Milwaukee Streetcar Approved
After years of debate, streetcar will finally move forward. Final engineering will begin immediately, and construction by the end of the year.
The Milwaukee Streetcar starter system has been approved. After more than 40 committee and full council meetings and years of debate, the Milwaukee Common Council has approved the $123.9 million, 2.5 mile starter system. Mayor Tom Barrett had first proposed the system in 2007 and the council had approved engineering work on the streetcar project in July 2011.
Today’s vote follows a November 18th announcement by the mayor of his desire to move forward on the project. The project had been seemingly dormant before that following a state law designed to saddle the project with additional costs.
The mayor’s case for the system was aided by a number of big ticket projects in the works, including the proposed The Couture at the east end of Michigan St. (which needs a transit component to avoid repaying $8 million in federal funds), a proposed Johnson Controls office tower for which the company has expressed a desire to have a streetcar connection and a number of new apartment projects across the city. The proposal has received increasing support from the business community, culminating in a press conference held at Manpower Group’s global headquarters yesterday.
The approval clears the way for the city to finish engineering work, procure vehicles, build the system and begin operations in 2018.
Today’s Vote
The final tally of council members thereby approving the project included nine: Robert Bauman, Milele Coggs, Ashanti Hamilton, Nik Kovac, Michael Murphy, Jose Perez, Russell Stamper II, Willie Wade and Terry Witkowski.
Voting against the streetcar were Jim Bohl, Joe Davis, Robert Donovan, Joe Dudzik, Robert Puente and Zielinski. Because he voted for the project previously to allow his move of reconsideration, Zielinski will be recorded as a yes vote on the project despite his opposition.
Given the lengthy, often heated past meetings on the project, today’s full Council meeting was rather anti-climatic. Zielinski, Donovan and Davis were the only aldermen to speak on the project. Zielinski noted “the vote that we’re about to take is going to put Milwaukee is a very bad financial light… This is a financially terrible move for the future of the city.”
Donovan remarked that “it’s rather disingenuous of the mayor and some of the proponents of the streetcar to talk about where it’s going to be expanded to without mentioning how it’s going to be paid for.” Donovan also pleaded for civility following the issue, noting that Bauman has closed his office door, which obstructs Donovan’s ability to get quickly to the coffee machine.
Davis spoke at length about his workforce accomplishments and railed against those who had attacked his “YouTube video.” Davis also attacked Urban Milwaukee’s council contact form, which he derided as “fixed.” The form received more than 3,250 submissions, with 75 percent in favor as of 7:00 a.m. today.
No supporters spoke on the matter on the council floor.
Referendum Petition Drive Continues
The referendum petition drive will continue until March 5th as it’s legally allowed. The referendum petition drive needs to gather 31,500 signatures, of which proponents have recently claimed to have 16,273 signatures.
Even if the signatures are turned in by the March 5th deadline, anti-streetcar proponents will be too late with their petitions to get the referendum on the April 2015 election ballot. This would push the first referendum (whether or nor to require a referendum on any rail transit projects of $20 million or more) to the February 2016 election, and assuming a majority voted yes, would then hold a second referendum (an up or down vote on the streetcar) in the April 2016 election. As my colleague Bruce Murphy has written, that may make the whole exercise moot legally, but streetcar opponents may be okay with this, as it forces a hot topic issue onto the mayoral primary and general elections, perhaps driving up the turnout of streetcar and Barrett opponents, which would help mayoral candidates Davis and Donovan.
Starter System Details
The project will be funded with $54.9 million in federal funds, first designated for transit in Milwaukee in 1991. In addition, the city will provide a 20 percent local match ($9.7 million) from the existing Cathedral Place tax-incremental financing district.
Due to a change in state law requiring the city to pay all utilities cost and the addition of a spur to the lakefront, the cost of the project increased to $123.9 million following extensive engineering work. The council approved the additional funds to come from a new E. Michigan St. TIF district ($31 million) and amended a Third Ward TIF district ($18.3 million). In addition, the city is pursuing an additional $10 million federal grant to pay for the lakefront spur.
