KRM proponents shift focus to state

BY MICHAEL BURKE

Tuesday, February 20, 2007 2:22 AM CST

Journal Times

RACINE - The focus in trying to get commuter rail passed now shifts from the local to the state level, even as regional issues remain.

Meeting Monday at Racine's City Hall, the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Transit Authority discussed the shift in political focus. The RTA recently voted unanimously to increase a $2 car rental fee to $15 per rental to pay for both local operating costs and debt service.

In concept the RTA instructed its hired consulting firm, Mueller Communications, to shift its attention to state government.

"(That) makes sense," said RTA member Jody Karls, the city of Racine's representative. "It's a paradigm shift. Now we need to get it through the state."

Gov. Jim Doyle last week introduced his proposed biennial budget. It included $1 million for engineering work on KRM, which Doyle says he supports.

However, his budget did not include the RTA's recommended $13 rental fee hike, which the Legislature would need to authorize.

Doyle spokesman Matt Canter said timing played a role in the omission. But more importantly, Doyle is "still waiting for there to be a consensus around this proposal. He's waiting for initiative from state legislative leaders."

The proposed car rental fee would raise an estimated $4.9 million annually. Without the fee, or some other acceptable funding mechanism, the Federal Transit Authority would be unlikely to grant the requested $100 million to pay half of KRM's approximately $200 in capital costs.

"It's got to get in (the budget)," Phil Evenson, Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission executive director, said of the proposed fee. Although the $13 increase could be accomplished through a separate bill," It's easiest to do within the budget."

State Sen. John Lehman, D-Racine, and a member of the Legislature's Joint Finance Committee, agreed. With the fee in the budget, "It's not something that's going to end up languishing in some committee."

The proposed KRM commuter rail system would operate 14 daily round trips in a 33-mile corridor with nine stops and carry an estimated 1.7 million passengers per year.

KRM would use the existing Union Pacific Railroad track until about one mile south of the downtown Milwaukee passenger station.

Passengers would connect with Chicago's Metra commuter rail by changing trains at Kenosha or Waukegan, Ill.

Milwaukee's troubles

Milwaukee's transit system troubles have consistently entered discussions about funding KRM. On Monday, Milwaukee County RTA Representative George Torres came to the RTA with various ideas about how to help shore up that system.

Racine Mayor Gary Becker told Torres he'd support virtually any funding method that helps Milwaukee.

Any revenue not used for commuter rail would be returned to the county where collected, he said. And it would reduce property taxes for those who pay for mass transit.

Becker said he wasn't worried about Milwaukee's problems derailing KRM.

"Not the commuter rail part," he said. "But commuter rail will not be what it can be if there's not a transit system at the end of the line."

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