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August 16, 2011 by

Volunteer Mobilization Potluck this Saturday

The Transit Riders Union will be holding a Volunteer Mobilization Potluck this Saturday (Aug. 20) to kick off this year’s campaign against the serious cuts to bus service proposed by MCTS in their 2012 operating budget.

These cuts amount to a 12% reduction in service, and if enacted, will increase wait times for nearly all riders, cut the majority of service to the North Shore, Brown Deer, and the entire southern portion of the county, and eliminate all freeway flyer service to downtown except route 79.

The potluck will be at 5pm this Saturday, at the ATU Local 998 Hall (734 N. 26th), and anyone interested in helping save public transit in our county is encouraged to attend. There will be free food and drink and the opportunity to donate or sign up to volunteer to organize bus riders for the Transit Riders Union, as well as an explanation of the cuts, and the Transit Riders Union’s proposals to stop them.

For more information, or if you’re interested in volunteering or contributing but unable to attend, please contact Sam (414 405 4203, samuel.c.jensen@transitridersunion.org) or Kieth (414 248 7652, kieth.e.crum@transitridersunion.org).

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August 9, 2011 by

Route “restructuring” a bad deal for bus riders

The Milwaukee County Transit System finally released some of the details of its proposed route elimations and “restructurings” included in the 2012 Recommended Operating Budget. The Transit Riders Union opposes these unprecidented cuts in service, and the idea that transit can survive in Milwaukee without even inflation-related increases in spending at the county level. Read the Transit Riders Union’s full response in the attached Press Release.

Filed Under: News
July 15, 2011 by

Transit Riders Union Strategy Meeting

Transit Riders Union members, as well as other interested members of the public, are encouraged to attend Saturday’s strategy meeting. We will be discussing how the TRU will work to fight the upcoming cuts to transit service included in the 2012 proposed Milwaukee County Budget, as well as longer-term goals for the group.

Location: Brewing Grounds for Change

Time: 1:00 p.m., Saturday July 16, 2011

For more information and directions, look at the meetings page of the website.

Filed Under: News
June 18, 2011 by

A Public Hearing on Jobs and Civil Rights (Held by the Milwaukee NAACP)

There is a great event being held tomorrow where we will be able to ask our elected leaders some much-needed questions about Milwaukee’s lack of transit connections to suburban job centers.

A Public Hearing on Jobs and Civil Rights (Held by the Milwaukee NAACP)
Sunday June 19, 2011 (Juneteenth Day) at 1:30pm
Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church
2207 N. 2nd St. (2nd/Garfield, northwest corner)
 
The following elected officials have been invited: Governor Scott Walker, State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, State Senate Minority Leader Mark Miller, Assembly Majority Leader Jeff Fitzgerald, Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele, County Board Chairman Lee Holloway, Mayor Tom Barrett and Common Council President Willie Hines.
 
You can reach this event from either Route 19 N. King-S. 13th & S. 20th OR Route 21 North Avenue.
 
19 N. King-S. 13th & S. 20th
Get off of the bus at King/Garfield and walk one block east to 2nd. The church will be on your left. (Not to be confused with the red brick church on the northeast corner.)
 
21 North Avenue
Get off of the bus at King/North and walk one block east to 2nd St. and one block south to Garfield. The church will be on your right. (Not to be confused with the red brick church on the northeast corner.)

Check out www.milwaukeenaacp.org for more info.

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April 12, 2011 by

Ideas wanted: Brainstorm for better transit

Have you ever been frustrated about our local bus service? Have you ever had an idea about how to improve our bus service? Have you ever wished we had light rail or express bus routes?

The Milwaukee Transit Riders Union will be holding a workshoop this Saturday, called A Sustainable Future for Transportation in Milwaukee: Brainstorming for Better Transit. At this workshop, we will be developing a vision for a 21st Century transit system in the Milwaukee region as well as an action plan to get it accomplished.

