The Milwaukee Connector study committee has agreed to
hire a consultant to formally evaluate Mayor Tom Barrett's proposal for a
three-mile (4.8 km) downtown streetcar loop and a system of express buses
linking major job centers. Barrett says his $107.6-million plan will boost
the city’s economy by connecting workers to employment hubs while providing
transportation choices. The committee was formed to decide how the city
should spend $91.5 million in federal transit aid allocated years ago but
frozen because of an inability by elected leaders to agree on a plan. So
far, proposals for light rail and a $300-million guided electric bus scheme
have been rejected.
The streetcar route would serve downtown, the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Mitchell International Airport, the
Midtown neighborhood and the County Grounds in Wauwatosa. Committee
Chairman Pete Beitzel said the vote should not be taken as approval of
Barrett's plan and that consultants should review other options. The study
could be completed in less than a year. A decision would then have to made
on whether to seek federal approval for preliminary engineering on the
selected alternative. Revenue service wouldn’t start until at least 2011,
said Barrett.
