[milwaukee-electric] Re: This and that ~ Speedrail

[Ken and Tracie]

Yes, and the freeways' physical presence creates both physical and 
psychological barriers, dividing the city.

Had Speedrail remained into the late 1950s, the freeway system would have 
still been built. It would seem logical that from 28th Street east, the 
Rapid Transit would have been placed within the median, or at the very edge 
of an expanded right of way. Especially if Mayor Zeidler had his wish and 
the city had purchased the line.

Being in the position of being both a railfan and a vintage automobile 
enthusiast, I will state I believe that the "splashy" mid to late 1950s 
automobiles, with their brightwork, bright colors, tail fins, colorful 
interiors and powerful engines (along with increased use of "gadgets" such 
as automatic transmissions, power steering, power brakes, etc.) would have 
lured plenty of people away from the rails. It would make little difference 
to them if riding the rails was faster or was more economical.

Then again, Milwaukee remained a "mass transit town" for years longer than 
other large metropolitan areas did. I remember upper middle class families 
keeping a bus pass around for the kids or "just in case."

But the relevance of Downtown as a common destination would be critical to 
the survival of any commuter or suburban rail network requiring a common 
destination terminal.

The outlying shopping centers also decimated the various small commercial 
areas, such as "mom and pop" grocery stores at the intersections of 
secondary arterials. Larger commercial areas such as Third and North, North 
and Fond du Lac, etc. suffered, too. For some reason, Mitchell Street's 
commercial strip, anchored by Goldman's and by Schuster's, seemed to survive 
quite well.

Also, as Milwaukee's African-American community grew and expanded beyond the 
near West Side, White residents moved further out. The "block busting" 
tactics of greedy real estate people cannot be ignored.

Population density is critical to well patronized rail systems.

K.