Arguments continue between pro-transit groups who keep bashing a state plan to widen Interstate 94, and highway supporters who say trains and buses will never siphon cash from road jobs anyway. Those who want a wider I-94 from Milwaukee County to the Illinois state line and money for buses and the Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Rail (the KRM Line) say transit advocates are picking an enemy they can't beat by going after highway projects and state transportation dollars.
More people drive on highways than ride buses or trains, so legislators prefer paying for freeway construction through long-established programs rather than creating a completely new program for transit projects, said state Rep. Jeff Stone, R-Greendale. Legislators are getting more comfortable with paying for new transit as they consider it more, but pitting roads against rail will make it more difficult to get legislative approval for new local and state money sources for transit, he said.
Milwaukee officials Monday sent the Wisconsin Department of Transportation a letter (PDF) repeating the argument that the state should trim $200 million from the I-94 project by rebuilding the freeway with six lanes instead of eight. That money could be used for transit or local roads, the letter argued.
The I-94 project is estimated at $1.9 billion for eight lanes and $1.7 billion for six lanes.
State Rep. Cory Mason, D-Racine, said he's all for KRM and busing, but he's not going to risk losing jobs rebuilding I-94 by trying to leverage it for transit money. He said the November elections offer a better opportunity than arguing over I-94 to break political gridlock over transit. "It's kind of a false choice to put it out there," he said. "I share the frustration about mass transit, and I think Racine will benefit substantially from KRM."
The state's transportation budget pays for all of the local money needed to unlock federal dollars for highway projects. But large transit projects like the KRM need a mix of local, state and federal dollars, and there's no established way to pay for the local and state portions.
The Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority, which is in charge of paying for transit and the KRM project, will release a draft plan in June outlining local taxing options to cover transit, said Kerry Thomas, interim executive director of TransitNOW, a transit advocacy group. The plan is for locals to raise $36.5 million to $41 million in capital for the KRM, and for the state to match the local government contribution, she said. If residents agree on a new transit tax, the Legislature would need to approve it. Robert Bauman, a Milwaukee alderman who signed the letter to WisDOT, said the Legislature is never going to approve using sales taxes for transit. "Obviously, a dedicated sales tax is a political problem," he said. "I don't think the votes exist in the Legislature to approve it. KRM's dead in the water, as far as I'm concerned. I don't see any light at the end of the tunnel on that."
If the Legislature approves a new local money source, legislators must find a way to pay for the state's share of capital costs. Using money from the transportation budget is a bad idea, said Stone and Pat Goss, executive director of the Wisconsin Transportation Builders Association, because the need for road projects is so great. Goss suggested the state issue bonds and pay for transit capital costs using money from the general budget, and Stone said that idea would get more support than using money from the gas tax.
"Throwing another significant cost onto the transportation fund is not an option right now," Goss said. "We're not even meeting the needs that have been identified."
