirmed in the Senate and was signed into law by President Barack Obama on Wednesday."
"Barrett said the timing of the bill is "opportune," because Obama's economic stimulus bill allocates $8 billion in funding for intercity rail that could connect Chicago through Milwaukee and Madison to the Twin Cities, and the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee (KRM) commuter rail project also is moving forward."
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