Press Room
News Stories
Racks to be added in spring to Milwaukee County buses
By Steve Schultze
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
November 21, 2008
The long campaign to get bike racks installed on Milwaukee buses is over.
Racks for all 470 Milwaukee County Transit System buses should be installed by spring, system spokeswoman Jacqueline Janz said Thursday. A promotional campaign will accompany the launch of the newly equipped buses.
Supporters of the racks say they'll boost bus ridership and reduce dependence on cars by offering people the option to combine travel modes. For example, riders living some distance from a bus line might use their bicycle to get to the bus stop, or use the bus to get to bicycle trails that are some distance from their homes.
The last piece of the necessary approvals happened Wednesday, when the Milwaukee County Board overrode a veto from County Executive Scott Walker. That paved the way for the county to contribute $32,500 toward the $650,000 cost of purchasing and installing the bicycle racks, which will be mounted on the fronts of buses.
The bulk of the cost will be paid from a federal grant. The availability of 95% federal funding for racks made the deal a "no-brainer" for the county to support, Supervisor Christopher Larson said.
"Why would you not want to throw the 5% in there to get the 95%" in federal support? Larson said.
The county money will come from the funds borrowed for capital projects.
In a veto message, Walker said he opposed using limited county money for the local match. He has argued against racks, saying that he doubts they'd be used much and that he'd rather use the money on bus service.
The county executive's opposition slowed the bicycle rack effort last year, though he said he would go along with the idea if private donations could be raised to cover the local costs. That effort largely fizzled, however, which put it before the county again.
The board overrode Walker's veto on a 16-3 vote, with Supervisors Mark Borkowski, Paul Cesarz and Joe Sanfelippo voting to sustain.
Shea Schachameyer, program manager for the Bicycle Federation of Wisconsin, said Milwaukee has been slower than other U.S. cities to embrace bike racks for buses. Her group has pushed for 2 1/2 years to persuade Milwaukee County to get bike racks.
Twelve other cities in Wisconsin, including Kenosha, Green Bay, Madison and Sheboygan, have bicycle racks on buses, according to the federation. A 2008 report from the American Public Transportation Association shows the racks are common elsewhere in the country, including bus systems in Chicago; Minneapolis; Cleveland; St. Louis; Kansas City, Mo.; Indianapolis; and Des Moines, Iowa.
|
|