Capital Cost Breakdown
Costs
- Maintenance facility: $7.5 million
- 4 Vehicles: $17.6 million
- Phase 1 route: $73.8 million
- Phase 2 route (Lakefront extension): $25 million
Funding Sources
- Federal ISTEA funding : $54.9 million
- Federal TIGER grant: $10 million
- Cathedral Place #49 TIF: $9.7 million
- Erie/Jefferson Riverwalk TIF #56: $18.3 million
- East Michigan St. TIF #82: $31.0 million
Utilities Cost
The cost to relocate the utilities for the streetcar project has been an extremely contentious issue. Initial cost estimates put the relocation expense as high as $70 million. A legal challenge continues by the city attorney against the state Public Service Commission regarding its decision that the city must pay the entire cost of relocation (which would be unique to public works projects in this state). But the mayor has noted repeatedly that city engineering work has already reduced those costs by nearly $50 million. As of today the relocation costs for the project would be $22.7 million. Barrett has noted that the utilities (of which the biggest is We Energies) have indicated a number of minor route modifications that would drive down utilities costs by millions more. The mayor stated that the city is actively working on those modifications as part of its engineering work. “I am 100 percent confident that number is going to come down by millions of dollars,” Barrett said during a committee meeting in December.
Operations Cost
The city has already received a federal Congestion Mitigan and Air Quality grant to fund 80% of the first 18 months operating cost ($3.18 million). The Barrett administration believes they can get that grant extended for another 18 months, meaning that the city would not have to pay the full costs to operate the streetcar until 2021. After the grant runs out, the city will pay for the system using a combination of fare box revenue, advertising, corporate sponsorships, operating agreements with partners and revenue from the city’s parking fund. It is expected that the total cost would be $2.65 million a year to operate the system, with fares contributing $560,000 and sponsorship contributing $270,000.
Project History
The current route was proposed in 2009 by the mayor, with minor modifications made since to avoid key utility intersections (such as the intersection of N. Broadway and E. Mason St.). The Common Council on a 10-5 vote approved the project on July 26, 2011, allowing the project to move from 30 percent to 60 percent engineering completion before it would need to come back for final approval.
Project Timeline
Final engineering will proceed immediately. Construction is slated to begin by the end of 2015 and would continue for the next two years. Project proponents have repeatedly stated that although the construction would take two years, to minimize disruption the entire route would not be under construction at once. Vehicle selection and procurement will happen this year. The system would enter operation in 2018.
The Arena
The replacement for the Bradley Center has become a hot topic with the announcement of $220 million in bonding being proposed for inclusion in the state budget by Governor Scott Walker. The likely location of a new arena at N. 4th St. and W. Juneau Ave. places it directly in the approved path of the streetcar. Following today’s vote, Alderman Bauman remarked “we may very well see an extension of the streetcar as part of the arena.” The streetcar has an approved and engineered route of 3.6 miles, of which 2.5 miles are being built following today’s vote. The engineering for the longer route will lower the cost and shorten the timeline of future extensions.
During a December committee meeting, Department of City Development commissioner Rocky Marcoux said the city would look to issue a request for proposals for planning route expansions in early 2015.
Alderman Robert Bauman
Alderman Bauman has been the leading advocate for the proposed system since its inception and has been very vocal on the topic for years. In a media scrum following the vote, Bauman chastised the behavior of project opponents, particularly alderman Davis noting “opponents have intentionally distorted facts.” Bauman remarked that “Davis has been misrepresenting tax incremental financing for two and a half months… Diversion does not existing in the world of tax incremental financing.” He noted that Davis has approved over $200 million TIF districts prior to this one, and never raised a concern about Milwaukee Public Schools before. Bauman, remarking that he would say it on the record so everyone understand, stated “there is no diversion from MPS for this project.” Davis’s claims about the streetcar diverting funds from Milwaukee Public Schools was given a Mostly False rating by Politifact.
Tackling another hot opposition issue, that of streetcars running in snow, Bauman stated “they’ve been running in snow for over 100 years.” He noted the past systems that were ripped out ran in snow and has repeatedly offered up Toronto’s large streetcar system that operates in a cold weather climate.
Mayor’s Signature
The Mayor intends to sign the legislation approving the streetcar at a ceremony today at the Pabst Theater. The ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. and is open to the public. The mayor will be signing four files that authorize the project, 141313, 141263, 141264 and 141323.
Video from the Mayor’s signing ceremony is now available.
