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>>
>>
>> FUNDING IS MADE POSSIBLE IN
PART BY THE MILWAUKEE TURNERS.
A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE
PRINCIPLE OF A SOUND MIND AND
SOUND BODY HAS SERVED OUR
COMMUNITY FOR OVER 160 YEARS.
>> ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR
"FOURTH STREET FORUM" HAS BEEN
PROVIDED BY THE BRICO FUND.
AND BY THE DAVID AND JULIA
UIHLEIN CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.
>> WE'RE COMING TO YOU FROM
DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE AT HISTORIC
TURNER HALL.
THIS WEEK, BEYOND ROADS,
TRANSPORTATION ISSUES TODAY AND
TOMORROW.
WELCOME TO "FOURTH STREET FORUM"
I'M MARCUS WHITE OF THE GREATER
MILWAUKEE FOUNDATION AND YOUR
HOST FOR THE FORUM.
THE GREATER MILWAUKEE FOUNDATION
IS A NEARLY CENTURY OLD
COMMUNITY FOUNDATION WITH A
MISSION OF INSPIRING
PHILANTHROPY AND STRENGTHENING
COMMUNITIES.
IT IS IN THAT SPIRIT THAT WE ARE
COLLABORATING WITH MILWAUKEE
PUBLIC TELEVISION TO BRING YOU
THE MOST CRITICAL ISSUES OF THE
DAY.
THESE DAYS, WE ARE ACTUALLY
DRIVING LESS THAN WE HAVE IN
DECADES.
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE
INTERESTED IN USING PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION BOTH FOR WORK AND
TO PLAY, AND TRAINS AROUND THE
NATION ARE MAKING A COMEBACK.
WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT ARE THE
TRANSPORTATION ISSUES FACING
MILWAUKEE, AND WHAT IS THE
FUTURE OF THIS ISSUE IN OUR
REGION.
WE HAVE THREE GUESTS WITH US
THIS WEEK TO EXPLORE THIS ISSUE
ROB HENKEN IS A PRESIDENT OF
PUBLIC POLICY FORUM, A
NONPARTISAN THINK TANK THAT
CONDUCTS OBJECTIVE RESEARCH AND
ANALYSIS OF PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES
IN WISCONSIN.
ROB HENKEN IS CO-AUTHOR OF THE
DECEMBER 2013 REPORT, "GETTING
TO WORK, OPPORTUNITIES AND
OBSTACLES TO IMPROVING TRANSIT
SERVICE TO SUBURBAN MILWAUKEE
JOB HUBS."
WELCOME, ROB.
>> FRED ROYAL IS A BUSINESS
SERVICES SPECIALIST FOR
MILWAUKEE AREA WORKFORCE
INVESTMENT BOARD.
THIS IS A PUBLIC-PRIVATE
PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN GOVERNMENT
AND BUSINESS THAT COORDINATES
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING PROGRAMS
FOR ADULTS AND YOUTH IN
MILWAUKEE COUNTY.
MR. ROYAL HAS BEEN WORKING
CLOSELY WITH NAACP MILWAUKEE ON
ISSUES OF IMPROVING REGIONAL
TRANSPORTATION FOR WORKERS AND
OTHERS.
WELCOME, FRED.
>> MY PLEASURE.
>> IVY HU IS AN ASSISTANT
PROFESSOR IN THE SCHOOL OF
ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN PLANNING
AT UW-MILWAUKEE.
HER RESEARCH FOCUS INCLUDES
TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND
POLICY, LAND USE, AND URBAN
ECONOMICS.
DR. HU STUDIED AT THE UNIVERSITY
OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND
NANJING UNIVERSITY.
WELCOME BACK, IVY.
>> GREAT TO BE HERE.
>> WELL, WE'RE GOING TO ASK ALL
OF YOU TO RESPOND TO A QUESTION
TO GET US STARTED, AND SOME OF
OUR VIEWERS WILL RECALL THAT IVY
AND ROB WERE WITH US AT THE
BEGINNING OF THIS SEASON AND THE
ISSUE OF TRANSPORTATION CAME UP
A LOT IN THAT CONVERSATION, SO
WE DECIDED TO DIVE IN TO THIS
TOPIC FOR A SHOW TO ITSELF.
ROB, WE'LL START WITH YOU, WORK
OUR WAY AROUND THE TABLE AND ASK
EACH OF YOU TO GIVE US YOUR
ASSESSMENT OF THE STATE OF
TRANSIT AND TRANSPORTATION IN
OUR REGION.
>> WELL, MARCUS, I GUESS I WOULD
CHARACTERIZE THE STATE AS
HOLDING PATTERN OR STATUS QUO.
ON THE ONE HAND, WE HAD A
SIGNIFICANT DECLINE IN TRANSIT
SERVICE, THE MILWAUKEE COUNTY
TRANSIT SYSTEM, THE NUMBER OF
BUS OPERATING HOURS, DECLINED BY
ABOUT 22% DURING THE PREVIOUS
DECADE.
THE 2000-2010 PERIOD.
SINCE THAT TIME, HASN'T GOTTEN
ANY WORSE BUT HASN'T GOTTEN ANY
BETTER.
WE HAVE BEEN FORTUITOUS IN THAT
THERE WERE FEDERAL STIMULUS
DOLLARS THAT ALLOWED US TO BUY
NEW BUSES, THERE WAS
REPROGRAMMING OF SOME FEDERAL
CMAC DOLLARS THAT HAD ORIGINALLY
BEEN INTENDED FOR A COMMUTER
RAIL SYSTEM, THAT ENABLED THE
MILWAUKEE COUNTY TRANSIT SYSTEM
TO NOT HAVE TO DISPLACE FEDERAL
DOLLARS AND TO ESSENTIALLY BE
ABLE TO KEEP ITS SERVICE LEVELS
AT ABOUT THE SAME LEVEL FOR THE
PAST TWO, THREE, FOUR YEARS.
THE QUESTION IS IS THAT SHOULD
ENOUGH AND SHOULD WE BE DOING
MORE TO REVERSE THE DECLINE IN
SERVICE HOURS DURING THE
PREVIOUS DECADE.
YOU WHEN LOOK AT OUR TRANSIT
SYSTEM, YOU SEE RELATIVELY
DECENT LOCAL TRANSIT SERVICE,
YOU SEE A FEW EXPRESS BUS
ROUTES, YOU SEE ABSOLUTELY NO
RAPID TRANSIT SERVICE, WHICH
CLEARLY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OTHER
AREAS OF THE COUNTRY, COULD BE
DEEMED A WEAKNESS FOR US.
>> THANKS, ROB.
FRED, WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THE
STATE OF THINGS.
>> WELL, FIRST, I'LL GIVE YOU MY
NAACP OPINION AND WE HAVE AN
AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, 16%
OF THE POPULATION IS 42% OF THE
RIDERSHIP.
WE HAVE A LATINO COMMUNITY
THAT'S ROUGHLY 8% TO 9% OF THE
POPULATION, THAT'S ABOUT 16% OF
THE RIDERSHIP, AND A CAUCASIAN
COMMUNITY THAT'S 70% OF THE
POPULATION, AND 39% OF THE
RIDERSHIP.
SO THERE IS DEFINITELY A HEAVIER
EMPHASIS ON MINORITIES, THAT USE
THE COUNTY BUS SYSTEM.
BUT THERE ARE MORE DOLLARS BEING
ALLOCATED TO THE FEDERAL
HIGHWAYS VERSUS TRANSPORTATION
AND TRANSIT.
AS ROD HAS ALLUDED TO, THE
FUNDING FOR THE COUNTY TRANSIT
SYSTEM IS DWINDLING.
IT WAS FURTHER EXACERBATED BY
THE PENSION BACKDROP THAT WE
STILL FEEL THE EFFECTS OF THAT
IN OUR COUNTY BUDGET, SO THERE
IS A DISCONNECT ON HOW TO
ADEQUATELY FUND A SYSTEM THAT IS
HEAVILY UTILIZED BY MINORITIES
AND LOW INCOME PEOPLE.
>> THANK YOU.
IVY?
>> I AGREE WITH WHAT ROB SAID
AND OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM IS NOT AS
EFFICIENT AS I WANT, AS WE WANT,
NOT AS EQUITIBLE AS WE WANT.
I JUST WANT TO ADD A LITTLE BIT
PERSONAL ANECDOTE, I GUESS.
I USED TO LIVE ONLY ONE MILE
FROM UWM CAMPUS, SO I USUALLY
BIKE OR WALK TO SCHOOL, BUT WHEN
IT SNOWS, I NEED TO PROBABLY
TAKE A BUS OR DRIVE TO SCHOOL,
SO OF COURSE, AS A
TRANSPORTATION PERSON, I'M
WEIGHING ALL THE BENEFIT COSTS.
OF COURSE, I WANT TO TAKE THE
BUS, BUT FOR ME, STANDING IN THE
SNOW FOR 15 MINUTES WAITING FOR
THE BUS AND PAYING $2.25 ONE
WAY, AND FOR THAT MONEY, I CAN
DRIVE TO SCHOOL, PARK ON CAMPUS
FOR AROUND FIVE, SIX HOURS.
IT'S THE SAME MONEY, THE RIGHT
AMOUNT, AND IT'S ACTUALLY LESS
COSTLY IN TERMS OF TIME.
IF I DRIVE TO SCHOOL.
SO OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM, EVEN FOR
SHORT DISTANCE TRAVEL IS STILL
NOT AS EFFICIENT AS WE WANT,
EVEN AROUND UW CAMPUS, WHICH IS
A BIG TRANSIT CENTER IN THE
CITY, SO JUST ADD A LITTLE
PERSONAL STORY.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU.
NOW, IVY, I WOULD LIKE TO STAY
WITH YOU FOR A SECOND.
YOU KNOW, ROB MENTIONED THAT
WE'VE SEEN THIS DECLINE IN THE
HOURS THAT ARE AVAILABLE, ABOUT
A 22% DECLINE, THAT WAS IN THE
PREVIOUS DECADE AND WE'VE BEEN
HOLDING STEADY FOR THE LAST
THREE YEARS OR SO.
IS THAT TYPICAL AROUND THE
NATION?
I KNOW YOU LOOK AT URBAN
PLANNING AND TRANSPORTATION
AROUND THE NATION.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO
HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT.
ARE WE UNUSUAL OR IS THIS A
TREND WE'VE SEEN AROUND THE
NATION.
