1000 Friends of Wisconsin

In late February, the county executives and mayors of Kenosha, Racine and Milwaukee and the Wisconsin Department of Transporation signed an Inter-governmental agreement (IGA) that moves KRM commuter rail service an important step closer to fruition. The agreement establishes a seven-way partnership allowing work on the Enivronmental Impact Statement (EIS) to begin. An EIS must be completed before construction can begin. The agreement also moves the partners another step forward closer to resolving key funding and management issues.

A wide range of business interests welcomed the announcement, as did the Sierra Club and Transit Now. For more information, visit Transit Now's website.

Governor Includes $800,000 for KRM

In his 2005-2007 Budget proposal, Governor Doyle includes $800,000 for final engineering of the commuter rail route from Kenosha to Milwaukee. To see reaction to the Governor's proposal, visit Transit Now's website.

Background on KRM

Extension of Chicago’s METRA commuter rail from Kenosha to Racine and then on to Milwaukee is one of the exciting transportation projects moving forward in southeastern Wisconsin.

METRA provides commuter rail service throughout the greater Chicago area, with its north shore service ending in Kenosha. In 1998, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission concluded a study of the feasibility of options for extending that service through Wisconsin’s lakeshore communities up to Milwaukee. After another study evaluating on-the-ground options, a SEWRPC committee recommended METRA extension with a medium level of service to be managed by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

While preliminary engineering is currently underway, how the approximately $150 million in construction costs and subsequent operational costs will be funded is unclear, as is which governmental unit will actually undertaken management of the service.

Projected benefits of the METRA extension and points of note related to the project include:

Seven round-trip per day will be provided along the 33-mile route;
Eight stations will be served along the route, including Racine, Cudahy and the Amtrak station in downtown Milwaukee;
Commuter rail service will promote economic development along the corridor - nearly 150,000 jobs are projected within 1/2 half mile of the route;
More dense, environmentally sustainable and community enhancing development patterns will result from development closer to the line; and
The KRM commuter rail line will reduce congestion between 4% to 12% on I-94 from Milwaukee to Kenosha.

To learn more about the KRM Commuter Rail service visit:

Transit Now at http://www.transitnow.org

WiseRide, the SEWRPC study site at http://www.sewrpc.org/wiseride/

1000 Friends of Wisconsin
16 N. Carroll Street, Suite 810 Madison WI 53703 608.259.1000