Streetcar Maps and Renderings
Urban Milwaukee Streetcar Coverage
- Who’s Lobbying for the Streetcar – Bruce Murphy – February 5th, 2015
- Will Streetcar Help the Inner City? – Bruce Thompson – February 4th, 2015
- City Attorney Says Streetcar Petitions Might be Moot – Bruce Murphy – January 30th, 2015
- Millennials And The Streetcar – Bruce Thompson – January 27th, 2015
- Streetcar Responses Show Wide Support – Jeramey Jannene – January 22nd, 2015
- Streetcar Approved, but Held – Jeramey Jannene – January 21st, 2015
- Koch-Funded Group Backs Anti-Streetcar Drive – Bruce Murphy – January 20th, 2015
- Streetcar Backers Say They Have the Votes – Jeramey Jannene – January 20th, 2015
- Who is Funding the Anti-Streetcar Effort? – Bruce Murphy – January 20th, 2015
- Will Anti-Streetcar Referendum Succeed? – Bruce Murphy – January 9th, 2015
- The Story Behind the Streetcar Referendum – Michael Horne and Bruce Murphy – January 8th, 2015
- Council Delays Streetcar Until January – Jeramey Jannene – December 16th, 2014
- Committee Takes No Action on Streetcar – Jeramey Jannene – December 10th, 2014
- Committee Approves Milwaukee Streetcar – Jeramey Jannene – December 9th, 2014
- RACM Approves Tax Funding for Streetcar – Michael Horne – December 8th, 2014
- How to Sell the Streetcar – Michael Horne – November 28th, 2014
- Next Stops for the Streetcar – Michael Horne – November 24th, 2014
- Barrett Moving Forward with Streetcar – Jeramey Jannene – November 18th, 2014
- Who Will Be Streetcar Operator – Michael Horne – May 8th, 2014
- A Streetcar Named Cooperation? – Dave Reid – April 27th, 2014
- How a Streetcar Spurs Development – Angie Schmitt – November 3rd, 2013
- Streetcar Social – Michael Horne – September 12th, 2013
- Mayor Says Streetcar is a “Trojan Horse” – Michael Horne – April 17th, 2013
- Whoops, We Changed Our Mind – Dave Reid – September 27th, 2012
- Battle of the Bobs: Donovan vs Bauman Streetcar Press Conference – Jeramey Jannene – May 18th, 2012
- Important Hoan Bridge and Milwaukee Streetcar Meetings This Week – Dave Reid – November 14th, 2011
- Milwaukee Streetcar Passes Common Council – Jeramey Jannene – July 26th, 2011
- Keep the Milwaukee Streetcar Moving Forward – Jeramey Jannene – July 8th, 2011
- Milwaukee Streetcar at Apex – Jeramey Jannene – June 16th, 2011
- Milwaukee Streetcar Takes Key Step Forward – Jeramey Jannene – May 6th, 2010
- Milwaukee Streetcar Meeting This Thursday – Jeramey Jannene – October 5th, 2009
- Milwaukee Streetcar Routes Unveiled by Mayor Barrett – Jeramey Jannene – September 21st, 2009
- Milwaukee Streetcar Round-Up – Jeramey Jannene – April 19th, 2009
- Vote for your Favorite Milwaukee Streetcar Route – Jeramey Jannene – March 25th, 2009
- Design Your Own Streetcar Route – Jeramey Jannene – March 23rd, 2009
- Streetcars Coming to Milwaukee – Dave Reid – March 14th, 2009
More about the Milwaukee Streetcar
For more project details, including the project timeline, financing, route and possible extensions, see our extensive past coverage.
- Transportation: The “Holiday Hop” Streetcar Debuts - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 21st, 2019
- No money for police, lead hazard issues or infrastructure, but let’s pump up the streetcar we can’t afford - Ald. Tony Zielinski - Nov 1st, 2019
- Transportation: City Lands Second Streetcar Sponsor - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 1st, 2019
- Everstream Providing Free Fares for Hop Riders this Holiday Season - The Hop - Nov 1st, 2019
- Transportation: Streetcar Ridership Drops with Temperature - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 11th, 2019
- Transportation: Couture Streetcar Extension Decision Pushed to June 2020 - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 2nd, 2019
- City Tops in TIF Money for Streetcar - Corri Hess - Sep 13th, 2019
- Transportation: The Hop Records 80,113 Rides in August - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 12th, 2019
- Transportation: City Struggles on Couture Streetcar Extension - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 12th, 2019
- Streetcar expansion plans irresponsible in light of Mayor Barrett’s proposed 2020 budget - Ald. Tony Zielinski - Aug 16th, 2019
- Opposition to streetcar gains stronger foothold - Ald. Tony Zielinski - Aug 14th, 2019
- Transportation: July Was The Hop’s Best Month Yet - Jeramey Jannene - Aug 9th, 2019
- Mayor Tom Barrett released the following statement regarding streetcar expansion - Mayor Tom Barrett - Jul 23rd, 2019
- Transportation: No Streetcar Expansion in Time for DNC - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 23rd, 2019
- Transportation: Streetcar Records Best Ridership Day - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 16th, 2019
- Bastille Days Caps Record-Setting Run for Hop Ridership - Mayor Tom Barrett - Jul 16th, 2019
- Gambling Taxpayer Dollars on the Streetcar? Milwaukee is NOT Las Vegas - Ald. Tony Zielinski - Jun 29th, 2019
