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

[jdl896 at yahoo.com]

--- On Sun, 3/15/09, Ken and Tracie <ktjosephson at embarqmail.com> wrote:

> From: Ken and Tracie <ktjosephson at embarqmail.com>
> Subject: [milwaukee-electric] Re: Milwaukee streetcar engineering to begin this fall.
> To: milwaukee-electric at lists.dementia.org
> Date: Sunday, March 15, 2009, 1:07 PM
> Good counterpoints, Robert. I want people to think about
> what's best rather 
> than cheer the return of electric traction to Milwaukee. We
> don't need any 
> flops to give the Wendell Cox crowd any nails to drive into
> light rail's 
> coffin.
> 
> My family always preferred the old vibrant Downtown of the
> 1950s and '60s as 
> well as the once successful business area centered around
> 27th & Fond du 
> Lac. And we lived across the street from Capitol Court! And
> we were all mass 
> transit users.
> 
> I believe a major reason both Northridge and Capitol Court
> died was because 
> of Milwaukee's age old distrust and contempt between
> Whites and 
> African-Americans.  That is not a very eloquent way to put
> it, but the 
> Whites tend to be a blockbuster's delight once
> African-Americans move into 
> formerly all White areas. Many Milwaukee African-Americans
> do not wish to 
> make the remaining Whites  feel welcome.
> 
> I am from a racially blended family and I lived in
> Milwaukee for the first 
> twenty five years of my life. The hatred and mistrust
> between these two 
> groups was, and often is,  horrible.
> 
> I now live in a racially diverse Las Vegas suburb and have
> seen so much 
> social progress. Las Vegas was once known as "the
> Mississippi of the West." 
> Whenever I visit Milwaukee, it's still the same old
> nonsense. Racism will 
> never go away completely, but Milwaukee area politicians
> seem to thrive on 
> fanning the flames.
> 
> I bring the above up because it is social component few
> people wish to 
> discuss. In Los Angeles, expansion of the light rail
> network was opposed by 
> some so-called "Black activists" who claimed
> extensions into White areas 
> whose residents are more prone to driving themselves wastes
> funds that could 
> be put to better use by putting more buses on the streets
> for racial 
> minorities who don't drive. But I thought the problem
> in L.A. was that 
> everybody drives.
> 
> I know the Downtown Streetcar Circulator in Portland is a
> success. I wish 
> Milwaukee the best. I also felt this could be a "foot
> in the door" line, but 
> I was hoping for a more of a private right of way line
> between residential 
> neighborhoods and where the residents work and shop.
> 
> So let's have a healthy debate!
> 
> Let's ask present day Milwaukeeans where they believe
> the starter line 
> should be built and why.
> 
> K.
Hi all! I'm John, the guy who pushed for 'pne leg at a time' in an earlier post. Well, now that it looks like Mayor Barret will have the wit and where-for-all to get one my my 'legs' a reality! After attending one of the transit meetings where light rail and streetcars were all over, my personal plans for adding to Mayor Barrett's downtown system, unfortunately, would have some problems. A North Shore connection could begin at the Bayshore Town Center could travel down Port Washington road and connect up with the railroad right of way(that became the bike path) could remain off city streets (with stations throughout the line. This, in turn, could connect to the downtown line at the IIntermodal Station.
The other 'legs' of the system would begin downtown Light Rail on Fond du lac avenue from 107th Street to downtown would serice many residential and commercial areas. Spuce up the existing right of way at Miller Park and make it working land that will go to the regional medical center in Wauwatosa. My next 'leg' would be In conjunction with the "Zoo Interchange of I 94 and Hwy 45. An additional lane or two could head south, connecting with the Hales Corners right of way!Of course, these would be the 'easy parts' because my next 'leg' is to Brookfield, Elm Grove and Waukesha!
Please let me know your thoughts!

John