Mass Transit magazine features agency profiles, industry trends, management tips and new product information.
Issue link: https://masstransit.epubxp.com/i/457936
34 | Mass Transit | MassTransitmag.com | FEBRUARY 2015 PUBLISHER'S COMMENT Advertiser's Index Alpina Manufacturing .................33 Atkins Global ................................. 21 Avail Technologies ....................... 13 EDM Inc. ..........................................27 Grafti Shield, Inc. ........................ 14 Grand Rock Co. ............................. 24 LTK Engineering Services ............32 Noble Pine Products ....................27 ORX ................................................ 36 Railquip, Inc. .................................. 15 SPX Genfare Division .....................2 USHSR ........................................... 35 Vehicle And Track Events.............17 Western Cullen Hayes ..................32 ZF Group ...........................................5 hen the Milwaukee streetcar fnally rolls down the rails, it will course through downtown and the lakefront on a much more linear route than its planning process. Strong opposition to the streetcar and to funding existing transit operations is evident at both local and state levels. Nobody will accuse Milwaukee of having a comprehensive transit system. Years of purposeful underfunding have made robust service impossible. Now the largest corporation in Wisconsin (by revenue) is considering siting a new building downtown near the lakefront, one block from the proposed streetcar route. Johnson Controls, which already has ofces in Milwaukee, has made it clear that the Milwaukee Common Council's forthcom- ing decision on the streetcar will be a factor in their development plans. "As we are evaluating options, a key consideration is a vibrant downtown com- munity with convenient transportation and easy access to our facilities. As a result, we also have a keen interest in the downtown streetcar project and are monitoring that situation closely." Fraser Engerman, director of global media relations, con- tinued, "Johnson Controls is exploring a full range of options to address our expanding facilities needs in the area to support future growth. Tese include options within Milwaukee, the surrounding com- munities and potentially elsewhere." Downtown Milwaukee has dozens of projects in the pipeline, but doubts have been raised about the viability of a streetcar project. It will be expensive, the proposed initial route is short, (although about the same length as initial routes in other cities that proved successful) and questions remain about pro- jected ridership. To fnance the project, Milwaukee secured a $54.9 million federal grant. Te city also has applied for a $10 million TIGER grant — funds sufcient to cover half the projected costs to build the project — and the balance of local funding via tax incremental fnancing districts has been planned. Will the streetcar be worth the investment? If John- son Controls wants it, other businesses will too. It's no secret that streetcars, or any rail project for that matter, spur growth and improvements along the route. Transit-oriented development has been around at least as long as the transcontinental railroad. Now with several signifcant downtown projects scheduled for completion in 2017, oth- ers soon to get underway, and a major employer declaring the streetcar a factor in their planning, Milwaukee has the opportunity to reinvent itself if it takes advantage of the benefts transit brings to world-class cities. Wor th the Investment One of Wisconsin's biggest companies considers a future location based on the Milwaukee streetcar development plans. John Hollenhorst, Publisher W Streetcars are known to spur growth in downtown areas. RENDERINGS OF a streetcar in Milwaukee. http://milwaukeestreetcar.com