- On the Use of Tax Dollars for the Streetcar, Mayor Barrett is Either Deceitful or Incompetent - Ald. Bob Donovan - Jun 28th, 2019
- Do You Believe Us Now? - Ald. Bob Donovan - Jun 27th, 2019
- Transportation: Free Streetcar Rides Planned for 2020 - Jeramey Jannene - Jun 26th, 2019
- Transportation: Marcoux Warns Not Acting Could Jeopardize Streetcar Extension - Jeramey Jannene - Jun 24th, 2019
- Transportation: Will Streetcar be Extended by the DNC? - Jeramey Jannene - Jun 18th, 2019
- Transportation: City Confident Couture Won’t Block Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Jun 5th, 2019
- Transportation: No Agreement on Streetcar Extension - Jeramey Jannene - May 29th, 2019
- Transportation: Streetcar Ridership Still On Track - Jeramey Jannene - May 29th, 2019
- Council Needs to Direct Resources Toward Citizen/Community Priorities: Our Neighborhoods - Ald. Bob Donovan - May 23rd, 2019
- Streetcar expansion plan has some missing pieces - Ald. Russell Stamper, II - May 21st, 2019
- Transportation: Council Holds Streetcar Extension - Jeramey Jannene - May 21st, 2019
- More streetcar amenities or fixed streets and better services? - Ald. Tony Zielinski - May 20th, 2019
- Transportation: Breaking Down the Streetcar Financing Plan - Jeramey Jannene - May 16th, 2019
- Bronzeville Business Owners Desire the Streetcar - Andrea Waxman - May 16th, 2019
- Eyes on Milwaukee: A Town Square for Downtown Milwaukee - Jeramey Jannene - May 14th, 2019
- Transportation: Council Clears Path for Streetcar Lawsuit - Jeramey Jannene - May 7th, 2019
- Mayor Barrett: Secure Our Neighborhoods, Fix Our Streets, and Enough with Your Damned Streetcar - Ald. Bob Donovan - May 6th, 2019
- Streetcar extensions’ preliminary engineering work brings hope for development, jobs and more - Ald. Milele Coggs - May 3rd, 2019
- Firm commitment needed to bring streetcar to the South Side - Ald. Jose Perez - May 3rd, 2019
- Transportation: 11 Key Facts About Streetcar Extensions - Jeramey Jannene - May 2nd, 2019
- Transportation: Barrett Talks Up Streetcar Extension - Jeramey Jannene - May 2nd, 2019
- Proposed streetcar expansion expensive, ill-advised and premature - Ald. Bob Donovan - May 2nd, 2019
- Transportation: Mayor Wants Three Streetcar Extensions - Jeramey Jannene - May 1st, 2019
- Transportation: 11 Streetcar Lawsuits Coming - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 23rd, 2019
- Transportation: Bucks, City Unveil “Fear the Deer” Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 12th, 2019
- Statement from The Hop Regarding Ridership - The Hop - Mar 15th, 2019
- Transportation: Streetcar Extension Planned To Start in September - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 14th, 2019
- Transportation: Streetcar Manager Leaving - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 28th, 2019
- Data Wonk: Not All Conservatives Oppose Streetcar - Bruce Thompson - Feb 13th, 2019
- Transportation: Track The Hop in Real Time - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 12th, 2019
- Transportation: Should the Streetcar Be Free? - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 18th, 2019
- The Hop Announces December Ridership Data - Mayor Tom Barrett - Jan 15th, 2019
- Transportation: City Extending Streetcar to Convention Center - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 8th, 2019
- Transportation: Streetcar Real Time App Coming “As Quickly As Possible” - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 8th, 2019
- The Hop Announces Holiday Hours for Christmas and New Year’s - The Hop - Dec 19th, 2018
- The Hop Announces November Ridership Data - The Hop - Dec 18th, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: The Hop Has a Schedule - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 8th, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Opens to Public - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 2nd, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: 11 Things to Know Before You Ride The Hop - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 1st, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Take A Virtual Ride on The Hop - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 29th, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: When Will The Hop Have a Schedule? - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 25th, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar On Time and On Budget - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 25th, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: New Development Plans for Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 23rd, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: City Engaging Businesses Along The Hop Route - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 22nd, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Suffers First Collision - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 9th, 2018
- ‘Hop-able’ Open House Slated for October 10 - The Hop - Oct 4th, 2018