It is up to bus riders to move transit in the region forward. In order to move the region forward, we, as bus riders, have to make our needs heard. Our transit system has been going backwards as steep service cuts have been made year after year, and at the same time, gas prices, pollution, poverty and segregation have increased. This workshop is about us reversing this trend.

The workshop will be held on Saturday April 11, 2011 at 1:00pm at

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 Hall
734 N. 26th Street (Side/Parking Lot Door)
Take the Route 10, 27 & 30 buses to 27th/Wisconsin, walk one block east on Wisconsin and a half block north on 26th to hall. Enter from the side door on the parking lot.

View the flyer for this event. (version for printing)

Filed Under: News
April 8, 2011 by

Be heard! Public meeting on Walker’s budget

On Monday April 11 from 10:00AM to 6:00PM there will be a public meeting held on Walker’s proposed budget at State Fair Park Expo Center Hall A. This should be of special interest to transit riders, as funding for bus service will be slashed in his budget.

Stand up to Walker’s transit-cutting budget at this public meeting. If you can’t make it, you can send written comments to budgetcomments@legis.wisconsin.gov or

Joe Malkasian
Room 305 East, State Capitol
Madison, WI 53703

Pass this word along by printing and distributing a few flyers for this meeting. Let’s be heard!

Filed Under: News
March 3, 2011 by

Walker’s budget guts transit

Governor Scott Walker released his 2011-2013 State Budget yesterday. This budget reduces State funding for transit systems by 10% for each transit system. For the Milwaukee County Transit System, this is $7 million dollars. In addition to cuting transit funding, Walker is removing it from the State’s transportation fund, which is funded by gas taxes, to the State’s General Purpose fund – meaning that transit funding at the State level will be just as unstable as it is in Milwaukee County. This comes at the same time that millions of extra dollars are being put into the Transportation fund to speed up unnecessary highway expansion projects.

State funds account for 42% of the Milwaukee County Transit System’s operating budget. At a time when MCTS has been stretched to the brink due to a lack of dedicated funding source, this will result in devastating service cuts. “Service cuts and fare increases are always our last resort,” stated Anita Gulotta-Connelly, MCTS Managing Director, “but with the reduction in State funding and rapidly escalating fuel prices, difficult decisions will be necessary.”

“This $7 million cut in State operating assistance, if approved, could force the County to raise bus fares and eliminate all Freeway Flyers (including service to Summerfest and State Fair), late night and early morning service, and numerous route segments. A reduction in paratransit services would remove transit access for individuals with disabilities in Milwaukee County’s southern suburbs and north shore communities,” Milwaukee County Board Chairman Lee Holloway said. “We’ve been asking for dedicated funding for years. After serving as County Executive for more than eight years, Governor Walker is well aware of this need. But, instead of protecting mass transit in the transportation fund, he is removing it. Mass transit is a form of transportation, so why can’t it be protected, too?”

These cuts will have a tremendous effect on people in Milwaukee County, whether they ride the bus or not. As with other cuts, there will be a negative effect on the local economy.  “We’re losing our ability to connect workers with jobs,” Chairman Holloway added. “If the business community still supports transit, then it’s time for our business leaders to meet with the Governor and Legislative leaders to inform them of the important role transit plays in the transportation and economic infrastructure of this region.”

Whether you are a business leader or not, you should contact your legislator and/or Governor Walker and tell them to sustain transit funding and keep it in the transportation fund.

You can find your State Senator’s contact information at http://legis.wisconsin.gov/w3asp/contact/legislatorslist.aspx?house=senate.

You can find your State Representative’s contact information at: http://legis.wisconsin.gov/W3asp/contact/legislatorslist.aspx?house=assembly.

You can find Governor Walker’s contact information at: http://walker.wi.gov/.