>> IT'S ACTUALLY DIFFERENT FROM
THE TREND AROUND THE COUNTRY.
I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS IN
FRONT OF ME, BUT DURING THE LAST
TWO, THREE DECADES, THE NUMBER
OF RIDERSHIP IN THE WHOLE
COUNTRY IS RISING, SO IT'S
ACTUALLY, WE ARE CONTRADICTING
THAT TREND AND WE ARE WATCHING
UP.
I KNOW WE ARE TALKING ABOUT
PUBLIC TRANSIT, BUT MILWAUKEE IS
CATCHING UP IN TERMS OF
BICYCLING, SO MILWAUKEE HAS TO
CATCH UP WITH MORE AND MORE
BICYCLISTS, BUT THAT IS A GOOD
THING.
>> WE HAVE THIS REPORT MANY OF
YOU HAVE SEEN, CALLED VITAL
SIGNS AN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT
INDICATES WE DO WELL IN IS THAT
WE'RE GROWING IN ALTERNATIVE
FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION.
MAKE IS GROWING IN THAT, BUT
ROB, BACK TO THE QUESTION OF
THAT DROP, THAT 22% DROP, WAS
THAT AS FRED ALLUDED TO, SIMPLY
PRESSURE ON THE COUNTY BUDGET,
ARE THERE OTHER FACTORS THAT GO
IN TO WHY THE DECISION WAS MADE
PRESUMABLY IT WAS A DECISION
THAT WAS MADE TO REDUCE THE
NUMBER OF BUS HOURS?
>> I THINK IT WAS CERTAINLY A
REFLECTION OF THE OVERALL
MILWAUKEE COUNTY FINANCIAL
SITUATION DURING THE PAST
DECADE, AS FRED MENTIONED, THE
PRESSURE OF THE PENSION SCANDAL
AND OTHER FRINGE BENEFIT
CONCERNS, HEALTH CARE ACTUALLY
IN A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN THE
PENSION BENEFITS.
THE FACT THAT THE COUNTY
PROPERTY TAX LEVY IS STRETCHED
SO THIN AND PULLED IN SO MANY
DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS, THAT IT IS
VERY DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN
FUNDING, WHEN THE FIXED COSTS IN
TERMS OF THE BENEFITS AND THE
SALARIES AND SO ON GO UP.
SO IN THE END, COUNTY
POLICYMAKERS ARE FACED WITH A
VERY DIFFICULT DECISION.
WHERE DO YOU CUT, GIVEN THAT
YOUR STATE AND FEDERAL DOLLARS
ARE ESSENTIALLY FLAT, YOUR COST
PRESSURES ARE RISING, YOU'RE
LIMITED IN TERMS OF HOW MANY
PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS YOU CAN
RAISE BECAUSE OF A STATE IMPOSED
PROPERTY TAX LEVY CAP.
IT TENDS TO BE THE DISCRETIONARY
COUNTY FUNCTIONS OF WHICH
TRANSIT IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY OF
THOSE, ARTS AND CULTURAL
INSTITUTIONS AND PARTS OF THE
OTHERS, THOSE ARE THE AREAS OF
COUNTY GOVERNMENT THAT TEND TO
HAVE TO BE CUT, SO THAT THE
SO-CALLED MANDATED FUNCTIONS, IN
THE AREAS OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND
HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, CAN
CONTINUE TO BE FUNDED AT
APPROPRIATE LEVELS.
>> OK.
>> YOU KNOW, FOX VALLEY RECENTLY
HAD A REFERENDUM TO GO TO A
REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY, AND
THE SENATE LEGISLATURE APPROVED
IT, WENT TO THE ASSEMBLY FOR A
VOTE, IT DIDN'T COME OUT OF
COMMITTEE AND FOR THE REASON HE
SUGGESTS WAS THAT HE WOULD
PREFER TO TIE THAT FUNDING
STATEWIDE AND LOOK AT NOT ONLY
FUNDING TRANSIT, BUT LOOK AT
SOLUTIONS TO HIGHWAY FUNDING.
AND ODDLY ENOUGH, I KIND OF
AGREE WITH HIM ON THIS ISSUE, IS
THAT WE DON'T HAVE A DEDICATED
FUNDING SOURCE FOR OUR BUS
SYSTEM.
I THINK REALLY NO TRANSIT
AUTHORITY.
OUR FUNDING SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE
MOST ANTIQUATED IN THE UNITED
STATES.
IT'S LONG OVERDUE THAT WE REVAMP
IT AND FIND SOME MEANS OF A
DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE.
>> YEAH.
WE SEE AROUND THE COUNTRY, IVY,
THAT COMMUNITIES HAVE DEDICATED
FUNDING FOR THEIR TRANSIT
SYSTEM.
OURS SEEMS TO BE, AND I THINK
ROB HAS HELPED US UNDERSTAND
THIS, IT'S ALMOST YEAR TO YEAR,
WHAT CAN THE COUNTY DO, IT'S A
DISCRETIONARY THINGS.
WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES AROUND
THE COUNTRY OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO
SUPPORT A TRANSIT SYSTEM?
>> I THINK MOST OF THOSE
OPERATING COSTS ARE STILL COMING
FROM THE GENERAL FUND, BUT I DO
WANT TO BRING IN ROB'S
EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS UNIQUE,
THEY IMPOSE A -- PRICING ZONE
AROUND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS
DISTRICT AND THE FEE TO COLLECT
FROM THE PRICING ACTUALLY IS
USED ON TRANSIT, SO OF COURSE,
THEY ARE LIMITING THE USAGE OF
AUTOMOBILES, BUT THEY PROVIDE
ALTERNATIVES IN TERMS OF
TRANSIT, IN TERMS MUCH LIGHT
RAIL BUSINGS AND I GIVE PEOPLE
FEASIBLE AND EFFICIENT
TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES.
I THINK THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE
SHOULD GO.
>> SO DO WE HAVE MODELS, ROB?
I KNOW YOU ALL AT THE PUBLIC
POLICY FORUM DID A STUDY LOOKING
AT DIFFERENT MODELS.
IS THERE A SIMILAR WAY.
LONDON HAS FOUND A WAY, BOTH TO
LIMIT THE CONGESTION, BUT ALSO
TO RAISE SOME REVENUE.
RIGHT NOW, WE'RE AT TURNER HALL
ACROSS THE STREET, AS WE'RE
RECORDING THIS, THE NCAA
BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT IS
HAPPENING, IT JUST HAPPENS THAT
THE BADGERS ARE PLAYING RIGHT
NOW, MY BADGER FRIENDS MADE ME
WEAR THIS TIE, BUT WE ALL KNOW,
ALL OF US WHO ARE HERE AT TURNER
HALL KNOW ABOUT THE PARKING
DOWNTOWN.
ARE THERE MODELS WHERE COMMUTER
PARKING FEES, FOR INSTANCE, ARE
USED TO HELP SUPPORT TRANSIT?
>> THERE'S ALL SORTS OF
DIFFERENT TAXES AND FEES THAT
COULD BE LOOKED AT HERE.
I THINK HOWEVER, IF WE'RE REALLY
TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO REPLACE
THE PROPERTY TAX SUPPORT WITH
SOME OTHER KIND OF COMPREHENSIVE
FUNDING MECHANISM, WE'RE LIKERY
TO HAVE TO LOOK AT A BROAD BASE
TAX OR FEE.
SALES TAX WOULD BE AN OBVIOUS
SOLUTION, THAT HAS BEEN USED BY
THE VAST MAJORITY OF TRANSIT
SYSTEMS AROUND THE COUNTRY,
THOSE WHO HAVE ESTABLISHED
DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCES.
ONE OF THE BENEFITS, POTENTIAL
BENEFITS OF A SALES TAX IS THAT
IT NOT ONLY GETS PAID BY
RESIDENTS OF THE TAXING
JURISDICTION LIKE MILWAUKEE
COUNTY, BUT ALSO SOME PERCENTAGE
OF THAT COMES FROM VISITORS AND
FROM COMMUTERS.
AND ARGUABLY, IF THERE ARE TENS
OF THOUSANDS OF OZAUKEE AND
WAUKESHA COUNTY COMMUTERS, FOR
EXAMPLE, COMING TO MILWAUKEE
COUNTY EVERY DAY, AN BENEFITING
GENERALLY FROM OUR
TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE
HERE, IS IT FAIR TO ASK THEM TO
PAY AT LEAST SOME AMOUNT IN TO
THE SUPPORT OF MASS TRANSIT, SO
THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF OPTIONS.
I THINK THE OPTION THAT IVY
TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD
BE VERY CONTROVERSIAL HERE.
I THINK THE BALANCING ACT IS TO
THE EXTENT THAT YOU TRY TO MAKE
IT MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE FOR
PEOPLE TO DRIVE TO AND WITHIN
DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE, WHAT IMPACT
DOES THAT HAVE ON ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT, AND SO ON, I THINK
IT IS INNOVATIVE, I THINK WHEN I
TAKE A LOOK, FOR EXAMPLE, AT THE
STREETCAR PROPOSAL AND WHAT
MIGHT POTENTIALLY MAKE THAT WORK
FROM A RIDERSHIP PERSPECTIVE,
REDUCING THE AVAILABILITY OF
PARKING IN DOWNTOWN MILWAUKEE,
OR RAISING THE COST MIGHT HAVE A
POSITIVE IMPACT, BUT THAT TOO
WOULD BE VERY CONTROVERSIAL.
>> FRED, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE
WORK THE NAACP HAS BEEN DOING.
ESSENTIALLY -- YOU CAN TELL US
ABOUT THE LAWSUIT, BUT IT'S
ABOUT THE CHOICES THAT WE MAKE
PUBLICLY, RIGHT?
THE PUBLIC FUNDING CHOICES WE
MAKE TRANSIT VERSUS ROADS.
IS IT THAT SIMPLE?
>> PRETTY MUCH IN A NUTSHELL AND
I'M GLAD TO SEE KAREN ROKER
HERE, LEAD COUNSEL ON THE
LAWSUIT.
THERE IS A 21-MEMBER GOVERNING
BOARD THAT IS AN ADVISORY
COUNCIL TO SEWRPC, WHO IS OUR
FEDERALLY FUNDED ENTITY TO MAKE
THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE --
>> OUR REGIONAL PLANNING
COMMISSION.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
TO MAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO
THE TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY.
