Is decision finally growing near for
Milwaukee Connector?

July 19 -- Decision time may finally be conceivable -- if not yet nailed to the calendar -- for the Milwaukee Connector, the public transit project that has been studied and argued about sine 1999.

The Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement should be completed early next year, and a recommended Locally Preferred Alternative will finally be ready to be rolled out for public comment.

A guided tram system powered by diesel and electricity is by far the favorite choice for the system among the groups and individuals who have been briefed on the project, said consultant Jenann Olsen.

The tram type under consideration features curb-level doors so wheelchairs and strollers can easily roll in or out. Vehicle seats can be raised against the sides of the tram to increase ridership capacity when needed, according to information provided by Olsen and Mark Kaminski, a senior planner with the ubiquitous HNTB, the firm heading up the project study.

The favorite

Wide, curb-level doors provide
easy access

The Connector's 14.5 miles of proposed routes would link Story Hill neighbor Miller Park to Downtown, the Third Ward, UWM, and the near north side. If the Connector is constructed as proposed, the Milwaukee County Transit System's 1,200 or so daily bus runs on Wisconsin Ave. could be replaced by 300 tram runs because of the tram's larger carrying capacity, Olsen said.

The Connector also would likely spark economic development along the routes and increase public transit ridership, according to the study. It projects daily ridership of 53,625, including the transfer of 41,000 existing rides and 12,625 new ones.

Approval of any Milwaukee Connector system is not a given, however. While the Connector study is being conducted jointly by The Wisconsin Center District, the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce, the city and the county, there are varying degrees of enthusiasm among those players and others for any fixed guideway system.

It's not quite clear what will happen if there is a split decision among the study team members, Olsen said.

The cost is significant. A guided, dual powered tram system would cost about $300 million to build and get running, Kaminski said. Of that, about $248 million would go toward new infrastructure and $52 million would go for vehicles.

Federal funds are expected to cover about 80% of the price tag, with a local share of roughly $57 million

The start-up costs of a guided tram system would be $117 million more than those for a non-guided bus system that runs along exclusive right-of-way. The bus system would require a $37 million local share.

That price difference between the costs of the two systems is somewhat misleading because a tram lasts twice as long as a bus, reducing future capital costs, the consultants said.

There are various Connector financing options under discussion, Olsen said, but there is one clear goal: no new property taxes to design, build, or maintain the system.