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February 28, 2011 by

March 2, 2011 meeting cancelled

Due to the events in Madison, we are cancelling our Wednesday March 2, 2011 meeting. (Click here to download the bulletin)

We think it’s prudent to camcel this meeting for the following reasons:

  • Some of our members are attending these protests. We respect their stand against Senate Bill 11, the “Budget Repair Bill” and value their opinions on matters and as such, do not want to conduct this meeting without them.
  • We appreciate the generosity of the Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998 in letting us use their space for meetings and recognize that during this time they may wish to use this space themselves to conduct events to garner opposition to this bill, which eliminates collective bargaining rights for public employees.
  • We want to encourage members who haven’t already attended these protests to do so. This bill will hurt everyone. It will also cost the state $46.6 million in Federal funds for transit which will hurt bus riders statewide.

An informal meeting is planned for Saturday March 5.

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February 25, 2011 by

Budget Repair Bill will destabilize transit statewide

A controversial bill was promulgated 11 days ago in the Wisconsin State Legislature that would permanently eliminate collective bargaining rights for state employees, authorize no-bid sell offs of state utilities and jeopardize BadgerCare.

The bill, known as AB-11 The Budget Repair Bill, will also cost the state $46.6 million in Federal transit aid. Under Federal law, if collective bargaining rights are eliminated Federal transit aid to that system is eliminated.

Even though Milwaukee County Transit System drivers are private employees and would retain bargaining unit status, this loss of $46.6 million would likely result in ALL transit systems losing some funds from the state to make up the difference. This would be IN ADDITION to any funding cuts from the 2011-13 state budget.

This bill was rushed through the Assembly late last night. It is still awaiting approval from the Senate, which is unable to reach a quorum. This bill will be a disaster for transit riders, drivers and others if passed.

For additional information regarding this bill, or to find contact information for your State Senator, visit http://legis.wisconsin.gov.

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February 13, 2011 by

Fact-checking Abele on transit

Milwaukee County Executive Candidate Chris Abele has largely avoided making definite statements on what he would like to do if Milwaukee County voters give him the opportunity to serve as County Executive, but he has emerged as hostile towards fixing Milwaukee County Transit System funding.

Abele has said “Tax increases are the first instinct of career politicians.”, although this solution did not come from a career politician. The transit sales tax was passed in 2008  by a grassroots effort known as the Quality of Life Alliance. The Milwaukee Transit Riders Union was a member of the Alliance, which pooled the resources of member groups to publicize and educate the public about the referendum and how it would save vital services (transit, parks, emergency medical services) while cutting property taxes. The referendum was to shift these services from being funded from the property tax to being funded by a sales tax. The property tax levy was to be cut by the same amount, so this wasn’t a tax increase either. The referendum was passed by Milwaukee County voters.

Abele wen further to say that instead of a dedicated funding source, the Milwaukee County Transit System needed to be run more efficiently. We believe firmly in an efficiently run transit system, but as long as the funding mechanism is broken the bus system will not be able to be run effecively. Milwaukee has the last major transit system in America still funded by property taxes. Other cities stop using property taxes to fund public transit decades ago.

Abele’s claims that increased efficiency are a substitute for a stable funding source are disingenuous. The 2011 transit budget is $150 million. Any cuts from MCTS management and clerical services and staffing would be minimal. In fact, the Milwaukee County Transit System has the lowest percentage of administration employees of all of it’s peer transit systems. MCTS also has one of the nation’s highest farebox return ratios in the country, meaning that fares fund a larger share of the budget than most other transit systems. The Public Policy Forum has the following to say about the efficiency of the Milwaukee County Transit System:

The cost effectiveness of MCTS buses was best among peer systems in 2006 based on data
from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and the Federal Transit Administration,
indicating that further cost savings due to efficiency improvements may be limited.

The Milwaukee County Transit System is a vital service to the community and we need real solutions to it’s funding problems rather than such blatant political posturing.

Reminder:
There will be a primary election for Milwaukee County Executive on Tuesday February 15, 2011. For any additional information call the Milwaukee Election Commission at (414) 286-VOTE.

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