THAT GOVERNING BODY HAS ZERO
MINORITY REPRESENTATION AND WHEN
YOU LOOK AT THE LARGE POPULATION
THAT MILWAUKEE HAS, IT'S NOT
DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL AND
REPRESENTATIONAL ON THAT BOARD.
THERE'S STILL ONLY THREE VOTING
MEMBERS, THOSE MEMBERS ARE NOT
MINORITIES, SO THEY DECIDE WHICH
TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS ARE
BASICALLY UNDERTAKEN, AND IT WAS
OUR CONTENTION THAT OUR BEST
INTERESTS OR THE INTERESTS OF
THE INNER CITY WERE NOT TAKEN IN
TO CONSIDERATION WHEN THE
DECISION WAS MADE ON WHICH
IMPROVEMENTS TO BE DONE.
>> OK.
AND NOT ONLY WHICH IMPROVEMENTS
AND WHETHER WE DO ROADS VERSUS
TRANSIT, BUT WHO THAT IMPACTS?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THERE IS NO SOCIOECONOMIC IMPACT
STUDY DONE, NO ENVIRONMENTAL
JUSTICE STUDY DONE.
THE ONE THAT WAS DONE WAS
HAPHAZARD.
I MEAN, SO THOSE CONSIDERATIONS
WEREN'T TAKEN UNDER VERY
DILIGENT EFFORTS.
>> AND WITH DO THINGS STAND
RIGHT NOW WITH THAT LAWSUIT?
>> IT WAS DECIDED THAT OR SHOULD
I SAY, IT WAS DECIDED IN OUR
FAVOR, IN 13, BUT THERE'S NO
RELIEF AT THIS POINT.
IS THAT CORRECT, KAREN?
>> WELL, WHY DON'T WE COME BACK
TO THAT, SO THAT WE CAN GET
CLEAR ON THAT.
I THINK I HAVE A SENSE ABOUT WHO
HOUR FIRST QUESTIONER MIGHT BE.
IVY, I WANT TO ASK YOU AGAIN,
BECAUSE YOU'VE STUDIED IN
LOS ANGELES, AND WE WERE TALKING
EARLIER ABOUT -- I MEAN, WE ALL
HAVE THIS IMAGE OF LOS ANGELES
AS JUST CONGESTED AND EVERYONE
HAS GOT A CAR.
WE SEE THE JOKES THAT PEOPLE
DRIVE TO THEIR NEXT DOOR
NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE, THAT SORT OF
THING, BUT YOU WERE TELLING US,
CAN YOU SAY A LITTLE BIT MORE
ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT HAVE
HAPPENED, EVEN IN LOS ANGELES,
WITH RAIL USAGE?
>> OF COURSE.
YES.
IT'S PERCEIVED THAT LOS ANGELES
IS SPRAWLING, CONGESTION AND
MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE USING
TRANSIT OR ALTERNATIVE MODES AND
THE LIGHT RAIL, INCLUDING THE
MASS I HAD TRANSIT LINE -- MASS
RAPID TRANSIT LINE AND SOME OF
THEM ARE PRETTY CON CONGESTED, O
RUSH HOUR IS VERY, VERY HIGH,
AND I ALSO WANT TO BRING UP
ANOTHER KIND OF INSTITUTIONAL
SETUP, WHICH I THINK HELPS
LOS ANGELES AND CALIFORNIA,
REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN,
AND THAT IS INTEGRATED
TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE
PLANNING.
NOW WE HAVE THE TRANSPORTATION
PROBLEM, BECAUSE OUR LAND USE
ARE SO SPREAD OUT, SUBURBAN
IZATION AND JOBS AND
PEOPLE ARE MOVING AWAY, SO IT'S
EFFICIENT TO ORGANIZE A
SYSTEMATIC TRANSIT SYSTEM.
SO REVERSE THAT TREND, WE HAVE
TO INTEGRATE TRANSPORTATION AND
LAND USE PLANNING TOGETHER.
WHICH IS A STATE LEGISLATION, IN
CALIFORNIA, THEY ADOPTED IN
2008, WHICH REQUIRES ALL THOSE
METROPOLITAN PLANNING
ORGANIZATIONS, COUNTERPARTS OF
SEWRPC HERE, TO DO A SUSTAINABLE
COMMUNITY STRATEGY.
WHICH IS A LAND USE STRATEGY.
LAND USE STRATEGY.
THEN WE ORGANIZE ALL THOSE
ACTIVITY CENTERS TOGETHER, AND
WE CAN ORGANIZE TRANSIT SYSTEMS,
LINKING THOSE ACTIVE CENTERS
TOGETHER, AND MORE EFFICIENTLY.
SO I THINK, TO ADDRESS THIS
PROBLEM, IT'S NOT ONLY
TRANSPORTATION PLANNERS, IT'S
NOT ONLY, LIKE RIDERS, USERS,
IT'S EVERYBODY.
INCLUDING GOVERNMENT, INCLUDING
PRIVATE SECTOR, INCLUDING PUBLIC
SECTOR, EVERYBODY.
>> GREAT.
>> I WOULD JUST LIKE TO FOLLOW
UP ON THAT, BECAUSE THE REPORT
THAT YOU REFERENCED AT THE
BEGINNING, I HAVE A COPY OF IT
WITH ME, GETTING TO WORK, WHERE
WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE QUESTION
OF WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE, WHAT
WOULD IT TAKE TO TRY TO IMPROVE
BUS SERVICE OUT TO SUBURBAN JOB
CENTERS AND WE ESSENTIALLY FOUND
THE PREDICAMENT THAT IVY
DESCRIBED IS THAT YOU CAN
ESTABLISH NEW BUS SERVICE, FOR
EXAMPLE, FROM CENTRAL CITY
MILWAUKEE OUT TO OAK CREEK OR UP
TO MEQUON.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS IS THAT THE
JOBS IN THOSE SUBURBAN AREAS ARE
SO DISPERSED THAT GETTING PEOPLE
THAT LAST MILE FROM WHEREVER
YOUR TRANSIT STOPS WOULD BE TO
THE ACTUAL JOB LOCATIONS, IT
EITHER ADDS COSTS TO THE ROUTE
OR IT DIMINISHES THE TIME, IT
TAKES TIME TO GO CONNECT A BUNCH
OF DIFFERENT POINTS, SO THAT
WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON
RIDERSHIP, SO YOU KNOW, THE
QUESTION, IS WHICH COMES FIRST,
IN AN IDEAL WORLD, YOU WOULD
REFORM YOUR LAND USE POLICIES,
YOU WOULD AT LEAST TRY TO MAKE
SURE THAT TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU
DO HAVE JOB DEVELOPMENT IN
SUBURBAN AREAS, THAT IT'S AT
LEAST CONCENTRATED.
DOING THAT IS GOING TO BE VERY
DIFFICULT, SO ON THE ONE HAND,
YOU PUT IN SOME TRANSIT ROUTES,
PARTICULARLY SOME FIXED ROUTE
TRANSIT LINES AND TRY TO
ENCOURAGE BETTER LAND USE VIA
TRANSIT AS A TOOL OR CONVERSELY,
CAN YOU AFFORD TO DO THAT
WITHOUT KNOWING THAT YOU'RE
GOING TO GET THOSE EFFECTIVE AND
COST EFFICIENT BUS ROUTES UNTIL
THE LAND USE IS APPROVED.
>> SO I KEEP -- WE TALK ABOUT
LAND USE, WE TALK ABOUT WHERE
THERE'S SOME JOB GROWTH, THAT
LAST MILE, THE DILEMMAS ARE
GETTING THERE.
FRED, CAN YOU TELL US US A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT WORKERS
ESPECIALLY FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE
AT THE WORKFORCE INVESTMENT
BOARD, HOW BIG OF A CHALLENGE IS
THIS?
>> BEFORE WE GET TO THAT,
THERE'S ANOTHER CAVEAT TO THE
LAWSUIT WITH SEWRPC IS THAT
THERE IS A -- ALSO A HOUSING
STUDY, WHERE LOW INCOME OR
WORKING AFFORDABLE HOUSING
SHOULD BE PLACED.
AND AS YOU KNOW, MILWAUKEE --
CITY OF MILWAUKEE IS ONE OF THE
MOST SEGREGATED CITIES IN THE
UNITED STATES.
AND THERE HAS BEEN A VERY STRONG
PUSH-BACK INTO MAKING AFFORDABLE
HOUSING, INTO WHERE THE AREAS
WHERE THE JOBS ARE AVAILABLE.
POINT TO NOTE IS THAT AS RECENT
AS 2010, WHEN WAUKESHA COUNTY,
NEW BERLIN, WAS SUED FOR THE
EXACT REASON OF AFFORDABLE
WORKING HOUSING, THERE'S THIS --
THERE'S THIS MISNOMER THAT
AFRICAN-AMERICANS ARE -- WHAT
DID THE REPRESENTATIVES SAY,
HAVE A CULTURE OF WANTING TO
STAY AT HOME, AND I THINK THE
CULTURE IS THAT THERE IS A LACK
OF INTEREST IN GIVING
AFRICAN-AMERICANS, PEOPLE OF LOW
INCOME AN OPPORTUNITY TO BETTER
THEIR SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS,
SO NOW GOING TO THE WORKFORCE
ISSUE, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A
HIGH CONCENTRATION AS ROB
REPORTS, HIGHLIGHTS OF JOBS ON
THE OUTLIERS IN MILWAUKEE
COUNTY.
WE KNOW WE HAVE AN EXCESS OF
WORKERS IN THE CITY OF
MILWAUKEE.
THE DISCONNECT OR MISMATCH IS
THE WILLINGNESS AND THE
AVAILABILITY TO GET THEM TO
THOSE JOBS.
THE WORKERS TO THE JOBS.
MY QUESTION IS, TO THE WORKERS,
THE EMPLOYERS, IS THAT TO ME,
IT'S A LOSS OF ECONOMICS.
YOU HAVE RESTRICTED YOUR ABILITY
TO GROW BECAUSE YOU AREN'T
FULFILLING THE EMPLOYMENT
OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU HAVE.
YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS A WORLD OF
SUPPLY AND DEMAND, IF I PLACE
ORDERS THAT YOU CAN'T FILL I'M
GOING TO YOUR COMPETITOR, SO TO
ME IT'S ONE OF CAPACITY BUILDING
FOR THE EMPLOYER.
>> WELL, I THINK IT IS, THIS
QUESTION OF A BIGGER CONTEXT.
