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Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee
Commuter
Rail
Connecting the Milwaukee-Chicago economic corridor
Quick
Points & Facts
REPORTS AND FACT
SHEETS
KRM Map and Facts (pdf 250k) 5/08
Q & A (pdf
150 k)
KRM, RTA, Transit
Fact Sheets by
Regional Transit Authority (pdf 750 k) 4/07
Public comment results (93% support KRM!)
Rail
ridership exceeds expectations in U.S.
(pdf 1MB)
Rail
transit in 50 Largest U.S. Cities (MS
Word)
LINKS
KRM
Commuter Link Study
Regional Transit Authority
Leadership Kenosha 2006/07 KRM Team video
Gridlock: Public Transit in SE Wisconsin documentary in the making
Stay informed. Get engaged!
QUICK POINTSPOPOINTS
KRM
Link Environmental Impact Study
KRM
Community Impact Study
KRM
will build wealth and quality-of-life in communities and neighborhoods.
Support
and assist in bringing about:
- Support
growth of up to 71,000 jobs in the corridor.
- 21,100
residential units
- 7.64
million sq. feet of retail development
- 4.66
million square feet of office space
Economic
impact of potential development within 1/2 mile of KRM stations:
- $7.8
billion increase in assessed property valuation
- $750
million increase in retail sales
Business
KRM
will:
- Create
a dynamic bi-state link joining the metro Milwaukee and
mega metro Chicago economy,
amenities, resources, and research/educational institutions
that will help build a vibrant globally
competitive economic region.
- Add
high quality, easy, and reliable access
to an expansive and diverse pool of talent. Commuter
rail is a powerful talent attractor that can help reverse
the “brain drain”.
- Provide
direct access to 1.97 million people
within 3 miles of the 9 Wisconsin stations and 25 NE Illinois
stations on the rail line. Local transit serves most stations.
-
Economic impact of potential development within 1 mile of
the KRM stations:
• Increase in property valuation
of $7.8 billion
• Increase in retail
sales of $750 million
-
Economic impact from a mere 1% increase
in tourism would generate annually: $20 mil. expenditures • $12 mil. wages • 500 jobs • $3 mil.
in state and local government revenue.
-
Provide a fast, safe, and reliable mobility
option during major 1-94 reconstruction.
- Reduce
transportation costs,
lowering business expenses and increasing household discretionary
income.
Jobs,
families, neighborhoods
KRM
will provide:
-
Quick, safe, reliable regional access
to nearly 1 million existing jobs within 1 mile of the 34
stations on the Milwaukee - Chicago line.
- Meet
critical need: over 23% of households
near urban KRM stations do not have an auto.
-
Job growth and local economic impacts:
- Long-term
development around stations: up
to 71,000 jobs.
- KRM
construction: over 3160 jobs,
and $425 million impact on area economy.
- KRM
operations and maintenance: 126
jobs, and $24 million annual impact on economy.
- Increased
tourism: over 500 jobs and $12
million in wages annually.
- Reduced
transportation and parking costs, which
increases household
discretionary income, and helps more families participate
positively in the local economy and personal wealth building.
Riding KRM will cost less than 1/4 of driving.
- Catalyst
for neighborhood revitalization
near stations.
- Tax
base growth to support urban services, schools, and amenities:
Economic impact of potential development within 1 mile of
the KRM stations from an increase
in property valuation of $7.8 billion • Increase in
retail sales of $750 million.
- Connection
and enhancement of 3 urban transit systems
in WI
- Reliable
and affordable regional transit that allows for employment,
education, and health care stability, resulting in improved
home, school, and neighborhood stability.
Environment
KRM is:
- An
economic development and environment win-win: it expands
our mobility and spurs economic development, while reducing
traffic congestion, air pollution, energy use, and
controlling sprawl by concentrating development around train
stations.
- A
catalyst for developing transit-oriented
communities that are environmentally friendly and
economic development magnets. TOD land use planning around
each of the 9 proposed stations is completed.