- Property Values Climb Along The Hop Streetcar Route - City of Milwaukee - Oct 2nd, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Service Starts November 2nd - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 28th, 2018
- Fifth and Final Milwaukee Streetcar Vehicle Due to Arrive Tomorrow - City of Milwaukee Dept. of Public Works - Sep 6th, 2018
- Promises Not Kept - Ald. Bob Donovan - Aug 28th, 2018
- Norquist: Why Milwaukee Needs a Streetcar - John Norquist - Aug 24th, 2018
- Streetcar Called “Disaster” - Ald. Mark Borkowski - Aug 17th, 2018
- Third Milwaukee Streetcar Vehicle Due to Arrive on Thursday, July 26, 2018 - City of Milwaukee Dept. of Public Works - Jul 24th, 2018
- Hop on The Hop at Bastille Days This Weekend - City of Milwaukee Dept. of Public Works - Jul 13th, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Starts Widespread Testing - Jeramey Jannene - Jun 19th, 2018
- Public Invited to Hop on Board The Hop at Streetcar Open House - Mayor Tom Barrett - May 25th, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Renderings for Streetcar Extensions - Jeramey Jannene - May 23rd, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: City Advances Streetcar Extension Plans - Jeramey Jannene - May 22nd, 2018
- Second Milwaukee Streetcar Vehicle Due to Arrive on Monday, May 14, 2018 - City of Milwaukee Dept. of Public Works - May 11th, 2018
- Jobs Fair for Milwaukee Streetcar Positions Set for Wednesday, May 2 at Maintenance Facility - City of Milwaukee Dept. of Public Works - Apr 26th, 2018
- Plenty of Horne: Streetcar Barn is Hopping - Michael Horne - Apr 6th, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: City Presents First Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 26th, 2018
- First Milwaukee Streetcar Vehicle Has Departed Manufacturer In Pennsylvania, Due to Arrive At New Home Early Next Week - City of Milwaukee Dept. of Public Works - Mar 23rd, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: First Streetcar Heading to Milwaukee - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 16th, 2018
- Join Us Tonight For The Third Community Workshop For The Moving Milwaukee Forward Study - City of Milwaukee - Jan 31st, 2018
- Bastille Days announces new footprint for 2018 festival - East Town Association - Jan 25th, 2018
- Op Ed: Don’t Make Streetcar Rides Free - Jay Bullock - Jan 2nd, 2018
- Eyes on Milwaukee: $65 Million Spent on Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 18th, 2017
- Transit Workers Union Announces Milwaukee Streetcar Labor Peace Agreement - Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 - Dec 1st, 2017
- Plenty of Horne: How Will Streetcar Stops Be Designed? - Michael Horne - Nov 27th, 2017
- City of Milwaukee Issues RFP For Milwaukee Streetcar Marketing Services - City of Milwaukee Dept. of Public Works - Nov 21st, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Who Wants To Market The Streetcar? - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 20th, 2017
- Will Streetcar Gentrify Bronzeville? - Elliot Hughes - Nov 8th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: City Holding Streetcar Planning Meetings Saturday - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 3rd, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: See Streetcar Floors Made Locally - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 26th, 2017
- New poll shows Milwaukee area’s divided feelings on Foxconn, views on other topics as Marquette Law School launches expanded public policy program - Marquette University - Oct 24th, 2017
- Mayor Barrett needs to start listening to the people - Ald. Bob Donovan - Oct 24th, 2017
- Mayor’s Chief of Staff Responds to Ald. Zielinski - Patrick Curley - Oct 24th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Zielinski Again Attacks Mayor, Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 24th, 2017
- Ald. Zielinski: Mayor diverts additional funding for streetcar that could go to more cops - Ald. Tony Zielinski - Oct 23rd, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Potawatomi Gives $10 Million To Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 6th, 2017
- City and Potawatomi strike 12-year, $10 million streetcar presenting sponsorship agreement, includes free rides for the first 12 months - City of Milwaukee - Oct 6th, 2017
- How Streetcar Could Change King Drive - Elizabeth Baker - Oct 5th, 2017
- The Streetcar, Public Safety and Our Budget Crisis An Honest Assessment of Milwaukee’s Status Quo - Ald. Bob Donovan - Oct 4th, 2017
- Alderman Zielinski tells Mayor Barrett: Cut the streetcar, don’t cut protective services - Ald. Tony Zielinski - Sep 27th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Republicans Heap Hate On Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 7th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: City Chooses Streetcar Operator - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 6th, 2017