YES, WE'VE GOT TO CONNECT
WORKERS TO THOSE JOBS, BUT AS
YOU RAISED, MAYBE THERE'S ALSO A
NEED FOR HOUSING, THAT'S
THROUGHOUT THE REGION?
THAT A CONVERSATION ALWAYS SEEMS
TO BE LIMITED TO HOW DO WE GET
WORKERS TO JOBS, HOW DO WE GET
DRIVER'S LICENSES FOR PEOPLE, SO
THEY CAN DRIVE.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE OPERATING
ONLY WITHIN OUR STATUS QUO.
THIS IS THE WAY IT IS, SO WE'VE
GOT TO DO THAT.
IVY, I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT
REGIONAL THINKING.
AND WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO
DO DIFFERENTLY IF THE ENTIRE
REGION IS GOING TO THRIVE.
>> WELL, A LOT OF THOUGHTS RIGHT
NOW.
I FIRST WANT TO FOLLOW UP WITH
THE ACCESS TO JOBS, THOSE
SEGREGATED NEIGHBORHOODS AND
YES, WE ALL WANT TO CONNECT JOBS
WITH HOUSING, AND A LOT OF JOBS
ARE CONCENTRATED, BUT WHEN WE
ARE TALKING ABOUT CONCENTRATED,
CONCENTRATION IN A LARGE AREA,
SO THE JOBS ARE NOT AT THE
DOORSTEP WHERE YOU GET ON THE
BUS.
SO HOW TO CONCENTRATE, SO
TRANSIT SUFFICIENTLY OR
EFFICIENTLY CONNECT THEM, AND
THAT'S LESS MILES VERSUS MORE
MILES PROBLEM.
ALSO, ABOUT HOUSING.
I'M SORRY, I HAVE TO BRING UP
CALIFORNIA EXPERIENCE AGAIN,
BECAUSE I THINK THEY ACTUALLY
ARE SETTING UP MODELS FOR OTHER
STATES AND OTHER METROPOLITAN
AREAS.
IN CALIFORNIA, THEY HAD A
REGIONAL HOUSING NEEDS
ASSESSMENT, WHICH IS A LAW THAT
REQUIRES ALL THE METROPOLITAN
PLANNING ORGANIZATIONS, AGAIN,
SEWRPC, REQUIRE ALL THOSE
ORGANIZATIONS TO DO A REGIONAL
AFFORDABLE HOUSING ASSESSMENT
AND TO REQUIRE EACH CITY IN THAT
REGION, AT LEAST IN THEIR
GENERAL PLAN, REFLECT THE AMOUNT
OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING THEY HAVE
TO BUILD, INCLUDING BEVERLY
HILLS, INCLUDING ORANGE COUNTY,
WHICH IS VERY AFFLUENT AND THAT
IS HOW WE SOLVE THE AFFORDABLE
HOUSING PROBLEM, LIKE BRING BIG
LABOR FORCE IN TO EACH CITY.
SO THAT'S A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE
IN TERMS OF HOUSING, WHICH AGAIN
IS CONNECTING TO TRANSIT, TO
JOBS.
AND I WANT TO BRING BACK THE
PERSPECTIVE IN MILWAUKEE.
I THINK ACTUALLY MILWAUKEE HAS
PRETTY GOOD SETUP FOR GOOD
TRANSIT SYSTEM.
OUR -- WE HAVE KIND OF
CONCENTRATED ACTIVITIES ALONG A
CORRIDOR.
AND SO IT'S ACTUALLY PRETTY EASY
TO HAVE MASS TRANSIT, THAT ARE
COLLECTING PARATRANSIT, BUSES,
CONNECT TO THE CORRIDOR, SO WE
HAVE GREAT SETUP ACTUALLY, A LOT
OF GOOD TRANSIT INVESTMENT.
AND OF COURSE, HOW TO IMPLEMENT
IT AND WHY TO IMPLEMENT IT,
THAT'S ANOTHER ISSUE.
>> WELL, ROB, YEAH, HOW WE
IMPLEMENT THIS IS THE BIG
QUESTION, RIGHT, AND WE ALL KNOW
OF THINGS THAT HAVE WORKED IN
OTHER COMMUNITIES.
WE'VE TALKED A BIT ABOUT RAIL,
ABOUT SOME OF THE FUTURE,
BECAUSE I KNOW WE WANT THE
CONVERSATION TO LOOK AHEAD, BUT
WE WERE TALKING JUST BEFORE,
YOUR THOUGHTS ON BUSES AND THAT
MAYBE THIS IS ACTUALLY FOR OUR
REGION, THE BETTER ROUTE.
>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE
BETTER ROUTE, MARCUS.
I GUESS I CAME TO MILWAUKEE IN
1994, TO WORK ON TRANSIT ISSUES
AND AT THAT POINT IN TIME, WE
HAD $289 MILLION THAT WAS
ESSENTIALLY A GIFT FROM THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, TO BUILD A
21st CENTURY TRANSIT SYSTEM
AND FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, WE
DIDN'T DO THAT, AND WE HAVE
FOUGHT ABOUT RAIL IN THIS
COMMUNITY SINCE BEFORE 1994,
SINCE AT LEAST THE 1980'S, WHEN
THE FIRST LIGHT RAIL ROUTE GOING
UP THE NORTHWEST SIDE WAS
PROPOSED.
SO MY CONTENTION IS THAT WE
SHOULD CHANGE THIS CONVERSATION.
IT SHOULD NOT BE NECESSARILY
ABOUT RAIL VERSUS BUS, BUT IT
SHOULD BE ABOUT THE TYPE OF
TRANSIT OBJECTIVE AND AS I
MENTIONED IN MY FIRST STATEMENT,
WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD LOCALIZED
BUS SYSTEM HERE IN MILWAUKEE.
WE'VE ADDED SOME EXPRESS SERVICE
OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE
DON'T HAVE AS MUCH EXPRESS
SERVICE AS WE PROBABLY WANT TO
HAVE, BUT WE HAVE SOME.
WHAT WE LACK IS RAPID TRANSIT
SERVICE, SO BY RAPID THE
DISTINCTION THERE IS REALLY THE
KEY DISTINCTION IS A RESERVED
RIGHT-OF-WAY, SO THE VEHICLE,
WHETHER IT'S A BUS OR TRAIN, IS
NOT COMPETING WITH AUTOMOBILE
TRAFFIC.
THE OTHER DISTINGUISHING
CHARACTERISTIC IS THE STATION
LOCATIONS ARE SPACED FURTHER
APART, YOU HAVE ESSENTIALLY THIS
IS DESIGNED FOR LONGER DISTANCE
COMMUTES.
IS THAT A COMPONENT, IS THAT THE
THIRD LEG OF THE TRIAD THAT WE
COULD ADD TO OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM,
THAT WOULD HELP ATTRACT THE
SO-CALLED CHOICE RIDERS, NOT
THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING MUCH
MUCH MORE TO TRY TO CONNECT THE
TRANSIT DEPENDENT RIDERSHIP TO
JOBS, BUT PERHAPS WE COULD
OVERCOME SOME OF THE POLITICAL
HURDLES, JUST A BROADER SEGMENT
OF THE POPULATION ACTUALLY FOUND
VALUE IN TRANSIT, SO THE PREMISE
WOULD BE BY ESTABLISHING SOME
RAPID TRANSIT CONNECTIONS OUT
INTO THE SUBURBS, WOULD THAT BE
A MEANS OF SPREADING THE APPEAL,
AND OF MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND
SO AGAIN, I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU
THAT -- COULD BE DONE WITH
TRAINS AND LIGHT RAIL, CLEARLY
HAS SOME BENEFITS IN TERMS OF
THE MODE TO DO THAT, BUT BUS
RAPID TRANSIT IS ANOTHER
TECHNIQUE WHERE YOU ARE
ESSENTIALLY MIRRORING A LIGHT
RAIL SYSTEM BY USING BUSES, THE
SAME TYPE OF RESERVED
RIGHT-OF-WAY, THE SAME TYPES OF
ACCESSIBLE PLATFORMS AND
TICKET-DISPENSING MACHINES AND
SO ON AND SO FORTH, SO I THINK
THAT'S THE TYPE OF CONVERSATION
WE NEED TO HAVE.
>> GREAT.
>> CAN I ADD, THE BENEFIT OF
RAPID TRANSIT AND I THINK THE
GREATEST BENEFIT OF IT, ONE IS
IT'S MUCH CHEAPER THAN LIGHT
RAIL, AND THE SECOND BENEFIT IS
FLEXIBLE.
SO YOU CAN HAVE THE STATIONS
HERE, AND IF THE STATION DOES
NOT WORK, YOU CAN MOVE IT AROUND
AND YOU CAN AJUST THE LOCATION
AND THE ROUTE A LITTLE BIT.
SO THAT IS A GREAT BENEFIT.
AND I AGREE WITH ROB, I THINK
BART ACTUALLY IS THE MOST
FEASIBLE AND MOST EFFICIENT
TRANSIT LOOKING FORWARD.
>> WE JUST HAVE TO MAKE SURE
THAT RAPID BUS IS RECIPROCATED
IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, BECAUSE WE
DO HAVE SOME SPARSE USE OF THAT,
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN EXPRESS
COMING IN FROM OZAUKEE COUNTY
THAT COMES IN FULL, AND LEAVES
EMPTY, SO WE JUST HAVE TO HAVE
THAT UNDERSTANDING, THAT IT'S A
TWO-WAY STREET.
>> TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO OUT
LYING AREAS.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> WHAT WORKS WELL OR MAYBE I
SHOULD REPHRASE THAT.
WHAT DO WORKERS DO NOW, MAYBE
DOESN'T WORK WELL, BUT WHAT DO
WORKERS DO NOW TO CONNECT TO
THOSE PLACES AS ROB'S STUDY SAYS
THAT ARE LACKING THE LAST MILE?
>> WELL, UNFORTUNATELY, BACK IN
1998, WHEN THE -- THERE WAS A
GROUP CALLED THE CAMPAIGN FOR A
SUSTAINABLE MILWAUKEE, THAT HAD
DONE EXTENSIVE INFORMATION,
GATHERED SUPPORT FOR A LIGHT
RAIL SYSTEM, IN THE EAST-WEST
CORRIDOR, HAD FOUND THAT THE
MAJORITY WORKERS THAT DON'T
HAVE AUTOMOBILES OR DRIVER'S
LICENSE, DRIVE ANYWAY.