- A
high quality regional rail transit is a core
building block of economically and environmentally sustainable
communities, guiding growth in sustainable way.
----------------------------------------------
More
about KRM
What
is KRM Commuter Rail?
Small Investment - Big Opportunities
Costs
& Financing
Key
points of 2003 KRM study report
Return on Investment
Frequently Asked Questions
What you
can do
Small Investment-Big Opportunities
KRM commuter rail is a smart investment that will spur sustainable
economic growth and improve our quality of life. Because KRM
Commuter Rail uses existing right-of-way, and can leverage
$4-5 in national and state funding for every $1 of local
funding (up to $155 million in national funds) for capital
costs—KRM is an good value. The economic, social and
environmental opportunities that it can provide are significantly
greater than the cost.
Revitalize Cities
The Metra extension will help to revitalize cities with stations,
increasing economic activity, property values and tax base,
attracting new residents and businesses. Across the country
experience has shown that people want to live in communities
with convenient and reliable commuter rail service. The cities
served by the Chicago Metra system are a perfect example.
Businesses are also attracted to areas near stations for convenient
access to a regional labor market. New businesses and residents
attract restaurants, entertainment, events, and other businesses
that rely on a high volume of customers. This assists in bringing
a renewed social and economic vibrancy to the community that
in turn continues to attract more residents and businesses
and economic activity. Commuter rail can improve the value
and attractiveness of the cities that it serves.
Build property values and tax
base
Commuter rail is proven to increase property values and tax
base. Property near train stations increases in value and
provides more tax revenue. For instance, the Harbor Park development
near the Kenosha Metra station was a brownfield worth $0.
It is being re-developed into a 300 unit residential area.
When the project is finished it will be valued at over $100
million and will provide $2.5 million in annual property tax
revenue. The 550 new downtown residents are already creating
new economic and social activity that make the city more attractive
to events and businesses.
Attract jobs & talent
Commuter rail can create better job opportunities by attracting
businesses. Businesses prioritize locatations in areas with
good access to labor, especially young knowledge workers.
Studies show that young talent choose jobs in locations that
offer convenient, modern, easy rail transportation amenities.
Demographic projections make it clear that within the next
few years, attracting and retaining talent will be the most
critical issue facing businesses in the United States. Services
like commuter rail are important part of keeping more of our
college graduates here, and attracting the talent that our
economic future relies on.
Develop Milwaukee-Racine-Chicago economic
corridor
The WiseRide (KRM corridor transporation alternatives analysis)
study found that commuter rail is a key component in developing
the Milwaukee-Racine-Chicago economic corridor. Nationally
recognized economists and planners agree that the Milwaukee-Racine-Chicago
corridor could become one of the nation's most important economic
corridors if we choose to actively develop it, including providing
modern rail connections. The Racine County Economic Development
Plan prioritizes commuter rail as a catalyst for realizing
this economic corridor.
Protect our environment
Commuter rail helps cut air pollution and polluted run-off
from roads and highways by reducing auto trips. KRM commuter
rail will help reduce sprawl by encouraging more compact transit-oriented
development near train stations. Each station community has
completed transit-oriented land use plan for the area around
the train station.
Regional access to jobs, education
and culture
By using existing right-of-way, KRM Commuter Rail can provide
convenient and reliable mobility in a corridor that has few
alternatives for increasing mobility directly to the densest
populations of workers and jobs (over 360,000 jobs and 540,000
population are projected within 3 miles of Wisconsin train
stations). A high density of low-income populations will have
access to the commuter rail service. With commuter rail fares
similar to bus fares, KRM commuter rail is a perfect solution
for improving job and education opportunities for low-income
and unemployed people.
A multitude of major universities, colleges, technical colleges,
museums, libraries and cultural destinations are near the
planned and existing train stations in Wisconsin and Illinois.
Three out of Wisconsin's five biggest cities will be connected
by the Metra extension.
Leverage capital investments
Commuter rail is consistently proven tospur private capital
investments near stations as people and businesses locate
in communities served by commuter rail. Millions of square
feet are available for residential and commercial redevelopment
near the stations in traditional communities all along the
route.
