[milwaukee-electric] Re: Electric railways, streetcars, interurbans, trams, light rail lines and trolley buses worldwide. City officials announce Downtown Milwaukee streetcar route.

[jdl896 at wi.rr.com]

All of these reasons for a low cost streetcar line make perfect sense. Those of us who no longer drive, whether disabled, or older would certainly benefit like me). I realize that non-drivers are a minority in the community mostly because of the money it takes to purchase, park and maintain them. Are these the kind of people Scott Walker (and other conservatives) refer to as derelicts?

I have been a trackless trolley/interurban fan for yours. By the way, I am truly offended by whoever said they couldn't wait until the skies were 'black with trolley wires' Maybe they'd prefer the health hazards of smog and pollution for gas and motor oil to fill the air, instead.

Jon
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-===-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=


---- Y Marti <yance at oldmilwaukee.net> wrote: 
> The average UWM student that lives on the east side takes public  
> transit unless they live in the on-campus dorms or very close by.  
> Off-campus dorms offer their own shuttle but I see plenty of students  
> that live on-campus take MCTS to get to ball games or downtown  
> watering holes. Most evenings the #15 and #30 are packed with  
> students. Times have changed where many students realize the economic  
> benefits of car independence for getting around Milwaukee. You only  
> have to look at the $3/gal price at the pump to see how this affects  
> travel decisions.
> 
> Again, Milwaukee downtown has changed since the 70's and 80's. Things  
> happen on every night of the week, summer and winter. Downtown  
> residency is very dense and parking is at a premium. There are a large  
> number of forward thinking elderly people living in downtown  
> apartments and reaping the benefits of easy access to culture. A  
> reliable downtown circular streetcar system for $1 a ride would be  
> heavily used day and night. Many businesses would benefit which is why  
> the idea is supported by all the downtown business associations.
> 
> The complaints about it hurting MCTS are silly and partisan. There is  
> no MCTS line that offers this service without transfer. With MCTS  
> threatening to abolish transfers with a new fare system, a huge  
> customer base would be disenfranchised. I also doubt there will be a  
> transfer system between lines. It's rare that transit lines with  
> different owners have such a system. It would be even rarer if Walker  
> would approve such an idea. But both systems can easily work  
> separately without hurting either. I know a conservative 30-something  
> that lives in the third ward and normally car commutes downtown who  
> would take the streetcar to work but would be horrified at rubbing  
> elbows with the "derelicts" on MCTS. That goes to show that the  
> younger generation is willing to more readily adopt public transit.
> 
> Yance
>