Rally Urges Legislators to Get RTA Moving
Jobs and Economic Growth, Transit Financial Crisis Cited

News Coverage
CBS 58: Rally for Change
WISN Channel 12: Groups Urge Lawmakers to Support Regional Transit Authority
Milwaukee Commuter Examiner Blog and Slide Show

Labor, business and community leaders joined with nearly 300 citizens last weekend as they converged on a frozen Veterans Memorial Park in West Allis to urge legislators to quickly advance Regional Transit Authority Legislation and dedicated funding for buses. Energetic chants of “RTA NOW” and “Transit means Jobs”, and cheers of support broke out throughout the hour-long rally as speakers outlined the urgent need to get the RTA moving. The Regional Transit Authority legislation that is being drafted by Governor Doyle and legislators will allow Milwaukee County and other communities to invest in their transit systems through a dedicated funding source, and coordinate transit regionally.

The focus of the rally was on major job creation and economic growth that would come from improved regional transit and an RTA, and the crucial need to address the approaching financial meltdown of local transit systems.

Lyle Balestreri, president, Milwaukee Building

and Constructions Trades Council, AFL-CIO, talks

about the fundamental role of transit in job creation.

Labor sees RTA as jobs bill, pushes for action
Lyle Balestreri, president, Milwaukee Building and Constructions Trades Council, AFL-CIO, urged the audience to contact their elected representatives in support of the RTA, “From the labor perspective, the RTA is about creating good family supporting jobs and a competitive environment where jobs can grow. We understand the importance of this and we’re behind the RTA legislation.”

Jeff Van Koningsveld, president of IBEW Local 430 in Racine expressed solidarity with Milwaukee’s efforts as he laid out a history of manufacturing job loss in the region and detailed the job growth that is spurred by transit investments, from construction jobs to build transit infrastructure and real estate developments, to jobs created through business attraction and tourism, all of which boost the tax base and support other infrastructure jobs. American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) Local 882 president, Kurt Zunker, called upon state legislators to live up to the state's motto, “Forward!”

RTA is biggest economic growth opportunity we will see
Lack of regional transit is hurting our ability to attract and grow business
According to Tom Rave, executive director of The Gateway to Milwaukee, a business attraction and economic development group, the RTA is one of the biggest jobs and regional economic growth opportunities that we will see for a long time. "Without an effective regional transit network, the Milwaukee region will continue to suffer economically because private and public capital and jobs will be attracted to more competitive environments. We are already seeing it and it will only get worse unless we change our current course."

RTA is urgently needed for to preserve transit systems

Urgency was a central focus in resolving the looming transit system financial crisis that Milwaukee and the region’s transit systems are facing, and its impact on workers, families, and businesses as transit services have been cut by 20% and fares increased by 50% in the past 7 years. For example, according to a UW-Milwaukee study, cuts to Milwaukee County Transit System services between 2001 and 2007 resulted in 40,500 jobs becoming inaccessible by transit. That number will rise to 100,000 within a few years under the current funding scenario. The Milwaukee County 2010 budget calls for an increase in fares to $2.25 for a one-way fare, which is among the highest in the nation.

Cost of inaction is too high for persons with diabilities and for tax payers

Route cuts and inadequate service cut to the heart of the lives of the thousands of people with disabilities who depend on transit and paratransit for their independence, stated Monica Murphy, Managing Attorney for Schools and Civil Rights, Disability Rights Wisconsin. She emphasized the cost of RTA inaction is too high, both for persons with disabilities and also for the county and state taxpayers as social services costs soar when transit services are cut and people are cut off from jobs, food shopping, healthcare, and education.

Joy Combs gave a passionate plea

for dedicated funding for buses.

Milwaukee County Supervisor Chris Larson explained that over the past decade of service cuts and fare increases, it has become clear that current transit funding sources have not—and will not—provide adequate support for transit. Larson added that Milwaukee is one of the last urban areas in the U.S not to provide a dedicated funding source for transit. The current sources do not grow with inflation or the increasing costs of providing transit service. Deep service cuts are expected soon if a dedicated funding source is not found.

Without RTA legislation major job-creating transit inititiatives like KRM Commuter Rail may not survive

In addition, without adequate funding for buses the future of the KRM commuter rail project and other major projects would be sidetracked. If that happens, thousands of new jobs that are projected as an outcome of the KRM Commuter Rail project, and access to over $100 million in federal dollars, will be forfeited. The Federal Transit Administration has stated that adequate funding for buses is needed in order to advance KRM Commuter Rail project.

Background

The Southeast Regional Transit Authority (SERTA) was created on June 29, 2009 in the state budget to manage and provide the local funding for Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Rail (KRM). Funding and a regional framework for buses was not included. The future of bus systems, KRM Commuter Rail, and our region now hinge on gaining one more crucial step: integrate buses into SERTA and gain the ability for local communities to provide dedicated funding for transit.

Speakers at the rally included: Lyle Balestreri, president of Milwaukee Building and Constructions Trades Council, AFL-CIO, Tom Rave, executive director of Gateway to Milwaukee, Kurt Zunker, president of AFSCME Local 882, Milwaukee County Supervisor Chris Larson, Monica Murphy, Managing Attorney for Schools and Civil Rights of Disability Rights Wisconsin, Jeff Van Koningsveld, president of IBEW Local 430 in Racine. The rally was emceed by Penny Sikora, legislative director of ATU Local 998 in Milwaukee.

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