Safe alternative to congested freeways
Commuter rail provides a fast, reliable, easy and affordable
alternative to congested highway travel. It is less subject
to weather and construction delays. Commuter rail is safer
than driving. For instance, Metra Commuter Rail system typically
has no fatalities in 1.8 billion passenger miles per year
compared to a national average of 12.4 annual highway fatalities
per one hundred million passenger miles.
Key points of recent KRM study report
The report for the study of Kenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter
Rail extension was released by the Southeastern Wisconsin
Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC). The study is referred
to as the WiseRide study. The study found that KRM Commuter
Rail:
- Is a key
component in developing Milwaukee-Chicago economic corridor.
- Provide
access to 147,500 jobs projected within 1/2 mile of train
stations in Wisconsin alone. Within 3 miles the jobs are
projected at 360,000 and population at 540,000.
- Is an important
as a marketing and workforce development tool. It increases
mobility for all, draws business and new jobs and helps
expand the labor force by improving access to a wider geographic
area and attracting new talent.
- Is comparable
in costs and service levels to other new systems.
- Serves minority
and low-income populations well.
- Will not
divert funding sources from existing transit services.
- Is very
efficient and cost effective to add passenger capacity.
Unexpected or temporary swells in ridership are easily absorbed.
- Will provide
good ridership, is simple to navigate and has a high perceived
value.
Costs
In the KRM Link Environmental Impact Study the costs and design
plans were refined. As a result of new efficiencies and changes in design and operating plans, the operating costs
went down 45%, while doubling the the daily weekday round-trips to 14.
The capital costs (the trains, stations, and upgrades to tracks
and safety equipment) for KRM Commuter Rail are projected
to be $198 million. Up to 63% ($127 million) is is expected to come from
various federal programs, and 18-20.5% is planned from
the state of Wisconsin, and 18-20.5 % from the communities of Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha. $10.25 million in federal
funds is already set aside for KRM Commuter Rail. $6 million is currently set aside for construction through the Wisconsin's CMAQ program which is federally funded.
Annual operating costs are expected to be $10.9 million. $4.6 million of the total will come from fares, $1.3 million of the annual
operating costs are expeced to be financed from federal programs
with $4.1 million from the stat , and $.9 million coming
from the Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee communities. Operating costs
would not begin until the service starts in about 2012.
The annual local cost share of the total costs
for operations and the construction, is $4.2
million annually over 20 years, split among Kenosha, Racine, and Milwaukee communities.
Return on Investment
The costs of building and operating KRM Commuter Rail will
be out-weighed by the many economic, social and environmental
benefits that it provides. In a strictly financial scope,
commuter rail will increase property
values, improve tax base
and attract jobs. The economic
benefits of these impacts along with the many social and environmental
benefits can balance the costs of building and operating commuter
rail.
What is KRM Commuter Rail?
KRM Commuter Rail is a planned 33-mile commuter rail service
that will connect 9 Wisconsin communities with 22 NE Illinois
communities and Chicago on Metra’s Union Pacific North commuter
rail line that currently ends in Kenosha. The new service
would operate over upgraded existing freight rail lines and
end at Milwaukee’s Amtrak station with stops in Kenosha, Somers,
Racine, Caledonia, Oak Creek, South Milwaukee, Cudahy-St.
Francis, and Milwaukee-south side. It is projected to provide
1.71 million trips per year on 14 daily weekday round-trips,
and 7 daily weekend rount-trips. Fares will be similar to
a bus.
What you
can do
1. Sign-up for e-mail KRM updates and alerts by sending your
name and e-mail address to kthomas@transitnow.org
2.
Write a letter-to-the-editor or a commentary and send it to
your local newspaper.Contacts
for local media.
3. Sign on to endorse the idea
of KRM Commuter Rail and/or to get e-mail updates.
4. Talk to your community leaders, elected officials, neighbors,
and associates about KRM Commuter Rail.
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