AND DRIVING WITHOUT LICENSE WAS
ONE OF THE HIGHEST CONVICTIONS
IN MILWAUKEE IN THE CITY OF
MILWAUKEE.
AND THAT CONTINUES.
>>
>> IT'S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO DO
TO CONNECT --
>> PEOPLE WANT A JOB.
PEOPLE HAVE TO WORK.
>> ROB, WHAT ARE SOLYNDRA OF THE
X-RAY FINDINGS FROM YOUR -- WHAT
ARE SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS
FROM YOUR REPORT THAT WE ALL
HIGHLIGHT AND MIGHT LEAD PEOPLE
TO GET THE FULL REPORT?
>> I THINK WE TOUCHED UPON IT.
WE MODELED SEVERAL POTENTIAL
SUBURBAN BUS ROUTES.
WHEN YOU LOOK ON PAPER AND LOOK
WHERE THERE ARE HIGH
CONCENTRATIONS OF JOBS AND WHERE
OSTENSIBLY CONNECTING CENTRAL
CITY MILWAUKEE TO THE HIGH
CONCENTRATIONINGS OF JOBS WITH
FIXED ROUTE BUS SERVICE WOULD
MAKE SENSE, WE WANTED TO EXPLORE
THAT.
WHAT WOULD BE THE OBSTACLES TO
CONSIDERING SUCH SERVICE, HOW
MUCH WOULD IT COST, ETC.
I THINK WE'VE TOUCHED UPON SOME
OF THE FINDINGS AND THAT IS THAT
ESTABLISHING THAT TYPE OF
SERVICE, NUMBER ONE IS
EXPENSIVE.
NUMBER TWO, PER THE CRITERIA
THAT ARE USED BY TRANSIT SYSTEMS
NATIONWIDE TO DETERMINE THE
PRODUCTIVITY OF BUS ROUTES AND
THAT'S PASSENGERS PER BUS HOUR,
BECAUSE YOU'RE POINT A AND POINT
B DOES NOT HAVE A WHOLE LOT IN
BETWEEN TO GENERATE RIDER SHIP,
IT'S JUST TOUGH TO GENERATE AND
SUSTAIN RIDER SHIP.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT WE SHOULDN'T
IMPLEMENT THOSE ROUTES, DOES
THAT MEAN THAT THE COST OF THESE
BUS ROUTES IS PROHIBITIVE WHEN
COMPARED TO HIGHWAY ORANGES AN
OTHER OPTIONS?
-- OPTIONS AND OTHER OPTIONS?
NO, BUT IT MEANS BASED ON THE
STANDARD CRITERIA ARE USED,
THESE OFTEN ARE NOT PRODUCTIVE
BUS ROUTES, SO THE QUESTION
REMAINS.
CAN WE MAKE THEM MORE PRODUCTIVE
BY CHANGING SOME OF OUR LAND USE
POLICIES OR SHOULD WE TAKE A
CHANCE AND IMPLEMENT THESE
ROUTES AND STICK WITH THEM IN
THE HOPE THAT THEY MIGHT
ENCOURAGE SOME BETTER
DEVELOPMENT OR MORE CONCENTRATED
DEVELOPMENTS.
>> IVY, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED A
LITTLE BIT AT THE BEGINNING
ABOUT THE TRENDS THAT WE'VE SEEN
A DECLINE HERE, BUT YOU SAID
THAT'S ACTUALLY COUNTER TO THE
REST OF THE NATION.
THERE'S AN INCREASE.
WE ALSO HAVE SEEN, WE HAVE SOME
DATA HERE, THAT WHEN YOU WERE
LOOK AT CAR-FREE HOUSEHOLDS,
THAT IS INCREASING IN A LOT OF
COMMUNITIES, INCLUDING IN THE
MILWAUKEE AREA, WHERE WE SEE AN
INCREASE IN PEOPLE WHO ARE
OPTING NOT TO HAVE ANY CAR AT
ALL.
WE KNOW THAT TRANSPORTATION IS
JUST ONE PART OF THE ECONOMY.
CAN YOU SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
WHAT THE REGION NEEDS GENERALLY,
NOT JUST TRANSPORTATION, BUT
OVERALL, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE A
COMPETITIVE, NATIONALLY AND
GLOBALLY COMPETITIVE REGION,
THAT DRAWS PEOPLE EAR TO -- HERE
TO LIVE AND WORK?
>> FIRST, I WANT TO TALK A
LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE HOUSEHOLD,
BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING AN
INCREASE IN HOUSEHOLDS AND WE
SEE THAT MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE
LIVE, OF COURSE, IN THE CITY, IN
THE CITY OF MILWAUKEE, WHERE
THEY HAVE TRANSIT AND EASY
ACCESS, ZIP CAR AND A LOT OF
TRANSIT OPTIONS, AND I KNOW THAT
THEY DON'T HAVE CARS, AND I ALSO
WANT TO BRING UP SOME
STATISTICS, WHICH I SAW A FEW
DAYS AGO, THAT WAS THE
STATISTICS BY AAA.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY
EVERYBODY PAYS TO OWN AND
OPERATE A SEDAN EVERY YEAR.
MORE THAN $6,000.
WE NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT, BUT
IT'S VERY, VERY COSTLY TO OWN A
CAR AND SEPARATING A CAR, BUT
PEOPLE DO NOT PERCEIVE THAT.
COMING BACK TO MILWAUKEE, IN
TERMS OF THE REGION, I'M A
TRANSPORTATION PERSON, SO FOR
ME, EVERYTHING, THE ECONOMIC
OPPORTUNITIES THAT EQUALIZATION
OF JOBS, EMPLOYMENT, EDUCATION,
HEALTH CARE, AT THE END OF THE
DAY IS ABOUT ACCESS TO THEM.
AND IN TERMS OF ACCESS, I'M
ACTUALLY SEEING THAT HOW YOU GET
TO JOBS, HOW YOU GET TO GOOD
SCHOOLS, HOW YOU GET TO HEALTH
CARE, AND THAT IS
TRANSPORTATION.
SO WE NEED TO CONNECT WITHIN THE
REGION, WE NEED TO CONNECT THIS
REGION WITH OTHER BOOMING
REGIONS, SUCH AS CHICAGO, AND WE
SHOULD HAVE SOME INFRASTRUCTURE
SET UP TO CONNECT THAT AND WE
ALSO SHOULD HAVE THE
INFRASTRUCTURE LIKE
TRANSPORTATION, TO SUPPORT THAT
ACCESS.
SO TRANSPORTATION IS THE KEY.
>> ALL RIGHT.
ROB, I WANT TO ASK YOUR, YOU'VE
BEEN A BUSY GUY LATELY, I DON'T
KNOW WHEN YOU SLEEP HONESTLY.
YOU'VE GOT THIS REPORT OUT, THE
PUBLIC POLICY FORUM JUST
RELEASED A REPORT CALLED THE
SHOW MUST GO ON, LOOKING AT THE
CULTURAL AND ENTERTAINMENT
CAPITAL NEEDS HERE.
THIS IS ALL PART OF OUR
DISCUSSION IN THIS REGION ABOUT
A NEW ARENA, BUT NOT JUST A NEW
ARENA BUT THE PUBLICLY OWNED
CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE
ART MUSEUM, THE MARCUS CENTER,
ETC.
I WAS AT A PRESENTATION YOU DID
THERE WEEK FOR THAT TASK FORCE
LOOKING AT THE FUTURE OF THOSE
INSTITUTIONS THERE WAS A
PRONOUNCED URBAN-SUBURBAN
DIVIDE.
THE "JOURNAL SENTINEL" POINTED
THAT OUT, I DON'T THINK THEY
WERE EXAGGERATING.
HOW DO YOU THINK WE'RE GOING TO
BE ABLE TO DEVELOP
TRANSPORTATION FUTURE, DEVELOP
OUR CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT
FUTURE, AS A REGION, RATHER THAN
CONTINUING TO HAVE PEOPLE SAY,
MILWAUKEE NEEDS TO FIX THIS FOR
ITSELF?
>> MARCUS, YOU'VE ASKED THE MOST
PERPLEXING QUESTION, AGAIN, IT'S
EXISTED FOREVER, AND IT'S REALLY
REMARKABLE HOW IT HAS IMPACTED
THE TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENTS
IN THIS COMMUNITY.
THE FAITHFUL DECISION BACK IN
THE 1990'S, FRED REFERENCED THE
EAST-WEST CORRIDOR ANALYSIS, THE
FAITHFUL DECISION WAS WHEN
WAUKESHA COUNTY ELECTED
OFFICIALS MADE IT CLEAR THAT
THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN A
PIECE OF THAT $289 MILLION TO
SEND LIGHT RAIL OUT TO WAUKESHA
COUNTY.
THAT MILWAUKEE COUNTY ELECTED
OFFICIALS SAID OK, THEN YOU
WON'T HAVE LIGHT RAIL, WE'LL
STOP IT AT THE COUNTY LINE AND
DESIGN A SYSTEM THAT IS TAILORED
FOR MILWAUKEE'S LEADS, SO WE
DEVELOPED LESS OF A RAPID LIGHT
RAIL PROPOSAL, BUT MORE OF AN
EXPRESSED AND LOCALIZED
PROPOSAL.
WELL, THE IMPACT OF THAT WAS
THAT THE RIDER SHIP PROJECTIONS
WERE NOT AS FRUITFUL.
IT WAS MUCH TOUGHER TO JUSTIFY
THAT TYPE OF SYSTEM WHEN
COMPARED TO AN ALTERNATIVE BUS
SYSTEM.
THE IRONY IS THAT I THINK IF YOU
DID AN OBJECTIVE TRANSPORTATION
ANALYSIS, THE RAPID APPROACH,
USING RAIL TO SERVE AS AN
ALTERNATIVE FOR SOME PEOPLE TO
THEIR AUTOMOBILES IN TERMS OF
THAT AGONIZING EAST-WEST
COMMUTE, I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT
IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE WHEN WE
START REALLY DOING THE ZOO
INTERCHANGE RECONSTRUCTION, THAT
HAD WE TAKEN THAT STEP, HAD
SUBURBAN LEADERS AT LEAST BEEN
OPEN TO LOOKING AT IT, MY SENSE
TODAY STILL IS THAT THE ANALYSIS
WOULD HAVE SHOWN THAT -- WAS THE
MORE COST-EFFECTIVE AND PERHAPS
GENERALLY ATTRACTIVE AND
EFFECTIVE APPROACH.
