Milwaukee — Streetcar Planning Panel Formed

Rail Transit Online, June 2009

A committee that will begin planning of a downtown streetcar line was approved by the city council on June 16. However, a 17-year dispute between the city and the county on whether to use a $91.5-million federal grant for rail or buses still hasn't been resolved, which could significantly delay the panel's work.

The committee, consisting of eight city officials and the managing director of the Milwaukee County Transit System, would take over streetcar development from the Milwaukee Connector study committee, which has gotten nowhere. Faced with losing the federal grant, Milwaukee officials agreed to an edict from Congress giving 60 percent of the money to the city for streetcars and 40 percent to the country for a bus project.

City officials are reassessing the original plan for a streetcar downtown loop and instead are now looking at alighnments to the east, north, and west.