- Milwaukee Streetcar Construction on Target to Meet Residential Preference Program, DBE Goals - City of Milwaukee Dept. of Public Works - Jul 21st, 2017
- Friday Photos: Streetcar Tracks Getting Road Tested - Jeramey Jannene - Jun 30th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: $30 Million Spent on Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - May 19th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Track Getting Installed - Jeramey Jannene - May 12th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: County Gets Waiver on Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 17th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Rails Being Welded - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 7th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: City Won’t Delay Streetcar for County - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 28th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: County Board Okays Bid for Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 23rd, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Track Steel Has Arrived - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 16th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Should County Operate Streetcar? - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 8th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Track Construction Starts in April - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 17th, 2017
- Streetsblog: 80 Transit Projects in 2017 - Angie Schmitt - Feb 6th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: The Milwaukee Streetcar is Hiring - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 20th, 2017
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Project Receives Federal Grant - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 12th, 2016
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Cincinnati Streetcar Opens - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 19th, 2016
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Council Okays Streetcar to Bucks Arena - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 6th, 2016
- Eyes on Milwaukee: $6.5 Million in Streetcar Savings - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 26th, 2016
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Donovan Lies About Streetcar Suit - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 15th, 2016
- Eyes on Milwaukee: BID Sells Streetcar-Related Development - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 15th, 2016
- Murphy’s Law: Do Millennials Oppose the Streetcar? - Bruce Murphy - Dec 15th, 2015
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Pennsylvania Company Wins Streetcar Contract - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 13th, 2015
- Plenty of Horne: City Accepts $14 Million Federal Streetcar Grant - Michael Horne - Oct 29th, 2015
- Milwaukee to Receive $14.2 Million Grant for Streetcar Extension - Mayor Tom Barrett - Oct 26th, 2015
- Back in the News: Anti-Streetcar Petition Dies - Bruce Murphy - Aug 28th, 2015
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Scott Walker Aids Milwaukee Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 13th, 2015
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Construction Starts in October - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 10th, 2015
- Murphy’s Law: The Strange Politics of Anti-Streetcar-ites - Bruce Murphy - Jun 18th, 2015
- Plenty of Horne: Bucks Plan Envisions Arena Streetcar - Michael Horne - Apr 8th, 2015
- A Short History of Milwaukee’s Old Streetcar System - Ken Smith - Mar 31st, 2015
- Plenty of Horne: Davis Sets, Cancels Meeting on Streetcar - Michael Horne - Mar 17th, 2015
- Back in the News: Anti-Streetcar Petition Drive Fails - Bruce Murphy - Mar 5th, 2015
- Friday Photos: Streetcar Signing Is Quite a Celebration - Michael Horne - Feb 13th, 2015
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Milwaukee Streetcar Approved - Jeramey Jannene - Feb 10th, 2015
- Murphy’s Law: Who is “Lobbying” For the Streetcar? - Bruce Murphy - Feb 5th, 2015
- Data Wonk: Will Streetcar Help The Inner City? - Bruce Thompson - Feb 4th, 2015
- Back in the News: City Attorney Says Streetcar Petitions Might be Moot - Bruce Murphy - Jan 30th, 2015
- Data Wonk: Millennials And The Streetcar - Bruce Thompson - Jan 27th, 2015
- Op-Ed: Why I Support the Streetcar - Russell Rossetto - Jan 26th, 2015
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Responses Shows Wide Support - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 22nd, 2015
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Approved, but Held - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 21st, 2015
- Murphy’s Law: Koch-Funded Group Backs Anti-Streetcar Drive - Bruce Murphy - Jan 20th, 2015
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Streetcar Backers Say They Have the Votes - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 20th, 2015
- Murphy’s Law: Who Is Funding the Anti-Streetcar Effort? - Bruce Murphy - Jan 20th, 2015