WE DIDN'T DO IT.
IT'S THE SAME THING WITH THE
CULTURAL ENTERTAINMENT ASSETS, I
FEAR THAT IN THE END, MILWAUKEE
COUNTY LEADERS ARE GOING TO HAVE
TO SAY THE ONLY WAY THIS WOULD
EVER GET DONE IS IF WE DO IT
OURSELVES, I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S
THE RIGHT OR THE WRONG DECISION,
BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO
DETRACT FROM THIS COMMUNITY'S
ABILITY TO SEE ITSELF AS ONE
COMMUNITY.
>> WELL, THAT, YOU'RE RIGHT,
THAT IS THE KEY.
HOW DO WE SEE OURSELVES AS ONE
COMMUNITY AND IF WE'RE GOING TO
LOOK AT A FUTURE FOR THE REGION,
IF WE'RE GOING TO GROW AND
COMPETE AS A REGION, IT SEEMS TO
ME THAT THERE MAY BE A
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CULTURAL
AND ENTERTAINMENT INSTITUTIONS,
OUR TRANCE PROPER TAGS NEEDS,
AND THE PROPOSAL, PERHAPS, TO
CREATE A NEW SALES TAX.
MAYBE ALL OF THIS TIES TOGETHER,
IT'S WHAT ASSEMBLYMAN BOB
DONOVAN RAISED AT THE TASK FORCE
EARLIER THIS WEEK.
PLENTY TO TALK ABOUT.
I KNOW WE'LL SHIFT TO OUR
AUDIENCE.
FRED MENTIONED EARLIER IN THE
SHOW THAT KAREN ROKER WAS HERE.
I'M NOW ASKING A QUESTION OF THE
AUDIENCE MEMBER.
COULD YOU GIVE US AN UPDATE AS
TO WHERE THAT LAWSUIT IS?
>> SO, I'M KAREN ROKER AND I AM
AN ATTORNEY WITH THE ACLU OF
WISCONSIN AND WE'VE BEEN
INVOLVED IN TRANSPORTATION,
TRANSIT AS AN EQUITY ISSUE FOR
OVER A DECADE NOW, SO JUST SO
FOLKS KNOW WHO WE ARE.
AS HAVE OTHER FOLKS.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS
AND LAWSUITS AND THINGS LIKE
THAT PENDING RIGHT NOW, SO --
AND IT'S BY LOTS OF ADVOCATES,
THE NAACP, ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS,
FAITH GROUPS, HEALTH GROUPS,
LOTS OF FOLKS WEIGHING IN ON
THIS.
THERE IS A LAWSUIT THAT IS
CURRENTLY IN MEDIATION, WHICH
WAS THE LAWSUIT AGAINST THE ZOO
INTERCHANGE EXPANSION WITH NO
CONSIDERATION OF TRANSIT, AND I
WANT TO POINT OUT THAT A FEDERAL
JUDGE SAID THAT WE WERE LIKELY
TO PREVAIL ON OUR CLAIM THAT
LOOKING AT ROAD ONLY, THAT THE
STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAD
VIOLATED THEIR DUTIES UNDER
FEDERAL LAW, BY LOOKING AT ROAD
ONLY WITHOUT ALSO EVALUATING THE
IMPACT ON MINORITY COMMUNITIES
OF DOING THAT WHILE TRANSIT
DECLINED.
YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK AT THE SOCIAL
AND ECONOMIC EFFECT AND NOT
JUST, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH
RIGHT-OF-WAY YOU'RE TAKING, SO
THAT ONE IS IN MEDIATION.
THERE IS A CIVIL RIGHTS
COMPLAINT, IT'S NOT A LAWSUIT,
IT'S AN ADMINISTRATIVE COMPLAINT
PENDING AGAINST SEWRPC RIGHT
NOW, FOR MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT
HOW TO PRIORITIZE ROAD PROJECTS,
WITHOUT AGAIN, AS WE THINK IS
REQUIRED BY FEDERAL LAW, LOOKING
AT THE RACIAL EFFECTS OF MAKING
CERTAIN DECISIONS, LOTS OF FOLKS
HAVE BEEN ASKING SEWRPC FOR LOTS
OF YEARS, WHY DON'T YOU USE YOUR
AUTHORITY OVER ROAD FUNDING, TO
HELP SET A PRIORITY SYSTEM THAT
WOULD INCENTIVIZE TRANSIT, SO
MAYBE IF A COMMUNITY RESISTS
TRANSIT OR RESISTS AFFORDABLE
HOUSE, MAYBE THEIR ROAD
PROJECTS, THEIR COUNT OR
MUNICIPAL, FEDERALLY TAX FUNDED
PROJECTS SHOULD GET LOWER
PRIORITY.
AND COMMUNITIES THAT PROVIDE
TRANSIT AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING
MAYBE SHOULD GET HIGHER PRIORITY
AND WE SAY THEY SHOULD LOOK AT
THAT.
THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING
INVESTIGATED RIGHT NOW.
LOTS OF OTHER PIECES OF THIS
GOING ON.
I FEEL COMPELLED TO MAKE ONE
OTHER COMMENT AND THEN I HAVE A
QUESTION.
PEOPLE TALK A LOT AN I'M NOT
DISCOUNTING THE LAST MILE
PROBLEM, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU
DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAYS HERE, THE
MULTIBILLION DOLLAR HIGHWAYS, AT
2:00 A.M. IN THE MORNING OR YOU
KNOW, FREQUENTLY HAT 2:00 P.M.
IN THE AFTERNOON, THEY'RE PRETTY
EMPTY ALSO, SO I GET A LITTLE
FRUSTRATED SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE
SAY THERE ARE CERTAIN TIMES THE
BUSES ARE EMPTY.
THAT MAY BE TRUE, BUT THAT'S
ALSO TRUE OF THE ROADS AND I
THINK TO BE FAIR, WE NEED TO SAY
THAT.
MY QUESTION FOR THE PANEL, IS
YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALL WELL AWARE
OF A LOT OF THE PROBLEMS AND A
LOT OF THE FRANKLY SUBURBAN
RESISTANCE TO TRANSIT.
ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES OR
PLAYERS, WHETHER AT THE LOCAL,
FEDERAL, STATE, WHAT LEVEL, WHO
YOU THINK ACTUALLY -- THERE IS A
WAY IT REACH AND GET INVOLVED IN
MOVING TRANSIT FORWARD, WHO HAVE
SOME AUTHORITY TO DO THAT, AND
SO WHERE DO YOU SEE THE
OPPORTUNITIES AND IF THERE ARE
OTHER SPECIFIC OBSTACLES TO
THIS, THAT YOU HAVEN'T MENTIONED
I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THAT AS
WELL GENTLEMAN.
>> FIRST, KAREN, THANK YOU FOR
THE UPDATE ON WHERE THOSE THINGS
STAND AND ROB, LET ME ASK YOU
ABOUT WHO IS NEEDED, WHO CAN
MOVE THINGS FORWARD?
IT'S REMARKABLE HOW MUCH
CONSENSUS THERE SEEMS TO BE
ABOUT WHAT A REGION IS IN THE
21st CENTURY.
WHO ARE THE PLAYERS THERE?
>> WELL ULTIMATELY, BECAUSE WE
ARE SO UNIQUE HERE IN WISCONSIN
IN TERMS OF THE LACK OF REVENUE
OPTIONS THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENTS
AND COUNTY GOVERNMENTS HAVE,
IT'S ULTIMATELY GOING TO BE WITH
STATE GOVERNMENT, TO THE EXTENT
THAT HERE IN MILWAUKEE COUNTY,
WE WOULD WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT
EVEN REPLACING OUR PROPERTY TAX
DOLLARS WITH SALES TAX DOLLARS,
NOT EVEN ADDING A PENNY TO THE
MIX FOR TRANSIT, BUT SIMPLY
SAYING WE THINK THAT'S A BETTER
WAY TO DO THIS, COUNTY
POLICYMAKERS COULDN'T DO THAT ON
THEIR OWN.
THEY WOULD NEED STATE APPROVAL,
SO CLEARLY, THE ENTITY THERE IS
STATE GOVERNMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHO'S
GOING TO BE IN CONTROL AFTER
NOVEMBER.
BUT I WOULD SAY GETTING BACK TO
THE CULTURAL AND ENTERTAINMENT
ASSETS QUESTION, I THINK ONE OF
THE WAYS WE'RE TRYING TO FRAME
THAT OVERALL QUESTION, WHICH
FITS VERY CLEARLY INTO THE
TRANSIT QUESTION AS WELL IS
AGAIN, HOW DO WE WANT TO FINANCE
LOCAL GOVERNMENT?
I THINK THAT IF THERE WERE
CONSENSUS OF TRYING TO SORT OF
REBALANCE THE WAY THAT WE ARE
PAYING FOR CERTAIN GOVERNMENT
FUNCTIONS, AND IF WE COULD
INDEED REPLACE A PROPERTY TAX
WITH A DEDICATED SALES TAX,
WHILE ALSO ENSURING THAT
CITIZENS GET PROPERTY TAX
RELIEF, I THINK JUST THE MERE
ACTION OF DEDICATING SALES TAX
REVENUES TO THE TRANSIT SYSTEM
WOULD BE HELPFUL AND POTENTIALLY
RESULT IN SOME REVERSAL OF THE
SERVICE DECLINE.
>> IVY, GO AHEAD.
>> AND I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC
ANSWER ABOUT HOW CAN PUSH THESE
FORWARD, BUT I THINK A
TRANSPORTATION FIELD, WE ALL
AGREE AND I'LL BRING UP THE
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, DRIVING IS
TOO CHEAP HERE.
IT'S JUST -- PARKING IS CHEAP, A
LOT OF TIMES, FREE, AND GAS TAX,
WE ALL KNOW THAT, IT HASN'T BEEN
RAISED FOR TEN SOMETHING YEARS
AND IN TERMS OF TRANSPORTATION
FINANCE AND IT'S VERY, VERY
POLITICAL, IT'S VERY
CONTROVERSIAL WHAT WE ARE SEEING
RAISED GAS TAX, BUT WE SEE MORE
AND MORE NEWS REPORTS, TALKING
ABOUT IT, WE SEE MORE AND MORE
POLITICIANS TALKING ABOUT IT, SO
I THINK THERE IS A TREND THAT
PEOPLE REALIZE, LIKE, NOW GAS
TAX IS JUST CANNOT SUPPORT OUR
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM HERE, SO
WE NEED TO RAISE GAS TAX.
