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April 15, 2012 by

Jobs Not Cuts! Rally for full funding to transit April 19, 2012

Facebook event link

The Milwaukee Transit Riders Union, in conjunction with Amalgamated Transit Union Local 998, Wisconsin Jobs Now and Occupy Milwaukee will be holding a rally and march on April 19, 2012 at 4:00pm at the ATU Local 998 Hall.

We are proud to be working with such a diverse coalition on this event. This event is part of the Week of Action kicking off on Monday April 16.

This event also comes on the heels of the April 4 National Day of Action for Transit. The movement for transit justice in this community is moving forward in a big way.

What do we want?
We want a fully funded transit system. We demand the restoration of funds cut in Governor Walker’s 2011-2013 budget and the establishment of a dedicated funding source at the county or regional level. Milwaukee County still funds transit from the property tax, an outdated funding source that has resulted in 20% in service cuts over the past decade, cuts that have put the transit system in a death spiral.

When Governor Walker slashed the Milwaukee County Transit System’s state funding by 10% in his 2011-2013 budget, he left Milwaukee County with few options to maintain service levels. Milwaukee County narrowly averted disastrous cuts to the transit system last year that would have made 13,500 jobs inaccessible by transit. This was possible by the use of temporary two-year grants. If we do not solve the funding problems facing transit in this time frame we will be back at square one – with the potential of facing even more severe cuts. This comes at a time when at least 40,000 jobs have become inaccessible by transit since 2001 and 29.5% of Milwaukeeans are living at or below the poverty line.

The time to act is now.
It is important that Milwaukee bus riders take action now to protect the service we have left and fight for better bus service. We will be taking to the streets on April 19 to do just that. (Facebook event link)

When and where:

Thursday April 19, 2012 at 4:00pm
Meet up at the ATU Local 998 Hall at
734 North 26th Street
(26th/Wisconsin)


View Walking directions from 27th/Wisconsin to ATU 998 Hall in a larger map

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January 12, 2012 by

Upcoming changes to Milwaukee bus service

On January 29, 2012 there will be several changes to how us bus riders get around in Milwaukee.

Riders of Routes 11, 15, 18, 23 and 62 will have to make some adjustments to how they get around. New color coded express routes are being introduced as part of a complicated move by MCTS to stave off service cuts by replacing busy local service with new express bus routes funded with federal money.

Why is this happening?
In his 2011-2013 budget, Governor Scott Walker slashed the amount of money that the Milwaukee County Transit System gets each year from the State of Wisconsin. As a result of this cut and limitations on how communities can raise more money, the bus system was planning on cutting about 20% of service. This is why we were pushing for a Vehicle Registration Fee to fund transit; it would have raised enough money to keep the system intact and it does not require any approval from the State legislature or Governor.

Ultimately, County Executive Chris Abele applied for a Congestion Mitigation Air Quality (CMAQ) grant to fill the hole in MCTS’s budget. The catch: CMAQ funds can only be used for brand new service. CMAQ funds can not be used to keep current routes running. The solution? Create express routes out of the busiest routes in the system. Eliminate most or all of the current local service along the current routes 11, 15, 18 & 23 and use the money saved (or ‘freed up’) to keep the other routes running.

What is changing?
MCTS has released a special issue of BusLines with the maps of the new routes included. The route changes are as follows:

Route 11 Holton-Greenfield/Howell

  • ELIMINATED
  • Holton branch becomes part of Route 15
  • Greenfield branch becomes part of a new Route 56
  • Howell branch becomes part of the limited stop GreenLine MetroEXpress
  • Service to Centennial Plaza (43rd/Lincoln) and the Bolivar-Pine-Layton loop is eliminated

Route 15 Oakland-Kinnickinnic

  • RENAMED: 15 Holton-Kinnickinnic
  • Current 15 service north of 1st/Pittsburgh becomes part of the limited stop GreenLine MetroEXpress
  • Will operate via the current Holton branch of Rt. 11 to Bayshore
  • Clement-Pennsylvania-15th Av branch becomes Route 52 (evening and night service is eliminated)
  • All trips will operate via 5th Av-Columbia to Chicago/Drexel

Route 18 National-Greenfield

  • ELIMINATED
  • Service east of 70th/Greenfield becomes part of Route 23
  • 124th via Greenfield branch becomes part of the new Route 56
  • National branch becomes part of Rt. 54. Service on S. 92nd is eliminated

Route 23 Fond du Lac Avenue

  • RENAMED: 23 Fond du Lac-National
  • Mill via 64th branch becomes part of BlueLine MetroEXpress
  • Service east of 2nd on Wisconsin is eliminated
  • Takes on current Route 18 between Wisconsin and 70th/Greenfield

Route 62 Capitol Drive

  • Service east of Humboldt becomes part of RedLine MetroEXpress
  • Service west of 76th becomes part of RedLine MetroEXpress

Route 63 Silver Spring Drive

  • RENAMED: 63 Silver Spring-Port Washington
  • Takes on the part of the current Route 68 between Bayshore and Glencoe (Green Tree-Lake Drive-Brown Deer segment is eliminated)

Route 68 Port Washington Road

  • ELIMINATED
  • Current segment between Bayshore and Glencoe becomes part of Rt. 63
  • Current segment between Bayshore and Capitol becomes part of Rt. 15
  • Service on Port Washington between Keefe and Capitol is eliminated
  • Service on the Green Tree-Lake Drive-Brown Deer loop is eliminated

New routes

  • GreenLine MetroEXpress – Limited stop route comprised of the current Rt. 15 north of Pittsburgh and current Rt. 11 south of Pittsburgh with an extension to the Airport
  • BlueLine MetroEXpress – Limited stop route comprised of the current Route 23 Mill Road – 64th Street and current Route 18 east of 70th
  • RedLine MetroEXpress – Limited stop route comprised of the current Route 62
  • Route 52 Clement-15th Avenue – Limited service route comprised of the current Route 15 Clement-Pennsylvania-15th Av branch. Set to operate seven days a week, mornings, mid-days and afternoons. Service after approximately 6:00pm is eliminated
  • Route 56 Greenfield Avenue – Regular route running between 1st/Michell and 124th/Greenfield via 1st-Greenfield-43rd-Burnham-60th-Greenfield

Will this improve service?
It depends on where you are. These routes were designed with the purpose of saving money and riders had no ability to weigh in on the designs. Some residential areas will have no local bus service and bus riders will have to walk several blocks to catch a bus. On the other hand, the limited stop service may benefit commuters traveling from the central city to outlying areas by decreasing their travel time. Time will tell whether or not the MetroEXpress service is successful in shortening trip times, however bus riders should take note that the money funding this service is temporary and will expire in two years.

Getting dedicated funding for the transit system is as important now as ever
The CMAQ grants that funded his service are meant as start-up assistance for new routes. These particular grants run out in two years, at which point the County will be expected to fund the service. If we do not get the transit system off of the property tax, we face the loss of this service once this money runs out, or even the loss of other routes before that time due to rising fuel prices and declining home values in Milwaukee County.

This year, the Milwaukee Transit Riders Union will be renewing it’s push for dedicated funding wih more energy than before. As bus riders, it is essential that we be heard on policy and funding matters for the transit system. We need to be part of this, as we know the bus system, we ride the bus system and we are the most affected when services are cut.

On Saturday January 28, 2012 at 12:00pm we will be hitting the streets of Downtown Milwaukee to inform bus riders of the changes, listen to their concerns and pass out information. If you would like to join us, let us know.

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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 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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