- Op Ed: Why the Streetcar Won’t Work - Samuel Jensen - Jan 14th, 2015
- Murphy’s Law: Will Anti-Streetcar Referendum Succeed? - Bruce Murphy - Jan 9th, 2015
- The Story Behind the Streetcar Referendum - Michael Horne and Bruce Murphy - Jan 8th, 2015
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Council Delays Streetcar Until January - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 16th, 2014
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Committee Takes No Action on Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 10th, 2014
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Committee Approves Milwaukee Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Dec 9th, 2014
- Plenty of Horne: RACM Approves Tax Funding for Streetcar - Michael Horne - Dec 2nd, 2014
- Plenty of Horne: How to Sell the Streetcar - Michael Horne - Nov 28th, 2014
- Plenty of Horne: Next Stops For The Streetcar - Michael Horne - Nov 24th, 2014
- Eyes on Milwaukee: Barrett Moving Forward With Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 18th, 2014
- Plenty of Horne: Who Will Be Streetcar Operator? - Michael Horne - May 8th, 2014
- Back in the News: A Streetcar Named Cooperation? - Dave Reid - Apr 27th, 2014
- Streetsblog: How a Streetcar Spurs Development - Angie Schmitt - Nov 3rd, 2013
- Plenty of Horne: Streetcar Social - Michael Horne - Sep 12th, 2013
- Republicans Move to Kill Milwaukee Streetcar - Jeramey Jannene - May 9th, 2013
- Plenty of Horne: Mayor Says Streetcar is “Trojan Horse” - Michael Horne - Apr 17th, 2013
- Streetcar Meeting on Tuesday - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 29th, 2012
- Whoops, We Changed Our Mind - Dave Reid - Sep 27th, 2012
- Donovan’s New Anti-Streetcar Allies - Jeramey Jannene - Aug 16th, 2012
- Battle of the Bobs: Donovan vs Bauman Streetcar Press Conference - Jeramey Jannene - May 18th, 2012
- Milwaukee Streetcar Hearing at Frontier Airlines Center - Jeramey Jannene - Nov 15th, 2011
- Important Hoan Bridge and Milwaukee Streetcar Meetings this Week - Dave Reid - Nov 14th, 2011
- Milwaukee Streetcar Passes Common Council, Proceeds to Final Engineering - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 26th, 2011
- Alderman Donovan Proposes Delaying the Streetcar Project - Dave Reid - Jul 19th, 2011
- Barrett says Streetcar is an investment in growing Milwaukee - Patti Wenzel - Jul 13th, 2011
- Keep the Milwaukee Streetcar Moving Forward - Jeramey Jannene - Jul 8th, 2011
- Milwaukee Streetcar at Apex - Jeramey Jannene - Jun 16th, 2011
- Milwaukee Streetcar Takes Key Step Forward - Jeramey Jannene - May 6th, 2010
- Streetcars and Trams Around the World - Dave Reid - Feb 1st, 2010
- Milwaukee Streetcar Meeting This Thursday - Jeramey Jannene - Oct 5th, 2009
- Downtown Streetcar Open House - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 23rd, 2009
- Milwaukee Streetcar Routes Unveiled by Mayor Barrett - Jeramey Jannene - Sep 21st, 2009
- Common Council Creates Streetcar Committee - Dave Reid - Jun 18th, 2009
- Milwaukee Streetcar Round-Up - Jeramey Jannene - Apr 19th, 2009
- Vote For Your Favorite Milwaukee Streetcar Route - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 25th, 2009
- Design Your Own Streetcar Route - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 23rd, 2009
- Milwaukee Streetcar Map - Jeramey Jannene - Mar 21st, 2009
- Streetcars Coming to Milwaukee - Dave Reid - Mar 14th, 2009
- Palomar or Streetcar? - Jeramey Jannene - Jan 22nd, 2009
Finally!
Well, glad that’s finally settled. Now all the bickering can stop, right?
Why is everyone laughing?
I don’t get a vote in the race for Mayor, so I hope Milwaukee see’s the project through. Otherwise we’ll be known as the place to get like new rail vehicles (because you just know the first thing Mayors Donovan and Davis would do is cancel this thing mid-construction).
About time. If anything, this circus orchestrated by Bob Donovan has proven that he doesn’t haven’t nearly the support he thought he did. I hope this is the beginning of the end of Bob’s, Joe Davis’ and (especially) Tony “Bones” Zeilinski’s careers.
Dave, actually once the real numbers come out and we all see the proof of Tom Barrett’s lies, I hope this is the beginning of the end of HIS career. He has lied repeatedly to support this idiocy and is neglecting the city so that he can have his shiny new toy and give OUR money to his rich development buddies. TIF money is money that would otherwise go towards things like police and fire departments, MPS, road repair, etc. At a time when crime (including murder) is rivalling Chicago, roads are in worse shape than ever before, and MPS graduates are pathetically undereducated is absolutely the wrong time to waste so much money on a problem that could easily be solved by far less expensive means. This is gross irresponsibility on the part of the mayor, and I hope it wakes people up and costs him the career he very much does not deserve.