BUT AS WE SAID, GAS TAX, DOES
NOT EVEN COVER, LIKE 70%.
70% OF THE HIGHWAY OPERATING
COSTS NOW, SO WE HAVE TO RAISE
MONEY FOR OTHER TRANSIT SYSTEMS,
OR OUR TRANCE PROPER TAGS
SYSTEMS.
-- TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS.
FOR ME TO MAKE TRANSIT
EFFICIENT, WE NEED MORE RIDERS,
AND IF WE RAISE THE COST OF
DRIVING CARS, WE ARE NATURALLY
SHIFTING RIDERS FROM DRIVING
THEIR AUTOMOBILES TO TRANSIT.
THEN WE CAN RAISE PART OF THAT
FUNDING FOR OPERATING TRANSIT.
SO IT'S A WHOLE SYSTEM.
AND WE ARE NOT THINKING ABOUT
PROMOTING PUBLIC TRANSIT, WE'RE
NOT THINKING OF AUTOMOBILES.
WE HAVE TO BALANCE THE TOTAL
TRANSPORTATION DEMAND.
>> GREAT.
>> JUST BRIEFLY, THAT WE KNOW
THAT POLITICS IS MOVED BY TWO
THINGS -- MONEY AND VOTES, AND
IF WE CAN SOMEHOW FRAME THE
ISSUE TO THE EMPLOYERS IN THE
BUSINESS DISTRICTS THAT ARE
OUTLINED IN ROB'S REPORT, AND
SOMEHOW CONVINCE THE EMPLOYERS
THAT IT'S TO THEIR ECONOMIC
ADVANTAGE TO UTILIZE THE
EMPLOYMENT WORKFORCE IN THE
CITY, TO GET THEM TO THEIR JOBS
FOR CAPACITY FIELDING, THIS
WOULD GIVE, I THINK, MORE
DIRECTION TO TRANSPORTATION
ISSUES.
>> THAT'S A GREAT POINT, THAT
WHEN EMPLOYERS SEE IT IN THEIR
INTEREST TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS,
BECAUSE AS YOU POINTED OUT
EARLIER TOO, THEY NEED WORKERS
TO FULFILL THEIR ORDERS.
THANK YOU.
WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
YES, SIR,.
>> HI.
I THINK THIS IS A GREAT
CONVERSATION TO HAVE AND IT'S
VERY IMPORTANT, AND AS WE LOOK
FORWARDS THE FUTURE OF OUR
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN THE
COMMUNITY, THERE ARE TWO
QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE
ADDRESSED BEFORE ANY OTHER
CONVERSATION CAN BE HAD.
THE FIRST IS, HOW AND WHEN ARE
WE GOING TO GET A REGIONAL
TRANSIT AUTHORITY, AND THE
SECOND IS, HOW AND WHEN ARE WE
GOING TO GET DEDICATED FUNDING
FOR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, AND I
THINK UNTIL WE ANSWER THOSE TWO
QUESTIONS, THE REST IS KIND OF A
MOOT POINT, SOILED LIKE TO HEAR
YOUR -- SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR
YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT.
THANK YOU.
>> ROB, I WANT TO ASK YOU WHAT
HAPPENED TO THE REGIONAL TRANSIT
AUTHORITY.
FRED POINT YOU HAD OUT THERE WAS
A REFERENDUM IN THE FOX VALLEY
BUT STALLED IN THE LEGISLATURE.
THERE WAS A PERIOD NOT TOO LONG
AGO WHERE SEVERAL REGIONAL
TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITIES WERE
AUTHORIZED.
WHAT BECAME OF THAT AND WHAT ARE
THE PROSPECTS?
>> SO WE DID HAVE A BRIEF
REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY, A
FREE COUNTY REGIONAL TRANSIT
AUTHORITY, WASN'T EMPOWERED TO
DO MUCH, OTHER THAN STUDY, BUT
IT WAS RACINE, KENOSHA, AND
MILWAUKEE, AND IT REALLY
CENTERED AROUND THIS KENOSHA,
RACINE, MILWAUKEE, COMMUTER RAIL
PROPOSAL.
OSTENSIBLY YOU WOULD HAVE NEEDED
A REGIONAL ENTITY TO OPERATE THE
COMMUTER RAIL LINE, SO THAT WAS
AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A MUCH
BROADER DISCUSSION ABOUT DOING
TRANSIT REGIONALLY AND IN
GENERAL AMONG ITS THREE
COUNTIES.
IT CAME THIS CLOSE TO PASSAGE, A
VERSION OF LEGISLATION MADE IT
THROUGH THE LEGISLATURE AS I
RECALL, WAS VOTE -- VETOED BY
GOVERNOR DOYLE.
THERE WAS CONTROVERSY OVER
MILWAUKEE COUNTY WOULD GIVE UP
CONTROL OVER THE MILWAUKEE
COUNTY TRANSIT SYSTEM TO THIS
REGIONAL BODY AND THERE WAS
OPPOSITION AMONG CERTAIN VERY
INFLUENTIAL MEMBERS OF THE
COUNTY BOARD TO DOING THAT AND
THE WHOLE THING ULTIMATELY FELL
APART.
I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE THAT THAT'S
THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS TO
HAPPEN, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE
WERE LOOKING AT TRANSIT
PROPOSALS, SPECIFIC LINES,
EITHER BRT OR RAIL OR SOMETHING
ELSE THAT COMES IN THE FUTURE
THAT DID GET SUPPORT, WIDE
SUPPORT WITHIN MULTIPLE
COUNTIES, THAT MAYBE YOU COULD
RESTART THAT CONVERSATION.
I THINK THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY
IN RACINE COUNTY IN PARTICULAR,
WAS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT
COMMUTER RAIL PROPOSAL AND
DESPITE MISGIVINGS UP WITH
MILWAUKEE TO DO TRANSIT AS A
WHOLE, THEY WANTED TO DO IT FOR
THE SAKE OF DOING THAT COMMUTER
RAIL LINE.
>> WHEN THAT COMMUTER RAIL LINE
WAS IN DISCUSSION, THAT WOULD
HAVE MADE IT A LOT EASIER TO
TRAVEL BETWEEN MILWAUKEE AND
CHICAGO AND IVY, WHEN YOU WERE
ON THE "FOURTH STREET FORUM"
BACK AT THE BEGINNING OF THE
SEASON, WE TALKED ABOUT THE NEED
TO BETTER CONNECT TO CHICAGO.
IS THAT IN YOUR MIND STILL A
SOLUTION THAT FOR OUR REGION AND
OUR ECONOMY TO BE COMPETITIVE,
WE NEED TO BE BETTER CONNECTED
TO CHICAGO?
>> WE ARE MOVING TO A GLOBALIZED
WORLD, AND CHICAGO IS A GLOBAL
STIR AND MILWAUKEE HAS TO TAG
ALONG WITH CHICAGO.
>> AS IT GROWS, WE MAY HAVE THE
OPPORTUNITY TO GROW WITH IT.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO
ANOTHER QUESTION IN OUR
AUDIENCE.
THANK YOU.
>> MY NAME IS CARRIE THOMAS AND
I'M THINKING ABOUT OUR FUTURE A
LITTLE BIT AND HOW WE'RE GOING
TO BE ABLE TO ATTRACT THE
WORKERS THAT WE NEED TO THE AREA
AND ALSO, HELP EMPLOYERS GET THE
WORKERS THAT THEY NEED.
AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A
DYNAMIC WHERE THE DEMOGRAPHICS
ARE SHIFTING SO DRAMATICALLY
THAT THE WORKFORCE, A BIG
PORTION OF IT IS IT RETIRING AND
THE WORKFORCE TO REPLACE THAT IS
ABOUT HALF THE SIZE.
AND SO THE BUSINESSES ARE
SIMULTANEOUSLY GROWING RIGHT
NOW, BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMY, AND
THE WORKFORCE IS SHRINKING.
SO HOW ARE WE SET IN ORDER TO
ADDRESS AN AGING POPULATION,
DEMOGRAPHIC OF YOUNGER WORKERS
THAT REALLY ARE INTERESTED IN
COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE
TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, AND JOBS
THAT ARE DISPERSED IN THE AREA
AND MAYBE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO
THE WORKERS THEY NEED IN THAT
SHRINKING WORKFORCE.
HOW DO YOU SEE THAT DYNAMIC
IMPACTING BUSINESSES, OUR
ABILITY TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES?
FRED, YOU WORK ON THAT ISSUE,
AND OUR ABILITY TO HAVE A
VIBRANT COMMUNITY AND ECONOMY?
>> FRED, WHAT DO YOU ALL HEAR
FROM EMPLOYERS ABOUT THEIR NEEDS
FOR WORKERS?
>> THOSE EMPLOYERS THAT HAVE
THAT VISION, THAT UNDERSTAND
THAT CONCEPT, THEY ARE IN
DISCUSSION WITH US CURRENTLY AND
LOOKING AT BRINGING IN AT LEAST
AT THE ENTRY LEVEL, PREPARING A
WORKFORCE THAT CAN STEP IN WHEN
THEY'RE THEIR -- THEIR AGING
WORKFORCE RETIRES.
WHETHER THEY NEED CREDENTIALING,
SPECIALIZED TRAINING.
THERE ARE SOME EMPLOYERS HERE IN
THE CITY THAT SEE THAT AS AN
OPPORTUNITY AND UTILIZE THE
SERVICES AT THE MILWAUKEE AREA
WORKFORCE INVESTMENT BOARD TO DO
JUST THAT TYPE OF THINKING.
>> YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALSO SEEN
THAT OUR REGION HAS A REMARKABLY
DIVERSE POPULATION UNDER THE AGE
OF 25.
THE FOUR COUNTY REGION IS ABOUT
44% PEOPLE OF COLOR, AMONG THOSE
UNDER THE AGE OF 25, AND FRED,
YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT THERE NOT
BEING ENOUGH PEOPLE OF COLOR AT
DECISION-MAKING TABLES, FOR A
LOT OF THIS FUTURE PLANNING.
HOW DO WE GET BETTER
REPRESENTATION AT THOSE TABLES.
>> I THINK THERE IS THAT GROUP
THAT THE NAACP CALL ITSELF THE
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE
TRYING TO MOVE THAT FORWARD AND
ARE HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH
PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE POSITION
TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO THERE IS A YOUNGER GROUP OF
FRESH ENERGY THAT IS BREWING,
THAT IS TRYING TO BECOME MORE
INCLUSIVE HERE IN MILWAUKEE, AND
I THINK IT'S TAKING SOME HOLD.
