[milwaukee-electric] Re: Milwaukee streetcar engineering to begin this fall.

[Y Marti]

Commuter rail and a KRM link in the near future is starting to look  
like a done deal. The only problem is that it needs a viable link  
which MCTS does not provide. It also has a ridership which is  
completely separate from the ridership of MCTS. Whereas MCTS  
efficiently serves the local population for their needs, it would do a  
poor job serving commuters and visitors from outlying cities for their  
needs. They will need a reliable, simple, and convenient link to  
downtown hotels, venues, and events.

The biggest problem for visitors arriving by rail at the Inter Modal  
Station is getting to hotels with their luggage. While taxis can do  
the job, the majority of visitors prefer public transport which can  
accomodate them. Any time I visit another city I check first to see  
what train or bus I can take to the center. Have you ever tried to  
take a suitcase on a MCTS bus? It sucks and there is no room for it  
except to block the aisles. Carrying any bags or even shopping is  
awful on MCTS. There are no foldable seats and there are no overhead  
racks. The aisles are too narrow to wheel a standard suitcase without  
bumping into legs at each seat. I am a regular commuter on MCTS and it  
works relatively well for what it does but it would not work for  
commuters or visitors. Currently the only line which serves the Inter  
Modal Station is the #57 which goes down Michigan to Water and north  
on Water. That's a poor line for visitors or commuters. A downtown  
loop serving many hotels, businesses, and venues makes 100% more  
sense. A line which can more easily accomodate laden down visitors  
makes 100% more sense.

Quoting Ken and Tracie <ktjosephson at embarqmail.com>:

> I don't mean to offend anybody, but I find this proposed Milwaukee streetcar
> line disappointing
>
> This line appears to serve NO purpose! Why not just visit Kenosha or East
> Troy to ride
> streetcars?
>
> This is a waste of money. Girdling the essentially irrelevant Downtown with
> a car line that goes nowhere?
>
> Do I support a light rail line between potential riders and a popular
> destination? Makes sense to me. Light rail from the suburbs to an active
> business district, university, arena, stadium and/or mall? Absolutely!  But
> circling the outer perimeter of what is no longer a vibrant center of
> consumerism or civic activity? Ridiculous!
>
> Riders may prefer rail to rubber, but I believe a one seat ride trumps all.
> What are the planners going to do? Force transfers to the streetcars and
> perhaps alienate bus riders?
>
> The charm and ambience of a streetcar may be the tipping point for fans like
> us, but to John Q. Public, an enclosed mall during winter wins every time.
>
> Starter lines ought be like the ones built in Portland, San Diego or
> Calgary.
>
> K.
>
>