Do we know what the operating pattern will be? Initially it was just a simple end to end line (from essentially 4th/St. Paul to Prospect/Ogden). Now, though, there are essentially 3 legs.
It’s nice to see that in Milwaukee, progress trumps politics!
Ha! I really can’t stop laughing at this line:
“Donovan also pleaded for civility following the issue, noting that Bauman has closed his office door, which obstructs Donovan’s ability to get quickly to the coffee machine.”
Milwaukee will soon have a necessary fundamental component of any vibrant urban area. Any inference that suggests NOT building the system equals an increase in police an fire service, increases in public school performance, increases in road quality, and decreases in violent crime are completely off-base. These are real issues, why would anyone think by not building this system all of these issues go away? Nothing would change, nothing will be different than it is today. The money to spend to improve all of these issues doesn’t exist if the project doesn’t move forward, that is why nothing changes if the project doesn’t move forward. If anything it funds the future of these issues when the TIF expires, as a true investment does. TIF’s occur regularly in many cities, these are no different. I’m not sure why this topic isn’t so aggressively debated for every TIF. I will go back to my first sentence to simply state why am in support of the system approved today.
No, TIF is a way to tie bonding to a specific project and connect that bonding to the value generated by the investment. If anything, it’s a better guarantee that the debt will be repaid.
http://city.milwaukee.gov/TaxIncrementalFinancing.htm
http://city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cityDCD/business/TIF/pdfs/TIFExplanation.pdf
Alternatives would’ve been to put this entirely on the property tax or the sales tax, but those are constrained by the state.
To all those who offer up the the diversion argument: Are you really asking for more money for the examples you cite (schools, roads, firemen, etc). If you are, let you representative know and they’ll be happy to raise your taxes. Do all of those entities want or need more money? Sure, but part of responsible governing is balancing current operations with future investments. If cities don’t invest in themselves, they die.
Rich – That’s about as succinct and focused a rebuttal that I’ve heard to those presenting the diversion argument. Very well said.
Sadly, some 16,000 people have been lead to believe otherwise. I hope the Mayor and other elected officials pro-actively stay on message for the next 30 days. It’s important for those who’ve been completely mislead to hear the facts.
Wow… Lets start putting up payphones now! The freeway could have been expanded through downtown for this price. Poor decision Milwaukee, keep yourself in the red! This reminds me of the monorail episode from The Simpsons.
@Chris, I’m not so certain that the petition collectors are being forthright. As of the last streetcar vote, 18 days ago,
Kliesmet told “FOX6 News nearly 17,000 signatures have been collected.” http://fox6now.com/2015/01/26/citizens-for-responsible-government-considering-suing-city-of-milwaukee-over-proposed-streetcar/
While its possible they haven’t collected a single signature since 1/23/15, its more likely that they have been fudging the numbers whenever it seems useful.
Gary……. not that big of a deal. It’s simply improved infrastructure for residents. I have to assume you’re joking about freeways through downtown-we have plenty of those. Time will tell on the streetcars, but I think we’ll all have our own measures for success. I think they’ll do great, especially as they’re expanded and integrated with the bus system.
@Gary Sinise It’s facile to support your insinuation that Milwaukee indulges in profligate spending with a cartoon show. If you consider the relevant facts, instead of some bizarre association you managed to make between reality and fiction, you would know that Milwaukee’s fiscal history demonstrates extremely prudent governance, especially in comparison to the State of Wisconsin.
http://urbanmilwaukee.com/2013/07/23/murphys-law-is-milwaukee-the-next-detroit/
@Gary, if I had my way, I’d tear down the freeway east of the 43, and make Tosa to Delafield and Whitefish Bay to Port Washington a toll road.
Streetcars are indeed a sign of progress, where currently the advanced mode of transportation is a horse and cart.
The winners in this are the streetcar manufacturer, contractors, and the banks who will borrow millions to the city for cost overruns.
Surely fixing up the countless areas more deserving of TIF funds will be the low priority for the next five years when these streetcars are out clogging traffic and causing accidents.
Urban Milwaukee will not be gentrifying anytime soon with these visionaries at the helm. High taxes, high crime rates, poor schools, but the poor kids out on Teutonia will see this and will weap tears of joy for all the good it will do them.
Incredibly thorough breakdown of the streetcar proposal and the specifics it will entail. Thanks sincerely for sharing.