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Building a vibrant modern regional transit network in SE Wisconsin.

Endorse these transit principles and be a part of building prosperity in SE Wisconsin:

Endorse Transit and a Prosperous Future

• A vibrant modern transit is a fundamental part of a successful and sustainable economy.
• A dedicated funding source for transit is vital to provide adequate, stable funding
  for transit systems. Without a dedicated funding source existing transit systems will face severe service reductions, and KRM Commuter Rail will be at serious risk, deepening the divide between workers and jobs, and limiting our ability to compete in the global economy.
• A permanent regional transit authority in Southeast Wisconsin is critical to provide regional coordination, creating a united voice to better access federal funds, and advancing efficient regional linkages for jobs and economic growth.
• We need a sensible solution of property tax relief by removing transit from the property tax and instituting a sales tax of up to 0.5%.
  

Click here to endorse transit and show your support!

Transit: Essential Support for a Strong Economy
Transit plays a pivotal role in our growth as a vibrant economic region and state, and our success in competing in the global marketplace.

A permanent regional transit authority with a dedicated funding source will improve and enhance our
current transit systems and create a dynamic, multimodal network in southeast Wisconsin that will support:

Connecting People to Jobs

• Transit cuts are harming accessibility to jobs. Between 2001 and 2007 in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties alone, 40,500 jobs became inaccessible by transit due to service cuts. The total is projected to exceed 100,000 in the next few years unless a dedicated funding source is found.
• An adequately funded regional transit system can efficiently and reliably link workers to jobs, helping to
  reduce poverty and unemployment and their significant costs to society.
• KRM commuter rail would connect workers to nearly 1 million jobs within 1 mile of stations and employers to over 325,000 in workforce.
  

Economic Growth

• We’re falling behind. Other regions in the U.S. have invested in transit and are reaping the rewards while we are falling further behind. Transit is a vital infrastructure component that builds the local and regional economy, returning many times the original investment. Our transit systems must be brought into the 21st century.
• Transit is a top attractor for businesses and the talent that they require to be successful. We need to help assure a talented workforce and reverse our brain drain by investing in transit to build a globally competitive regional economy.
• Transit enhancements will strengthen physical bi-state linkages between the metro Milwaukee and metro Chicago economies. The Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Rail (KRM) line would link a diverse high density economic corridor from Milwaukee to Chicago. It is projected to support the creation of up to 71,000 transit accessible jobs and increased tax base of $7.8 billion in property value through development around stations.
• For every dollar invested in transit, over $4.50 is gained in returns to the community.
  

Sustainability & Efficiency

• Dedicated funding will support investments such as KRM Commuter Rail that fill major transportation
  system gaps using existing right-of-way by linking and enhancing densely populated lakeshore corridor and urban transit systems that currently have few connections.
• Transit investments can catalyze sustainability and a green economy, while saving money for and families by reducing travel costs. People need alternatives to the high cost of commuting: 18% - 42% of household income is for transportation. Transit can reduce household commuting costs by up to 65%, allowing saving for wealth building investments such as home purchase or education that stabilize families and neighborhoods.
  

Action Needed: Dedicated Funding

• We need a stable, dedicated funding source to provide enhanced local and regional transit service, stabilize existing bus systems, and to receive needed federal infrastructure dollars.

URGENT: Legislative Action Required

• Without a dedicated funding source, existing transit systems will face severe service reductions and KRM Commuter Rail and all their economic benefits will not become a reality.