With Milwaukee's planned streetcar system a focus of campaign attacks by recalled governor Scott Walker on his Democratic challenger, and current mayor, Tom Barrett, Matt Dellinger asks if Walker's victory means the end of the line for the train.
With Republican governors across the country derailing rail projects left and right, Dellinger investigates whether Walker's enmity for the "$100 [sic] Boondoggle" Milwaukee streetcar system, scheduled for completion in Fall 2014, might put the line in the crosshairs as well.
Pointing to a thorough piece the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ran last year, Dellinger says there's reason to believe, "Walker might be powerless to stop the streetcar plan, even if he wanted to do so."
According to the article by , "A 10-year-old civil rights settlement...prohibits the state from blocking the streetcar project,
according to a top federal transportation official and an attorney
involved in the settlement. Faced with allegations that it was discriminating against urban
minorities by favoring freeways over light rail, the state agreed in
November 2000 to cooperate with the Milwaukee Connector study and to
incorporate its recommendations into the state's long-term
transportation plans. That study eventually spawned the streetcar."
Isn't it ironic then that John Norquist, who was mayor of Milwaukee at the time of the agreement, believes that transit has returned as a wedge social issue. "This last election Walker ran against the city, tried to wrap the fear
about the big city around Barrett's neck," Norquist observed. "It's all
very hardcore. They treat transit like it's a welfare queen sashaying
down a welfare promenade."
FULL STORY: Will Walker’s Wisconsin Win Mean No Milwaukee Streetcar?
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Norquist's Legacy
John Norquist is today the president of CNU, but from 1988-94 he was Mayor of Milwaukee. His legacy is apparent today in the city, says blogger Urban Engagement.
Milwaukee Residents Challenge Freeway Expansion
Residents are voicing opposition to a planned expansion of Interstate 94, arguing that the project would eliminate the limited green space in the neighborhood.
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
EV Infrastructure Booming in Suburbs, Cities Lag Behind
A lack of access to charging infrastructure is holding back EV adoption in many US cities.
Seattle Road Safety Advocates Say Transportation Levy Perpetuates Car-Centric Status Quo
Critics of a proposed $1.3 billion transportation levy say the package isn’t enough to keep up with inflation and rising costs and fails to support a shift away from car-oriented infrastructure.
Appeals Court: California Emissions Standards Upheld
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the California Air Resources Board, the nation's two most powerful environmental regulatory agencies, won an important round in federal court last week. But the emissions standards battle may not be over.
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