storyhill.net, April 16, 2007

County, cities struggle with County Grounds traffic issues

April 16 -- The potential expansion of major facilities on the Milwaukee County Grounds has officials from the state, county and cities of Milwaukee and Wauwatosa searching for solutions to traffic problems in the area, County Supervisor Lynne DeBruin said.

The focus has been on freeways and roads and some bus transit, she said.

"It's all a freeway-based study," she said."The real fight within the entitities is what combination of components do you need and who is going to get stuck paying for it?"

Milwaukee Regional Medical Complex development could grow by up to 4 million square feet, far in excess of the 1 million square feet previously projected, DeBruin said.

That does not include the possibility of the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee building an engineering school and business incubator on the grounds, an idea floated by UWM Chancellor Carlos Santiago.

That would make traffic problems even worse, DeBruin said.

Ald. Michael Murphy has requested the Wisconsin Deparment of Transportation build a freeway off-ramp leading directly on to the grounds, but the MRMC opposes that, DeBruin said.

"MRMC would support a ramp but going only to Wisconsin Ave. or Watertown Plank," she said.

Other ideas being studied include widening Wisconsin Ave. and Swan Blvd., building access roads along the freeway, and expanding existing roads within the County Grounds.

"None of this has been finalized," she said.

Traffic volumes, already heavy, will be most affected by the fate of the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex. County Executive Scott Walker has proposed closing it and selling the buildings.

There would be about 45 acres available between the site of the Mental Health Complex -- which likely would be razed by developers -- and adjacent land, DeBruin said.

"The reality is the Regional Medical Center is going to keep growing to the extent they have land out there," she said.