>> GREAT.
WE HAVE I THINK TIME FOR ANOTHER
QUESTION.
YES?
>> YES.
THE QUESTION OF, OH, ABOUT
SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE BUILT AN
INTERMODAL STATION DOWN ON SIXTH
AND ST. PAUL, AROUND THAT AREA,
AND I WAS QUITE PLEASED TO SEE
IT BEING BUILT, AND BEING USED
BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY TALK
ABOUT IT.
IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS A NICE
MODEL AND NOTHING HAPPENS THERE.
I KNOW I CAME IN ON A BUS FROM
CHICAGO ONE EVENING, LOOKING FOR
A CAB, AND THERE WAS NO CAB DOWN
THERE.
IT WASN'T AFTER MIDNIGHT, IT WAS
EARLY EVENING.
I HAD TO WALK UP TO WISCONSIN TO
GET A CAB.
SO YOU SEE ANY USE OF THAT
INTERMODAL STATION AND MORE
TRANSIT COMING THERE?
>> ROB?
>> THE INTENTIONS WERE ACTUALLY
VERY SOME I HAD.
THE INTERMODAL STATION WAS
SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO SERVE NOT
ONLY AMTRAK, BUT AT THAT TIME,
ON THE TABLE IS THE POTENTIAL
RAIL CONNECTION TO MADISON AND
GOING ON TO MINNEAPOLIS, WITH
HIGHER SPEED RAIL, KRM WOULD
HAVE FED INTO THAT STATION.
SO ORIGINALLY THAT WAS THE HOPE
THAT IT WOULD INDEED BE THE TYPE
OF STATION THAT COULD SERVE A
VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF
TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS, THAT YOU
WOULD ACCOMPANY THAT POTENTIALLY
WITH A DOWNTOWN CIRCULATOR,
WHETHER THAT WAS A STREETCAR OR
SOME TYPE OF A TROLLEY BUS AND
THAT YOU WOULD -- YOU COULD
ENVISION SORT OF THE TYPE OF
INTERMODAL SYSTEM AS A WHOLE,
THAT I THINK LOTS OF PEOPLE HAVE
BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR THIS
REGION FOR MANY MANY YEARS.
IT DIDN'T PAN OUT.
WE DIDN'T GET THE HIGHER SPEED
RAIL CONNECTION, WE DIDN'T GET
KRM, SO IT'S NOW ESSENTIALLY
SERVING AMTRAK.
SOME OF THE BUS SERVICE HAS
MOVED OVER THERE.
I BELIEVE THE GREYHOUND SERVICE,
THE BADGER BUS IS STILL A COUPLE
BLOCKS AWAY, SO I THINK THAT'S
ETHICAL ISSUES REASON THAT IT'S
NOT THE TYPE OF DYNAMIC PLACE
THAT IT COULD BE.
I WAS ACTUALLY THERE LAST NIGHT
PICKING UP MY SON, WE TOOK THE
TRAIN IN FROM EVANTON, BUT WHEN
YOU THINK OF WHAT IT IS VERSUS
WHAT IT COULD HAVE BEEN, IT'S
SAD, BUT THERE'S POTENTIAL THERE
TO HELP GROW THAT.
>> AND BRIEFLY ROB, WHAT IS THE
STATE OF THE STREETCAR?
WHERE DOES THAT STAND?
>> THE STREETCAR IS STILL IN THE
PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING PHASE,
AS I UNDERSTAND IT, AND IS
AWAITING A DECISION FROM THE
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION
REGARDING WHO ARE NEED TO BEAR
THE COSTS OF THE RELOCATION OF
THE UTILITIES, IT'S NOT GOING TO
BE RATE PAYERS OR THE CITY OF
MILWAUKEE AS PART OF THE PROJECT
IF IT IS THE LATTER, THEN IT
WOULD INCREASE POTENTIALLY THE
COST OF THE PROJECT AND
POTENTIALLY CALL IN TO QUESTION
ITS IF YOU TOUR, BUT THAT'S
THE -- FUTURE, BUT THAT IS THE
NEXT BIG SHOE TO DROP JOE
MONTANA SYMPTOMS -- WHO IS GOING
TO PAY FOR THAT FOR MOVING THE
UTILITIES, BUT ALL THE PLANNING
HAS BEEN DONE, CORRECTS?
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN
COMPLETELY DONE, BUT MUCH OF IT
HAS BEEN DONE AS I UNDERSTAND
IT.
>> I THINK WE HAVE TIME TO ASK
EACH OF YOU TO RESPOND TO A
FINAL QUESTION, TO TRY TO WRAP
THINGS UP HERE.
THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF WE DIDN'T
EVEN GET TO.
THIS IS SUCH A BIG AND IMPORTANT
TOPIC FOR OUR REGION, BUT IVY,
WE'LL START WITH YOU AND WE'LL
WORK OUR WAY BACK AROUND THE
TABLE, AND THAT IS, WHERE DO YOU
THINK WE'RE HEADED, AS A REGION?
WHERE DO YOU THINK WE'RE HEADED
IF WE DON'T MAKE SIGNIFICANT
CHANGES TO THE WAY WE GO ABOUT
TRANSIT?
>> I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT, BUT
I THINK IF EVERYTHING STAYS THE
SAME, WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO A
VERY FRAGMENTED METROPOLITAN
AREA AND WE SEE NO LARGE MEASURE
-- WITHOUT A SOLID CORE
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING
TO HAPPEN.
ALSO GETTING BACK TO THE
COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE, WE
SEE DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE, WE SEE
PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION CHANGES AND
WE SEE YOUNG PEOPLE OF THE
YOUNGER GENERATION WANT TO STAY
IN THE CITY.
THEY CANNOT RELY ON THE
AUTOMOBILE, THEY RELY MOTHER AND
MORE ON TRANSITS OR PARATRANSIT,
SO THERE IS A HUGE DEMAND FOR A
HUGE TRANSIT SYSTEM AND
ALTERNATIVE MODES, SO I THINK
WITH THE POPULATION GOING -- I'M
SORRY, DEMOGRAPHIC GOING
FORWARD, WITH ECONOMY GOING
FORWARD, WE'RE GOING TO SEE THE
TREND GOING TO BE TURNED.
>> ALL RIGHT.
FRED, WHERE DO YOU SEE IT HEADED
IF WE DON'T MAKE THAT KIND OF
CHANGE?
>> I THINK YOU'RE A LITTLE MORE
OPTIMISTIC THAN I AM.
I MIGHT BE THE CYNIC AT THE
TABLE, BUT THE CURRENT
COMMISSION REPORTED THAT BACK IN
THE 1960'S, THERE WERE TWO
SOCIETIES, SEPARATE AND NOT
EQUAL.
I THINK THE -- BACK THEN, THE
COMMISSION FOCUSED ON RAILS.
I THINK THE -- RACE.
I THINK THE ISSUE NOW IS ON
SOCIOECONOMICS.
WE ALSO HAVE ONE OF THE HIGHEST
IMPOVERISHED CITIES IN THE
UNITED STATES.
AND IF WE DON'T HAVE SOME MEANS
OF SERIOUS TRANSPORTATION TO
CONNECT THE MISMATCH BETWEEN
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND
EMPLOYEES, THAT SOCIOECONOMIC
CONDITION WILL CONTINUE TO
DETERIORATE.
>> ROB?
>> I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY
QUESTION THAT WE'RE IN DANGER OF
BEING LEFT BEHIND.
I THINK WITH YOU LOOK AT OTHER
CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT
ARE TRYING TO PLAN FOR HOW TO
EFFECTIVELY COMPETE IN THE
21st CENTURY KNOWLEDGE OF
ECONOMY, THEY'RE DOING LOTS OF
13 THINGS IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT
WE'RE FIGHTING ABOUT AND AGAIN
THE ANSWERS AREN'T EASY.
THE FIGHTS ARE DIFFICULT.
YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS ALL OF US
WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE AND
BETTER TRANSIT, IT DOES COME
DOWN TO THE FACT THAT UNLESS YOU
CAN CREATE TRANSIT SYSTEMS THAT
ARE ACTUALLY CONVENIENT FOR
PEOPLE TO USE, MAY LOOK GOOD ON
PAPER, BUT IS IT GOING TO WORK,
BUT I THINK IN THIS CASE, WE
NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHERE THE
DEMOGRAPHICS ARE HEADING AND
WHERE THE TRANSPORTATION
PREFERENCES ARE FOR THE YOUNG
ARE PEOPLE AND THE TYPE OF
TALENT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT
AND WHAT TYPES OF TRANSPORTATION
SOLUTIONS, NOT JUST TRANSIT
SOLUTIONS ARE GOING TO BEST FIT
THAT NEED.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU.
THIS WAS TERRIFIC CONVERSATION.
WILL YOU ALL JOIN ME IN THANKING
OUR GUESTS?
[APPLAUSE]
NEXT WEEK, WE ARE BACK ON THE
ROAD TO THE WISCONSIN CENTER,
FOR THE 2014 SUSTAINABILITY
SUMMIT.
JOIN US THERE FOR CLIMATE
CHANGE, A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY,
AND NEW ENERGY.
OUR ECONOMY RUNS ON ENERGY FROM
FOSSIL FUELS, BUT WE KNOW THAT
COAL AND OIL ARE MAJOR
CONTRIBUTORS TO GREENHOUSE
GASES, WHICH AFFECT OUR CLIMATE
AND THREATEN OUR WAY OF LIFE.
CAN WE SUSTAIN ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT AND STABILIZE OUR
CLIMATE?
IF WE DON'T, WILL OUR EARTH BE A
HEALTHY PLACE FOR GENERATIONS TO
COME?
FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE
SHOWS, TO SIGN UP FOR WEEK MY
EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS, OR TO WATCH
ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS ON LINE, GO
TO THE "FOURTH STREET FORUM"
PAGE AT WWW.MPTV.ORG.
WITH WISCONSIN PLAYING ACROSS
THE STREET RIGHT NOW, I WOULD BE
REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY GO
BADGERS!
THANK YOU FOR JOINING THIS
CONVERSATION.
WE HOPE TO SEE YOU NEXT WEEK.
LET'S KEEP TALKING.
[APPLAUSE]
PEED