I don’t think that the current set-up (direct county control) is the best method, or even one of the better ones. I was simply arguing that I would rather have a stable (growing?) MCTS than a dying MCTS. However, given the choice between a growing, multi-modal RTA and MCTS, I would definitely choose the RTA.

I guess I see the tax as the hardest part. Once that is (ever?) in place, I feel it would be easier to change the governance of the transit system. Not necessarily easy, just easier than the initial imposition of the tax.

I would disagree, I think once we get something in place it’ll be hard to change it. I think Doyle and others feel the same way.

I’m also a proponent of eliminating direct Milwaukee County control of the transit system. It seems to me things will be better fiscally and service-wise if the city has a vote, and that the system isn’t used as a bargaining chip between the County Board and County Executive (regardless of who is in office on either side).

It seems, though, that it would have been easier to change the pseudo-RTA a year or two or three down the road to expand it to include other counties or merge it with the KRM authority than to make sure the RTA is set up “properly” from the get-go. Frankly, I would have settled for no major changes to MCTS, just a 1/2 cent sales tax to fund it. And I say that as a STRONG supporter of rail (intercity, regional/commuter, and local/light rail/streetcar).

The proposal Doyle used his veto powers on would not have created a true regional transit authority, and instead would have left Milwaukee County as an island. It also did not include really solid provisions to merge the “bus” authority with the KRM Commuter Rail authority (SERTA).